46 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {due west} winged wonders pacificgrove.org/discover-pacific-grove options to the intensely flavorful duck pate with house-made crostini is a delight. Somehow, I find room for a scoop of hazelnut gelato at the end of the night. On my final day, I drop by the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History to learn more about the native plants and animals as well as the local history of the Monterey Peninsula. Its newest hands-on exhibit, Wonder, is designed to look like a forest. But tucked among the realistically twisting trees, exposed roots and ferns are shells, a mounted insect collection and specimens under bell jars as well as whimsical Wonderland-esque details like bird cages, skeleton keys, looking glasses and gilded picture frames. The taxidermy collection at the Bird Gallery is another highlight and I peek in at wide-eyed owls, jewel-hued hummingbirds and stately herons. After getting my fill of puffins and peregrine falFALL FORECAST Prefer a rain-free trip? Visitors during the early fall are more likely to avoid Pacific Grove’s rainy season, which is typically at its wettest from December through March. FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY: MEZZALUNA PASTERIA cons, it’s time to visit the winged wanderers that drew me to Pacific Grove in the first place. The Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary, off Lighthouse Avenue, seems a fitting finale for my trip. As I enter the grove, the wind whooshes through the cypress and eucalyptus trees, and thousands of wings quiver from the swaying branches. Though they look fragile, these resilient little butterflies have flitted across 2,000 miles on paper-thin wings to get here. From late October to early February, they’ll find safe harbor in this grove before making the long trek north. It’s time I do the same. So taking one last look at these wayfarers in orange and black, I head for home.
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