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Butterfly Town, USA

The Monterey Peninsula, home of the Martine Inn, is located in a rare climate zone that accommodates many migrations of living animals from whales to butterflies.  Pacific Grove is known a Butterfly Town USA.  Monarch Butterflies return to Pacific Grove every Autumn and the town recognizes their arrival with a parade that has all the elementary school children participating.  The butterflies congregate in a special forested area of Pacific Grove.  They hang in long strings from the branches with their wings folded.  The underside of their wings is grey and black, unlike the...

Martine Inn Celebrates 27 Years

Thirty-two years ago, a large family compound was purchased.  It was located on the rocky coastline of Monterey Bay in Pacific Grove, California.  At that time, Julia Packard’s father was building a world-class aquarium three blocks away.  Fine chefs were beginning to locate in downtown Pacific Grove.   The family could no longer sustain nor rationalize the projects that were lining up just to keep the roof over their heads in this dilapidated mansion, albeit fine location.  The time for a bright idea to climb out of the money pit was imminent.  The vision for creating a...

Deer Roaming Territory

You may have been surprised during your visit to Pacific Grove by the sight of Black Tail deer.  They are part of the Mule Deer family.  Why deer in a city like Pacific Grove?  Pacific Grove has more open space park land than any other city per capita in California.  Also, most of that park land is kept as natural pine forest, natural coastline and the wide links of the Pacific Grove Municipal Golf Course.  On the Course and at the town’s cemetery, you will find deer grazing every day of the year.  The deer have developed an integrated path system along the water, down certain...

Bird Watching

During wine and hors d’oeuvres, one of our couples visiting from Europe expressed an interest in bird watching on the Monterey Peninsula.  They had bird book in hand and were reviewing it carefully.  I suggested that they walk over to the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History.  The Monterey Bay Audubon Society has put together an amazing collection of birds on display, including 291 bird species and 409 life mounted birds to assist in the identification process.  Monterey County is one of the most important sites for bird life in North America.  Four hundred and eighty two...