After a yummy breakfast with Ammy, we hustled to Hearst Castle for a couple morning tours we had booked in advance. This was the day that I was looking forward to most on our trip. We visited Hearst Castle and Big Sur both on one day! I had first heard about Hearst Castle from Kasey when we were brainstorming for our first road trip ever in 2010. It ended up being too far out of our way but I've been thinking about going ever since! Enter, road trip 2014! Hearst Castle is located halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, 4 hours away from each city in San Simeon. We picked it as the Southern most point of our trip down the West coast.
Hearst Castle was built by William Randolph Hearst, the famous publication tycoon. The land was originally a large ranch where he had spent a good portion of his childhood camping with his parents. When he was in his 50's, he decided that he wanted something a bit more comfortable than a tent. What was originally intended to be a "little something" grew into four separate buildings, the largest, Casa Grande, being just over 60,000 sq ft housing an invaluable collection of art, furniture and fixtures. He entertained many famous Hollywood starlets and politicians in the 1920s and 1930s including Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, Calvin Coolidge and Franklin Roosevelt. After Hearst passed away, the family donated the castle, all of its contents and the surrounding lands to the state of California so that it could be made into a state park and be toured by the public aka ME!
Hearst Castle was built by William Randolph Hearst, the famous publication tycoon. The land was originally a large ranch where he had spent a good portion of his childhood camping with his parents. When he was in his 50's, he decided that he wanted something a bit more comfortable than a tent. What was originally intended to be a "little something" grew into four separate buildings, the largest, Casa Grande, being just over 60,000 sq ft housing an invaluable collection of art, furniture and fixtures. He entertained many famous Hollywood starlets and politicians in the 1920s and 1930s including Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, Calvin Coolidge and Franklin Roosevelt. After Hearst passed away, the family donated the castle, all of its contents and the surrounding lands to the state of California so that it could be made into a state park and be toured by the public aka ME!
Oh yes, need to start out with what I wore to the Enchanted Hill. This was definitely the most high maintenance outfit of the trip, but I'm totally in love with it. The long sleeved crop top feels like the perfect transition piece for fall and I can't wait to pair it with maxi skirts and pretty scarves. Both top and skirt are from Forever 21, but I bet you already knew that ;) The shoes are new! I've been looking for the perfect strappy wedge and I am obsessed. Report via Nordstrom Rack. PS. Hanger straps are the bane to my existence!
The Roman Pools were my absolutely favorite by far! There's really nothing I can say about them except they're even better in real life.
It used to be that the only time you were allowed to spend at the castle was during a chaperoned tour. Three years ago they decided to open the outside grounds up to be enjoyed at leisure by the public and I am so glad they did! My visual senses were on fire, discovering delightful details each time I turned a corner.
There are three different tours you can take at the castle. We decided to do two of them. Gotta save something for the return visit, am I right?! These are snaps from the Grand Rooms Tour. Grand is an understand. Opulent. Luxurious. Spectacular. No cost was spared when constructing and decorating these rooms. I think I was most impressed by the ceilings. They were antiques that were auctioned by European families back in the day. They tore apart their homes and sent everything of value to America to be sold in New York City. They'd collect the cash to remodel their homes back in Europe.
The last tour we took was the Upstairs Suites Tour where we were able to get a peek into a few guest rooms and Hearst's private quarters. Can you imagine what it would have been like to have been his guest back in the day? IT WOULD HAVE BEEN AWESOME. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay in Cambria and my time at Hearst Castle. 10/10 would do it again!
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