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Welcome to the second part of my trip!
Depending on how many days you stay at Big Sur, a trip to Hearst Castle must be incorporated into your agenda. Our drive from Carmel was pretty smooth, and we enjoyed the bright blue sky along the way.
Hearst Castle is located in a little town called San Simeon that is nestled in the San Luis Obispo County.
This piece of art was built by William Hearst, millionaire and newspaper publisher mogul, with the relentless help of architect Julia Morgan who helped him mold his ideas and turn them into reality. The project took 28 years to complete.
The castle reminded me of the Playboy Mansion minus the playmates. In its heyday, it was an opulent oasis where celebrities and high-profile people like Cary Grant, Charlie Chaplin and other Hollywood starlets were invited to the most exclusive and lavish parties. Mr. Hearst travelled throughout Europe with his mother when he was a child. The benefit of visiting so many European countries beginning at such a young age, allowed him to expand his ideas to greater levels. The castle merges architectural styles, antiques, historic ceilings and ornaments from many different countries: Italy and Spain being the most prominent.
Before the tour, there’s a 40-minute movie that depicts his full biography including vintage footage of the construction process and starlets roaming around the castle. I thought it was going to be the typical boring museum movie, but it was so well-done, it kept me on my seat the entire time. My favorite part was how they emphasized the Dream Big idea. When Mr. Hearst embarked on this project, many people told him he was crazy and that he would never, ever be able to build a castle on a hill. This just goes to show you that the only limits you have are the limits you believe exist.
There is a shuttle bus station that departs from the visitor center. The castle is, indeed, a long, long, winding way up the hill! The road that leads to the castle is super narrow with many sharp turns. On the way there, Frank Sinatra style music plays in the background and narrates the quick story of how William Hearst built this California coastal treasure. If you’re lucky enough, you will see zebras roaming free on his 125-acre ranch. Yes, William Hearst even owned a private zoo with exotic animals.
We really wanted to take two tours and see more of the Hearst Estate, but the time and the availability were very tight and overlapped with our tour at noon, so we couldn’t make it. We took the tour to see the grand rooms Upstairs Suites. Each room was so magnificent and so different from one another. The castle has a total of 165 rooms. This tour features the most important rooms including the impressive library with the vast book collection, Mr. Hearst’s bedroom, his mistress’s bedroom and the business room, among the most important. My favorite was the South Celestial bedroom, also referred to as the jewelry box room.
This whimsical room features three balconies overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the thousands of acres belonging to Mr. Hearst’s estate. Standing in this room channeled my inner Rapunzel.
Our tour guide, Richard, was very informative and thorough when answering all kinds of questions.
The best thing is how you can freely roam around the exterior grounds, take all the time in the world to take photos and sit in one of the chairs scattered throughout the exterior (what a privilege!). I’m not kidding when I say everything is tightly restricted. Even if you step off one mini-inch from the black carpet in the interior of the castle they will call you out on it! Oh, and visitors are absolutely forbidden to have any physical contact with water from the fountains or the pool. On the exterior grounds, California State Park Rangers patrol the area non-stop. With hundreds of visitors going there on a daily basis wishing to fully immerse themselves in the experience, it’s understandable why they go to such extreme measures to preserve the castle. Everything is in pristine condition and perfectly maintained.
The iconic Neptune swimming pool was under renovations…
Depending on what time of the year you visit, evening tours will feature actors dressed up in period clothing who place themselves around different rooms as you go along on the tour. What a perfect way to immerse yourself in the world of Mr. Hearst. The actors are a great addition to help us envision the life at the Hearst Castle wondering what would have been like to rub elbows with the most coveted Hollywood stars and other personalities at this dreamy location.
To catch the bus on our way back, you have to go through the indoor mosaic-tiled Roman pool. Can’t complain.
For tour details and reservations click here
For eating, we could have easily grabbed something at the Hearst Castle café but I refuse to eat at tourist traps when I’m travelling. I found Sebastian’s on Google and could not have been happier that we ate there. We had a completely unexpected meal experience given the tourist location we were at. They had the most delicious burgers: super juicy, savory and fresh (their meat is locally sourced from the Hearst Castle ranch, no preservatives added), it was heaven. The décor of the place was very quaint and rustic with country music playing in the radio. The restaurant was also adjacent to a winery where you could indulge in an after-lunch wine tasting. The ambience was so relaxing, no crowds and the scenery that surrounded the restaurant looked like something straight out of a postcard.
After a memorable meal, we took a stroll at the WR Hearst Memorial State Beach. What a beautiful beach. Keep your eyes open for elephant seals!
On our way back to LA, the GPS took us through the 101 and not the boring I-5. We drove through beautiful coastal cities we’ve never been before like San Luis Obispo, Morros Bay, Cayucos and Paso Robles. We also made a detour off the I-101 and made a quick stop at the famous landmark hotel, The Madonna Inn! Here is a picture of the sign, I also took pictures inside but I feel like this picturesque hotel deserves a post on its own. I’m already planning my next adventure in NorCal!
This was a remarkable trip and I’m so thankful we got to experience Northern California at its finest: Beautiful Redwood forests, spectacular bluff vistas, chilly weather (we even fired up the fireplace at our hotel room in Carmel, it was so cozy), vineyard fields, old-fashioned coastal cities and leafy national parks are a few of the captivating elements that make the Golden state so unique and like no other. Although I live in LA, it’s so bizarre how lifestyles can vary so drastically from coast-to-coast within the same state. I was born in NY but I didn’t grow up there. However, the cultural melting pot in the United States and the different lifestyle patterns that coexist in this country never ceases to amaze me.
Have you been to Big Sur, Monterey or Carmel or any other place in Northern California? Had we stayed more days, we would have loved to visit the national parks in Big Sur. All-in-all, I can’t wait to go back!
