Check out the Antiques at Holman's!
by Ewingjr98
The Holman's building is a landmark location in the heart of downtown Pacific Grove. Holman's was built in 1924 and was the largest department store on the Monterey Peninsula. The top two floors were added in 1931. The store was so big and popular, Highway 68, also known as the Holman Highway, was constructed partly to bring customers to the shopping establishment from Carmel. In 1985 the store was purchased by a Watsonville department store and became known as Ford's of Monterey Bay. This store closed just a few years later.
Today the old department store has become Holman's Antique Mall. This is really an amazing store, with a stunning array of extremely expensive antiques. I would never spend a dime here, but now that I've seen the place, it's become a standard stop on my tours of PG. I started in the basement where old naked mermaid fountains that could have adorned the Hearst Castle stand for sale for around $10,000 each. I was also impressed by the giant bar in the back that towers at least 15 feet tall, if not higher... I don't know how they got in in the store, or how they would ever get it out. Back upstairs check out the pair of 7-foot tall eagle statues for $8,500 each or the 6-foot tall Japanese vase that has been marked down from $8,000 to only $4,500.
The inventory here is incredible and almost everything is flawless. Certainly the most amazing collection of antiques under one roof I have ever seen... not your average flea market crap!
Local PG Architecture
by Ewingjr98
Pacific Grove has a wide variety of unique architecture. Some of the oldest houses are the small cottages and cabins, many of which date from the town's original days when tiny lots were created for tents, which were later replaced with these buildings. Several of the cottages were constructed in the 1880s and 1890s.
About the same time the cabins were being built, Victorian mansions began to spring up. Good examples are the W.H. Stephens House (1892), Seven Gables (1886), and the Grand View Inn (1910).
Other modern buildings often have funky colors and retro designs making them almost as interesting as the historic structures.
One side note...when new houses are built or older houses expanded, city code requires a review period so neighbors can comment on the design and size. To mark the dimensions of the new structure, strips of orange construction fence are hung from poles so everyone knows how big the new house will be.
Sea Otters in PG
by Ewingjr98
Pacific Grove has a few little areas where you can catch a glimpse of the elusive sea otter (How elusive? In my first five months here, I only saw one up close with distant sightings of a few others). On a recent visit to PG to sit on the rocks along the water and read, I saw at least four if not five sea otters all swimming in one small area just off the shoreline. For about an hour they dove, swam, ate, and fended off evil seagull attacks to protect their meals.
The area where I watched them was at Point Pinos along Ocean View Drive and Acropolis St, beside John Denver Beach. The other sea otters I watched were in Monterey along Commercial Wharf and along Cannery Row; I also hear there are lots at Point Lobos State Park south of Carmel. They tend to enjoy areas with lots of kelp.
Southern Sea Otters are an endangered species with only about 2,200 remaining, all of these are along the California coast. Their range is limited from Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco, through Monterey Bay to Point Conception near Santa Barbara. Southern sea otters are about 4 feet long with males weighing 65 pounds and females 45 pounds.
Ocean Sushi - PG Location
by Ewingjr98
Ocean Sushi has a nice location in Monterey with a full restaurant, and they have this little hole-in-the-wall in PG. While the PG branch has no sushi bar or tables, it does have a small shop with Japanese snacks and trinkets. They also have some very tasty sushi.
So far I have only been there once, and I had the chirashi bowl. This was a great meal with at least six or eight varieties of fresh and tasty seafood for about $16. Chirashi is one of the most expensive items on the menu...most everything else is under $10. You can call in your order or just show up and wait approximately 15-20 minutes depending on your order. This is a pretty popular little shop.
Though they claim to be open everyday 11:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., we've stopped in around 6:30 on Sunday nights and the lights were off and the doors locked.
Grove Bistro -- CLOSED!
by Ewingjr98
Feb 2008 Update: It is reported that after only a year or so in business, the Grove Bistro has closed. It has been replaced by a small bakery.
The Grove Bistro is a tiny little wine and tapas restaurant in central Pacific Grove. We stopped in one night for a late dinner, where we enjoyed wine and two or three plates of various meats, cheeses, and fruits. They had a good selection of wines, and the appetizers were tasty and fresh. The limited menu also includes soups and some entrees up to about $15.
The entire restaurant has only about 10 or 15 chairs, but is warmly decorated with flowers and candles to make for a romantic environment. This is not a place I'd go often, but it is nice for a change...it would make a great date spot, or s place for a small group to chat around a few glasses of wine.
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POINT PINOS LIGHTHOUSE
A BOUNTY OF MOUTH WATERING DESSERTS
The reclusive Steinbeck House
Antiques in Holmens Basement
