At this time of year, my husband and I used to head for the Monterey Peninsula to get out of the LA heat and watch the historic automobile nations. We haven’t gone for a while now, but it’s still one of my favorite places on earth.

There are three cities on the peninsula: Monterey, Carmel and Pacific Grove. The area has a lot to offer visitors, including the wonderful Monterey Bay Aquarium, located on Cannery Row in a renovated sardine cannery.

Pacific Grove has some of the prettiest, whitest beaches in California. It’s a small, picturesque city, without as many motels or tourist traffic as the other, better known, cities. We find it peaceful, and apparently so do the deer who are frequently seen strolling through town, like this pair placidly dining on our motel lawn.

In October, the monarch butterflies stop in Pacific Grove, and you’ll see butterfly symbols all over town. We sometimes see them here in south Orange County, too. I took this picture of one who visited in early September of 2011.

What is your favorite place to visit? Leave a comment to be entered in my monthly drawing for a $15 Starbucks gift card.

Linda