This post covers many of my interests, a state beach and marine reserve, a lighthouse, a natural preserve, and QUILTS. It can't be much better than a week immersed by all.
Asilomar is a state beach with a conference center located in Pacific Grove. I was lucky enough to find a quilt workshop with
Empty Spools Seminars. A week with
Sandra Leichner provided me with a lot of new techniques for hand applique, and visits to other classrooms provided inspiration for projects to come.
There was even a quilt store in place at the workshop. The
Cotton Patch from Lafayette sets up a store on site to facilitate those last minute needs or desires of workshop attendees. And so my fat quarter stash has grown.
Learning new quilting techniques is great...but I need my steps. The ability to step out the door and walk to my hearts content made for a wonderful week! After a quick stop for coffee in the mornings I would walk along the beach for about an hour. By the end of the week I had chatted with a few of the locals who were also out every day.
Wandering through the grounds are some very tame deer, they don't run when you walk up, the do munch on everything....the reason for the caged flowers in the Dunes Natural Preserve.
Asilomar, itself was originally a YWCA camp. The original building, designed in 1913 by Julia Morgan, has been restored and other buildings date back to the WPA era. Asilomar became a State Park in 1957 and has continued as a conference center with the grounds open to the public.
Point Pinos Lighthouse commissioned in 1855, is the oldest continuously working lighthouse in the state. The lighthouse is owned by the city of Pacific Grove. The Heritage society of Pacific Grove is actively restoring the lighthouse and manning the museum. It is well worth a visit.
MORE PICTURES
January 2020 Also known as Point Santa Cruz, this area forms the northern boundary of Monterey Bay. It is one of the last open headlands in any California urban area. Surfers, tourists, birds - including the rare Black Swift and wintering Monarch butterflies are drawn to this area. Sea lions populate the offshore rocks.
New Brighton State Beach - More Pictures 
It became a nice stop
when we visited Andi at PCPA
Never a destination but often a stop, Pescadero State Beach and Nature Preserve centers around the lagoon formed by Pescadero and Butano Creeks. Today bird life abounds.
Wandering through the grounds are some very tame deer, they don't run when you walk up, the do munch on everything....the reason for the caged flowers in the Dunes Natural Preserve.
