7th September 2022 woke up today to thick fog, and the sound of the fog horn. its didnt stay long and by the time we drove out of Morro Bay, the fog was lifting.
We drove back towards the town of San Simeon, a small town that seems to have been built to serve the needs of the nearby attraction, Hearst Castle.
Hearst Castle was built between 1919 and 1947 by the newspaper magnate, William Randolph Hearst.
I had read many of the autobiography's of Hollywood stars who visited the castle in the 1930s and wanted to visit it.
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| San Simeon jetty |
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| Hearst Castle |
The only way to visit is to book a tour, you can not drive up to the Castle yourself, a tour bus takes you. there are many tours to choose from, the ticket office recommended the Grand Rooms Tour for a first time visitor.
The tickets were wrist bands, and the bus took us up the winding road to the castle with it fabulous views.
First we stopped at the Pool,
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| Hearst Castle, Outdoor Pool |
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| Hearst Castle, Outdoor Pool |
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| Hearst Castle, Outdoor Pool |
and the outdoor terrace, and a glimpse of the gardens. |
| Hearst Castle |
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| Hearst Castle |
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| Hearst Castle |
I would have loved to linger and admire the views and gardens, but the guides (or Gard's?) we very officious, no lingering was aloud, once the guide who was talking has finished the narrative, you had to move on. No extra time was given for photos- this meant you had to take what ever photos you wanted while the guide was talking! it was very rushed and quite rude. The outside of the castle was far more spectacular than the rather odd eclectic mix of styles in the Assembly Rooms, Refectory, Morning room, Billiard Room and the Theatre. The inside Neptune Pool was stunning in its gold and blue décor with references to the Zodiac symbols, again we were rushed through.
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| Hearst Castle |
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| Hearst Castle |
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| Hearst Castle |
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| Hearst Castle |
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| Hearst Castle |
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| Hearst Castle |
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| Hearst Castle |
Even thought it was a bit rushed it was a glimpse into how the other half lived, especially as many of the event narrated by the guide harked back to the 1930s. My knowledge of this period - following the Wall Street Crash, the event that lead to the worldwide Great Depression. Was my Grandfathers recollections of this time. He was out of work for over 8 years, living in very abject poverty and extremely poor conditions in Mining and Steel Towns in the North East of England, one was where the Jarrow March originated from. Different lives! Following a picnic lunch at the San Simeon beach, we made our way to Montana de Oro State Park, here we walked The Bluff Trail along the gorgeous coastline.
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