Europe has castles that kings and knights once ruled, but California has................Hearst Castle.
Hearst Castle is one place to see! It is located near San Simeon,CA, on a hilltop overlooking the Pacific Ocean,halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
You have take a bus ride 5 miles up to the buildings, the same route Hearst and his guest once traveled. It was once owned by William Randolph Hearst who was a wealthy publisher that bought or founded national magazines such as Good Housekeeping and Cosmopolitain. He married and had 5 sons. Patty Hearst is his granddaughter.
The estate is a mixture of old historical and antique pieces such as paintings, tapestries, and sculptures. The oldest work of art, a lion-faced Egyptian godess of war and battle, dates back to 1350-1200 B.C. The earliest painting at San Simeon dates back to the beginning of the fourteen century, Madonna and Child.
It is one of the most sophisticated guided tours in the country, with 4 guided tours in all. I had the pleasure of taking 2 tours while visiting my son, Larry........a total of 5 hrs. It is hard to imagine construction began in 1919 and continued
through 1947. The castle features 56 bedrooms, 61 bathrooms on 127 acres of gardens, terrace, pools,pottery, silver, furniture and armour. The estate also has its own billiard room, movie theature with projection roon, tennis courts, a mile-and-a -half pergola, airfield and its own private fire department and once housed its own private zoo!! The total square footage exceeds 90,000 sq.ft.
The dining room is decorated with huge banners from the 18th and 19th centuries and the ceiling has 15 life size panels representing 12 saints, 2 coats of arms and the Virgin Mary. The Harry Potter movie was designed around this room.
My favorite part was the indoor pool which is located underneath the tennis court. It is decorated with 8 Roman statues and 1 inch blue mosiac tiles on every surface of the pool, walls and ceiling and 24K gold inlay hammered into delicate Venetian glass tiles.. It was styled after Roman baths from 21-17 A.D.
Some of the guests that stayed at Hearst Castle were Charlie Chaplin, Gary Cooper, Cary Grant, Howard Hughes, Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh.
There are also special tours for those who have difficulty walking or standing for long periods. Wheelchairs can be borrowed at no extra charge.
Tour tickes can be purshased on line, or at the ticket office. There is a gift shop, historical exhibits,and food and beverage service located in the complex. It is open for daily tours, except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day.
Karen CdeBaca, Support