"Pacific Grove, CA - the Butterfly Capital of the World" or so proclaims a wooden sign at the edge of town. Others not so infatuated with butterflies may recognize the town for its proximity to Pebble Beach, or for its famous coastal bed and breakfasts. But, being the butterfly lover that I am, I chose the quaint town for a weekend getaway simply to gaze at monarch butterflies. According to signs at the butterfly park (which was a disappointing two acres), monarch butterflies flock to Pacific Grove as a winter resting place on their annual trip to Mexico. The butterflies resting in Pacific Grove aren't the same ones that will be sunning in Mexico this summer. In fact, only the great-great grandchildren of these butterflies will live to see the promised land, yet they continue to reproduce in hopes that their descendants will complete the journey. Now that is a labor of love!
Pacific Grove is host to a variety of migrating species - steelhead trout, gray whales, sea lions, and probably others that I'm not aware of. According to a recent edition of National Geographic, Pacific Grove (aka Monterey Bay) is host to more varieties of sea life than any other area of the ocean that has been explored to date. Which leads me to wonder, what exactly makes Pacific Grove such a welcome resting point? Warm currents? Mild weather? The strong scent of Eucalyptus trees? Nobody seems to know. What they do know is that Pacific Grove is a wonderful place to gaze at migrating species, without being surrounded by the commercialism and development that plagues other coastal destinations. The biggest moneymaker for this town is its annual butterfly parade, which should give you a clue as to the simplicity and beauty of this town. Think about it - everyone dressed in elaborate butterfly costumes parading down the street, hailing the journey of a tiny creature that passes though the town on its way to a brighter desitination. Hotels and restaraunts are all dedicated to the butterfly theme. And thousands of people come from all over the country to attend the butterfly parade each year. What is it, exactly, that draws everyone to these butterflies?
Perhaps it is the fact that butterflies, like people, go through a period of metamorphosis, and always emerge more beautiful and graceful than when they entered. Perhaps it is because they embark on a journey that they will not complete, but do so with a flare for life that people crave. Maybe it is because they continue to reproduce and travel, despite the fact that their life lasts but a moment. Maybe it is because butterflies symbolize life and beauty and seem to immortalize the human spirit. Butterflies are the beginning of spring, and the hope of good things to come. Maybe that is why last Sunday a woman wept to see so many butterflies in one place, a grown man held completely still when a butterfly perched on his shoulder, and a child stood speechless as she watched a butterfly land on a purple flower and slowly flap its wings. We were all enthralled by this small symbol of life and hope and beauty. For a moment, we were all children again, lost in a simpler world.
By: Rebecca
Photo By: Ted (Taken in Pacific Grove, CA)
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