The first place I think of for butterfly spotting is the Pacific Grove Monarch Sanctuary in Pacific Grove, California. I had plans to visit my friend who lives near there, and go with her and her two kids who, remarkably, had never seen this phenomenon even though they live so close. We arrived at what turned out to be a small grove of trees, with hardly any butterflies in sight. A docent remarked that since it was cold the previous night, many of the butterflies were hiding on the sunny side of the trees, which was not where we were standing.  The path was short and nothing like I had remembered from the visit of my past. We did, however, find a family of deer resting among the trees, so at least the trip wasn’t completely void of interesting creatures.

Perhaps, I thought, I had visited the Natural Bridges Preserve in Santa Cruz. Determined not to lose the opportunity of seeing flocking monarchs, I took the kids to Santa Cruz a few days later to see these darned enchanting butterflies. Here was the location I remembered from my past. There were certainly more here than the few we saw in Pacific Grove, but it hardly met the impression I had in my mind. Natural Bridges bosts home to over 100,000 monarchs at its height of the migration.

In my butterfly search, I have learned quite a lot about these monarchs. For example, it will take 1,800 miles and four generations before they return to where they started. The first generation begins their migration in wintering locations along the California coastal areas as well as Mexico. There, they cluster in eucalyptus groves along the coast, mating in late January and leaving for spring migration by March. The monarchs lay their eggs inland on milkweed plants in the Sierra Nevada foothills and then die. The second generation hatches and flies across the mountains into Oregon, Nevada or Arizona. Third and fourth Monarch butterfly generations fan out even further and then they return to California coast, to the place where their great great grandparents started. How in the world they find the same place is still a mystery.

There is concern for this incredible migration. Forests in Mexico where the monarchs winter are being cut down. The milkweed on which they feast and lay their eggs are often removed (as it is a weed) or pesticides used on the plant poison the butterfly. I am hopeful that we merely did not come late enough in the season to see all of these incredible butterflies flock in the trees rather than that their numbers are rapidly declining. The visitor’s center at Natural Bridges does a great job of educating visitors (and school groups). Also near the visitor’s center is a fenced in patch of milkweed where visitor’s can see the caterpillers or chrysalis close up. Conservation groups such as www.monarchwatch.org are working hard to preserve and educate as well.

If visiting Pacific Grove or Santa Cruz is not in your plans, here are some other locations where butterfly wintering can be seen:

The lead picture is credited to Gene Neiminen, USFWS

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If you do venture away from the sand, the pier is a really nice place to stroll. On the left side of the pier (as you face the ocean) are some stairs that lead to a great place to view resting sea lions. Another great place to shop is Marinis, a candy shop that makes its own salt water taffy. I have to say the taffy is incredibly good.

One ride I wouldn’t mind taking some time is the beach train that rides from the boardwalk up to Henry Cowell redwood forests of Felton. A round trip excursion takes about 3 hours, but you can easily make a whole day event by using that as your transportation to two nice destinations. Guess I need to leave something for next time.

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