Virtual Guidebook to Monterey, Big Sur and the Central Coast
Asilomar State Conference Grounds
Pacific Grove California

Asilomar means refuge by the sea. It was built for the YWCA in 1913 and designed by Berkeley architect Julia Morgan. In 1955 it was acquired by California state parks and has been managed as a conference center for educational institutions. The location in the dunes behind Spanish Bay is superb. I once lived in a yellow brick house just two blocks from the Aslomar gates.

Monarch butterflies favor the mild climate of Pacific Grove to over-winter on their epic migrations to and from Canada. Certain groves of pines and eucalyptus have been "butterfly trees" for decades and are protected by local ordinance. One of the main events of the year in this quiet little town is the butterfly parade, held since 1939, when first graders pin on orange wings to celebrate the return of the monarchs in early October.