Hearst Castle

We drove 35 miles north to see Hearst Castle today and it was a trip worth four hundred photos by the time we were done clicking away with our cameras.  The question is, "How do I show you that many?"  Well, I can't really.  But I will try to convey what a day spent here meant to me.

This remarkable residence is now a state park managed by the State of California.  William Randolph Hearst began the home by partnering with architect Julia Morgan in 1919.  Over the course of 28 years the home was designed and constructed with multiple modifications along the way as Mr. Hearst frequently changed his mind about exactly what he desired.  The home was built in a Mediterranean Revival Style focusing on the architectural style of Southern Spain.  Built in a cathedral style on what Mr. Hearst called the "La Cuesta Encantada" (The Enchanted Hill) the home delivers views that are phenomenal from every window.  The views however have to compete for any visitor's attention with the extraordinary art collection gathered for the home by Mr. Hearst.  At the time the home was built, European historical artifacts were being sold off to any interested party able to financially acquire them in order to fund the rebuilding of Europe after both World War I and again after World War II.  These priceless pieces of art (some over 3,000 years old) have been preserved for generations to come to enjoy thanks to the efforts of Mr. Hearst.

Walking through the Castle becomes a step back in time and one can easily imagine the mornings spent in the sunny breakfast room enjoying fresh fruit grown right on the estate.  A game of tennis could follow before the heat of the afternoon sun made the effort too great.  A light buffet snack and some refreshment were in order before a stroll under the mile-long, grape vine covered pergola.  There it was pure pleasure listening to the multitude of singing birds also enjoying the pergola's shade.  Butterflies float through balmy air illuminated by little shafts of sunlight streaming down through openings in the leaves.  The fragrance of orange blossoms lingers on the air.  It seems as if one is stepping into a world far away from the all the rush and stress of city life if only for a short while.  Mr. Hearst said, "I'd rather spend a month here than anywhere else in the world."  I can imagine the same feeling sitting on a shaded lounge chair next to the Neptune Pool late in the afternoon with the ocean breeze softly swirling around us.

Guests were expected to eat in the main house which Mr. Hearst called "Casa Grande"-the Big House.  Pre-dinner social time required California casual suits (not tuxedos) for men and cocktail dresses for women.  Examples of this attire are on display in the house where several guest rooms can be seen on the tour.  Mr. Hearst would join everyone for dinner then retreat to his office where he would work until three in the morning.  After reviewing multiple newspapers delivered to him daily to edit their contents, he would dictate his opinions on his writers' efforts to his personal secretary who then relayed Mr. Hearst's responses to each of the respective newspapers.  A workaholic, Mr. Hearst only slept four hours per day.

One man's heartfelt dream of turning his boyhood love of this spot high above the ocean into a home where he could live out his days surrounded by friends, a farm he nurtured and the oak trees he loved transformed this spot on earth into a place that millions can also enjoy today.  I for one am grateful for the experience and for the wealth of imagination it inspired.  I walked away feeling like I'd been a guest of Mr. Hearst and that is what makes the day remarkable.