Country Club Gate / Forest Grove, Pacific Grove, CA

Country Club Gate / Forest Grove sits on the southern side of Pacific Grove, close to the town's entrance to 17-Mile Drive. The name comes from the gate and from the shopping center beside it, with the pine-covered streets of Forest Grove spreading out around them. Homes here are mostly houses set back under Monterey pines and cypress, on streets that bend more than the tight grid downtown. Fog drips off the pines onto roofs and driveways, which gives the blocks a dim, woodsy feel on gray mornings. Rip Van Winkle Open Space, at 65 Country Club Gate, is a long, thin stretch of woods about 2,200 feet by 400 feet, with a dirt trail that walkers, joggers and dog owners use through the day. For bigger outings, Asilomar State Beach and the golf links around Point Pinos Lighthouse are a few minutes away by car. Needles and cones from the pines collect along the curbs in windy weather, and sweeping them is a regular chore. Eating here is casual and centered on the shopping center. The Bagel Bakery, at 130 Country Club Gate Center, is the breakfast stop, known for bagel sandwiches like the turkey club. A Starbucks sits in the same center, and Domino's and Subway cover quick dinners. Julia's, a short drive down Forest Avenue, cooks vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dishes. Daily errands in Country Club Gate / Forest Grove are easy by car. Safeway and Trader Joe's sit along Forest Avenue within a couple of minutes, and the center covers quick lunches and pizza. Getting to Monterey or Carmel means driving. Weekend traffic funnels toward 17-Mile Drive, so the intersection near the center backs up with visitors' cars. After the shops close, the pines hold the quiet, and wind in the branches is the main thing you hear.