By Bill Warner

Monarch Butterfly Grove
Pismo Beach
Located in Pismo State Beach about a half mile off the 101 on State Route 1, this patch of vegetation loads up with migrating monarch butterflies during the winter months. The numbers fluctuate throughout the season and from year to year, but folks generally rate strolls through the grove in the highly impressive range of stuff to be seen. More up-to-date info can be found at monarchbutterfly.org, or by calling (805) 773-7170.

Bubblegum Alley
733 Higuera St., San Luis Obispo
This is a 100-foot pedestrian alley encrusted with chewed bubblegum in San Luis Obispo. Who could resist that? A screaming eyesore or a Wonder of the Weird, depending on how you want to look at it, Bubblegum Alley has been around for decades. And though the city is reported to have scoured it several times in the past … well, the chewed gum always seems to grow back. The alley can be accessed near 733 Higuera St.