(My daughter holding a Monarch butterfly.)
Last Saturday night my family and I joined a handful of other families at The St. Regis Monarch Beach for their weekly Butterfly Release Ritual… and I am so glad we did! I’m always looking for inexpensive activities to do on the weekends and the cost of the whole evening was just $5 for the valet! (Plus tip, of course.)
At seven o’clock we gathered around a small table on the terrace overlooking the ocean, as the staff served (again, let me restate, free) Champagne to the adults and apple juice for the kids. The butterflies were brought out in a large glass jar. The kids gathered around and a white-gloved man read a short poem about making wishes (or something along those lines) while the butterflies readied themselves for flight.
(Look at how beautiful they are.)
Then he released the Monarchs into the soggy Dana Point sky. But what the staff did next was nothing short of magical for the kids. They pulled out tiny triangle cardboard boxes, each containing one perfect, magnificent butterfly and placed them on the fingers of the fidgety, awe-faced children. The Monarchs didn’t bolt right away either, they sat on their fingers, for sometimes up to five or so minutes, allowing the kids to pass them back and forth to each other, getting a once in a lifetime, up-close view.
Now, that would have made the trip worth it right there. Free-of-charge magical moment for my kids? Check! But, we were then invited to their storytelling time down by the lawn. We headed down just in time to see Little Red Riding Hood, complete with cape and basket, sit herself down and begin to read her own story. The kids then roasted marshmallows and made s’mores and we all sat around sipping hot chocolate talking to the other families.
Did I mention this was all St. Regis’ treat?
When we were waiting for our car at the end of the night, Emily told me that her heart was beating so fast when they brought out the butterflies, she could hardly breathe. You just have to go sometime this summer. It happens every Saturday until Sept. 7th at 7 p.m.; story time is at 7:30 p.m.
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My suggestions for other free things to do in Orange County:
The Santigo Art District’s Art Walk–Next one June 20th-Watch my video from last year.
Walking the Bolsa Chica Wetland.
Watching the skateboarders at Van’s Skatepark at The Block.
Would you like to be featured here and on 
What an amazing experience! I am in awe just reading this, to watch the awe in your child’s face must of been priceless.
let me just say again, THANK YOU for this column! i am so excited to do this!!
Very cool! I’m all over free stuff . . . kinda like a cheap suit.
i am totally going. do you have any recommendations on when to get there? like should we go earlier to get a good spot?
We got there around six and sat in the lounge and had a drink and watch a game on their big screen TV. People didn’t start to gather around until 5 minutes before seven.
Have fun!
I’m going, too! What an amazing experience. Your photos are amazing, too.
That picture is gorgeous. A framed version would make a beautiful gift for your daughter one day. Although, with all your amazing photography, I’m sure that could be said about most of your pictures!
Thank you!
I’d heard about this - but thought you needed to be a guest to enjoy. Simple pleasures of nature served up on a fancy plate.
Are you sure the storytelling is free at all times? Per their website, it states there is a fee of $12/kid.
http://www.stregismb.com/special_events.aspx?date=06/13/2009&endDate=6/14/2009&window=&sortBy=EventSummary&sortDirection=ASC&frontPage=False#Event_29
Just don’t want to get kicked out!
Yes, both the storytelling and butterfly release rituals are free activities. We encourage our community to enjoy our property. Enjoy!
What an awesome experience!!!! I first saw the article in OCR’s Life Tuesday, June 9 section. Then I followed the blog links. Your photos on the blog are truly magnificent! Thanks so much for sharing!
I mentioned your blog and article on my blogsite: http://mygrandmasue.wordpress.com/2009/06/11/kids-soar-on-wings-of-butterflies/
FYI: It is no longer open to the public. We tried to go last weekend and found they had changed it to “Registered Guests Only”. We are sad…wished we had gone sooner!