Hearst Castle

Corey and I had not planned to go to Hearst Castle. It was kind of a spur of the moment decision- A spur of the moment decision that we are so glad we made! Hearst Castle is unbelievable. I still cannot believe that such a place exists. I went when I was in fourth grade but because I had no concept of money then, it was no different than Disneyland. It was called The Enchanted Castle in it's day, and to me at ten years old, it was definitely a fairy tale place. As a young adult in tough economic times who fully grasps the concept of money and what things cost, Hearst Castle was mind-boggling to both Corey and I. Located high upon a mountain top on the Central Coast, the task of lugging the supplies up that mountain to build such a lavish estate is unfathomable. The estate features 90,000 square feet of living space, 56 bedrooms, 61 bathrooms, 41 fireplaces, a home theater, 2 pools, and tennis courts.

The terrace of one of the guesthouses overlooks the Pacific coast.

The Neptune pool is styled in Greco-Roman architecture and is immense. It is truly a work of art. Most of my earlier memories of Hearst Castle are of this particular pool. The views are unbelievable.

Casa del Sol is an 18 room guesthouse that overlooks the Pacific. The 4 bedrooms and baths would always be occupied by the Heart's guests.

This sculpture was the first thing the guests would see as they arrived at the castle. I cannot remember what it is called but it is an Egyptian piece of art that is over 3,000 years old! To put that in perspective, it is older than Christ and it is even older than Moses.

The entrance to the main house at Hearst Castle called La Casa Grande. Each side is perfectly symmetrical right down to the palm trees.

The living room was where Hearst would have nightly cocktail parties. The fireplace is beautifully carved out of stone is so massive that I could stand in it and the mantle was still above my head.

The formal dining room, called the Refectory, is where William Hearst expected his guests to dine with him each night. The ceiling is beautifully carved and the walls were covered with intricate tapestries.

The Roman Pool is modeled after the Roman Baths of the 3rd Century. From floor to ceiling, the pool and it's room are decorated with 1 inch mosaic tiles. Many of them are 24 carat gold! I can just imagine all the movie stars of the 1920's and 1930's lounging in the pool. Corey and I still can't stop talking about this unbelievable place.