Stop Thirteen - Hearst Castle

Monday, we had plans to visit Hearst Castle in San Simeon. I didn't know a lot about the Castle, but I knew a little about William Randolph Hearst. He was a newspaper magnate from the first half of the twentieth century, but he's probably best known now as the primary inspiration for the title character of the movie Citizen Kane. I have a passing interest in him because of his close proximity to many stars of silent movies, notably Marion Davies, who was his mistress, and Fatty Arbuckle, whose career the Hearst newspapers were instrumental in destroying. Hearst's papers were also the breeding ground for many comic strips in the golden age of newspaper strips. So suffice it to say I was kind of interested in the man.

The Castle, as it is referred to now, is at the top of a hill, and there are four tours that are available, all beginning at a visitor's center on the main road. The tour bus takes you up the hill, where a tour guide greets you and takes you through the estate. Our guide was very knowledgable and was very interesting, and the view, as expected, is breathtaking.



This is one of two pools on the estate. It was open for the guests to use when they came to visit. The front piece on top of the six pillars is actually a historical artifact (I can't remember if it's from Greece or Rome) and the pillars and the rest of the pool were basically built around it



The grounds are just beautiful, filled with all sorts of exotic plants and interesting statues. The tour took us through one one of the guest houses. The pictures are a little dark because we were not allowed to use the flash on our cameras. The carvings on the door panel are supposed to be the likenesses of the men who built this house!



Here's another piece that Hearst had brought over from Egypt. Our guide said that it was fairly common to do that in those days, but you could not get something like this into the country now, because of the archeological significance. The main house is designed to resemble a Spanish cathedral that Hearst was fond of. It's amazing to think that this was all owned by one man.



We went through the main hall, with all the hanging tapestries, the great dining hall, with it's long dining table, the billiard room and the movie theater. Again, no flashes were allowed, so some of the pictures are a little dark (especially the theater) but you get the idea. This place is HUGE!



The final stop on the tour was the indoor pool. The pictures don't do it justice. It was spectacular!



The tour bus brought us back to the visitor's center, where we watched an IMAX-style film about the building of the Castle. There was also a number of exhibits about Hearst, his family and his business. It was all very interesting and I would recommend anyone passing through the area to stop in and take at least one of the tours.

We ended the day at the Hearst Castle but getting a slightly overpriced snack and being assaulted by a bunch of (what I think were) crows in the outdoor eating area. All the more reason to eat indoors!





More pictures coming soon...

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