Up until 1969, the sale of alcohol was illegal in Pacific Grove, a reminder of the community’s 19thC origins as a Methodist settlement and of the God-fearing nature of the wealthy and well-to-do folk who have colonized it since. The emphasis of this community on the north-west tip of the Monterey Peninsula is still very much on home life and, unlike neighbours Monterey and Carmel, Pacific Grove doesn’t knock itself out to cater to tourists – commercial trappings are refreshingly few.

The main draws are several streets of Victorian houses – linked by the Historic Trail – and 3 miles of uplifting panoramas along the aptly named Ocean View Boulevard.

Visit Pacific Grove between late October and March, though, and your attention will be diverted to the orange-and-black Monarch butterflies which migrate here from Alaska, often hanging in their thousands from branches. The background to the butterfly migration can be discovered in the Museum of Natural History (http://www.pgmuseum.org), 165 Forest Ave.

Near the museum, Pacific Grove life revolves around the cluster of cafes and shops close to the junction of Lighthouse Avenue and Forest Avenue. A longer-lasting picture of Pacific Grove, however, is provided by a stroll along Ocean View Boulevard – a thoroughfare which fully merits its name and eventually leads to the diminutive Point Pinos Lighthouse (http://www.pointpinoslighthouse.org), on Lighthouse Avenue, erected in 1855 and open for free tours 5 days a week until 4pm – closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.