One for the Bucket List, Part Last: California Highway 1

Last December, my sister asked me if I wanted to take a trip to California with her.

Seriously.

She asked me if  I wanted to go.  

It was a quick three day trip that I loved so much,

 it's been hard to bring myself to post the last few pictures.

We flew to San Francisco and drove down California Highway 1 

in the gorgeous and golden late afternoon, 

through Pebble Beach, all the way down to Cambria.  

 See that beautiful drive }here{

The next day we went to Walmart, 

and took a stunning back road that still makes my heart soar.

See that lovely jaunt }here{

Then we visited a National Park.  But not the kind with portolets and grizzly bears.  

This National Park is a castle - Hearst's Castle. 

  

See Part 1 of our visit to the castle }here{ with beautiful views of the grounds and pools

Part 2 of the castle }here{ showcasing the main gathering areas inside the castle

and Part 3 of the castle }here{ and have a look upstairs and in the bedrooms.

But if a castle doesn't quite fit your concept of the National Park experience, 

just down from Hearst's Castle is a beach that is home to elephant seals.  

They were SO BIG, but these were mostly babies and adolescents.  

The full grown males can be as big as a car!

So really, it's probably not a good idea to try to pet one.  

Resist the urge.  

Most of them were just lying around,

 soaking up the sun,

blissing out on the the beach.

Some of them were play fighting.

Probably the equivalent of a bunch of teenagers having a sleepover.

On most trips, getting in the car to head home is when you curl up in the backseat 

to catch a little shut eye.

But not this one.

Definitely ...

not this one.

When we were kids, we once saw a killer whale on this drive.  

It followed the coastline for quite some time.  

We didn't see anything quite so spectacular this time, but we did see a whale spout a few times. 

Not that I was able to catch it on film ... 

It's kind of like seeing a movie star and not taking the picture.

At least I am consistent :o)

If you decide you absolutely must stay one more night,

you have options.

But sometimes, you just can't draw it out any longer, and it's time to go home. 

Besides, you know what they say about all good things ... 

This One for the Bucket List California Road Trip is a Six Part Series.  

Click below for:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

( You just read Part Last )

One for the Bucket List, Part 5: Upstairs in Hearst Castle

My sister and I spent three perfect days in California last December.  

We flew into San Francisco and drove down Highway One to Cambria (see that post here), 

took an impromptu trip from Cambria to Walmart Paso Robles (see that post here),

 and visited the astoundingly beautiful Hearst Castle (see part 1 of our Hearst Castle tour here 

and part 2 of our Hearst Castle tour here).  

Hearst Castle was built by William Randolph Hearst and was his private property for many years.
 In 1957, it was donated (!) to the State of California and it is now a historical monument.

(image source)

Three different tours of the castle are offered.  The Grand Rooms Museum Tour offers the social rooms of the main house (this is the tour recommended for first time visitors).  The Upstairs Suites Tour includes the private rooms of Mr. Hearst, including his study and his library, and several guest rooms.  The Cottages and Kitchen Tour include the wine cellar, tours of two guest cottages and, of course, the kitchen.  All tours include time outside in the gardens and both amazing swimming pools, as well as a 40 minute movie 

(on a 5-story screen!) giving the history of building the castle. 

Every time this magical trip to California starts to seem like a dream, I do a blog post and viola!  

December seems just like yesterday.  

Sandy and I took the Grand Rooms and the Upstairs Suites tours.  

Each tour is about 40 minutes, and is guided by extremely knowledgeable tour guides.  

Mr. Hearst was quite the entertainer and his many and frequent house guests

 were accommodated in extreme luxury.

Naturally, a winding staircase is a must in any castle ... 

Many - probably most - of the architectural features came from authentic and 

(obviously) old castles from around the world.  

These two carvings were on bedroom doors ...   

The corridor was dark, and I wasn't able to get a clear photo of the woman above ... 

but she clearly did not want you knocking at that door ... 

and she really looked as though she were going to step right out of that wood work 

and give you a piece of her mind!

The clothes that you see laid out are period appropriate, 

and could have been worn at the castle back in its hey day when Mr. Hearst 

was entertaining movie stars and socialites.  

Mr. Hearst considered the ability to stay connected of great importance. 

 There are many telephones in the castle, which for the time was unusual.  

And if you didn't want to make a phone call, 

perhaps dashing off a quick letter about your visit on a typewriter would suffice?

This is Mr. Hearst's bedroom ...

and the painting on the right is his beloved mother.  She took him for picnics on this site when he was a boy, and then made a grand tour of Europe with him that obviously influenced his tastes.

Adjoining Mr. Hearst's suite of rooms is the suite of rooms designated for his long time companion, 

actress Marion Davies. 

Evening tours are also offered in the fall and spring on weekends.  It's truly enchanting to look up and see the lights of the castle twinkling on top of the hill.  

But then, Hearst Castle in any light is a magical sight.   

For more information about Hearst Castle, see http://www.hearstcastle.org/  

and by all means ... 

if you go ... 

take me with you!

This One for the Bucket List California Road Trip is a Six Part Series.  

Click below for:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

( You just read Part 5 )

Part Last

One for the Bucket List, Part 4: Inside Hearst Castle

In December my sister and I took a perfectly wonderful trip to California. 

We drove down Highway One from San Francisco to Cambria (see that post here) …

took a backroad through the hills from Walmart (see that post here) …

and visited Hearst Castle (see Part 1 here).

  

This castle was the 30 year project of William Randolph Hearst and architect Julia Morgan.
They began work in 1919 and, as beautiful as it is,
it still wasn't complete in Mr. Hearst’s mind when he died in 1951.

As he furnished the castle, Mr. Hearst traveled all over the world to acquire furnishings appropriate for “the ranch”, as he called it.  Everything you see inside, including artwork, sculptures, carvings, ceiling panels, furniture, rugs, tilework, tapestries ... everything  … has some historical significance.  

And your tour guide can tell you anything you want to know about everything you see.

Being there in December was especially enchanting,
 since the castle was decorated for Christmas as it would have been in Mr. Hearst’s day. 

There were two 18 foot Christmas trees in the Gathering Room, one on either end.  Mr. Hearst especially loved Christmas, and would have a Christmas party for the children of his employees.  One tree was for the boys, one was for the girls, and the children were invited to choose a gift from underneath the trees.  One child of a former employee told about selecting a gift that turned out to be a bicycle.

The door to the dining room is through the wall of carved seating in the Gathering Room, and that wall also has a secret door that Mr. Hearst used to enter the Gathering Room.
Because every castle needs a secret door.

Mr. Hearst enjoyed entertaining, and his guests were expected to contribute to making it a pleasant party.
No going to your room and playing the recluse!

So if dinner isn’t quite ready yet, perhaps you’d like a game of billiards?

Or you might be more at home in the upstairs library …

Or maybe you’d like to spend a little time in Mr. Hearst’s personal study (this was my favorite room) …

Most of the bedrooms have adjoining sitting rooms, if you’d rather …

Each, of course decked out with priceless antiquities

And  a great view …

Oh, but there’s the call to dinner … shall we into the dining room?

On one end of the dining room is a balcony for the musicians.  On the other end is a giant fireplace.  Mr. Hearst’s seat was in the center of the long table.  Our tour guide told us that guests were generally seated close to Mr. Hearst at the beginning of their visit, but as their stay extended, their seat assignments would migrate to the ends of the table.  Except, as the story goes, for one of the Marx brothers. 
He tended to annoy Mr. Hearst, so he was seated right beside the blazing fireplace his entire stay.

It was suggested to Mr. Hearst that the high windows in the dining hall be replaced with stained glass.
But he opted for clear glass … certain that the angels would prefer to keep their view :o)

Guests were invited to the castle with a specific arrival date but no mention of departure.
You would simply know  when it was time to leave. 

ummmmmmmmm ... would never be okay?



I'm linking this post to Amanda's Weekend Bloggy Reading Party at Serenity Now!

This One for the Bucket List California Road Trip is a Six Part Series.  

Click below for:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

( You just read Part 4 )

Part 5

Part Last