Hearst Castle

Per my previous blog about our road trip up the CA coastline, one afternoon we went to do a tour of the beautiful Hearst Castle. Patrick had already been once, but this was my first time visiting the historical ranch. Wow - what a beauty! Before we went up on the shuttle bus to the actual house, we first watched a documentary video on William Hearst as a boy and how, at 5, his mother took him on a European tour where he, even at such a tender age, was fascinated and entranced by the architecture that he saw there. It was very interesting to watch how he, at 46, started the 15 year construction of his dream house - based on what he saw and loved as a child. Evidently there are 4 tours, ours taking us through one of the guest houses, the main dining room, living room, both pools (indoor and outdoors) and the movie theater (where he mostly showed films of his actress wife over and over again).

was fascinating. He spoke of how the set designers for the Harry Potter movies came and sketched and essentially duplicated the goth style of the dining room with it's huge table and mounted flags. Opulence was everywhere - gold ceilings, gold tiles, an original Sphinx statue in the garden, massive hanging tapestries in the great living room - just amazing! The front outside of the main house even resembled our Balboa Park buildings - as it was the same design that the architect used here in San Diego for the World Expo in 1914.

I highly recommend this tour - it is beautifully situated at the top of a hill, with an amazing view of the ocean - with Spanish and Mediterranean design (and designed by a woman architect - at that!), its own landing strip, a private zoo and acres where zebras, tigers, lions, polar bears and more ran around, stunning gardens and walkways - it is just an amazing architectural accomplishment. I was very impressed and enjoyed it immensely! :)

Click on slideshow below!

Hearst Castle