The Hearst Castle In San Simeon

And now for my part 2 of our California trip recap.  (See Part 1: Carmel HERE if you missed it.) We drove from Carmel to San Simeon, and drove up towards our hotel just as the sun was setting.  It made me realize how long it had been since I had actually watched a sunset.  I always am amazed how fast the sun goes down once it gets to a certain point! There's nothing like an ocean sunset. 

Ocean Sunset in San Simeon

We got to see Elephant Seals.  There was a large group of them the afternoon we drove in, and the next morning, we saw this one sunbathing solo on the beach.  What a life!

I think this Elephant Seal knows the secret to a good life!

After a long walk on the beach, we headed to the Hearst Castle, which was really the main reason we were in San Simeon.  I had gone when I was around 7 or 8- So it had been a long time.  But I remembered it pretty vividly because it made such impression. 

I took so many pictures, so I'll just post a small selection below.  Before taking the bus up to the castle, there's a little gift shop, and there's also this framed quote which made me laugh.  I think Mr. Hearst achieved his goal in building something that's "more comfortable" than a tent!

So THIS is why he had the Hearst Castle built!

This is one of my favorite pictures, and possibly my favorite view ever.  This is why Hearst wanted to build his house on this property, high up on the hill.

The view from the Hearst Castle

Everything is just breathtakingly gorgeous inside the castle.  The ceilings are so fancy.  Here are just a few examples...

This was a smoking room, so the ceiling is currently undergoing cleaning, which they said will take about 10 years!

This is the ceiling in my favorite bedroom in the Hearst Castle

I got dizzy looking up at all the exquisite ceilings Mr. Hearst had in his castle.

Ceiling in the main dining hall of Hearst Castle.

Another ornate ceiling in Hearst Castle.

Apparently this is the most expensive ceiling in the Hearst Castle- it came from Spain.

The doors (both exterior and interior) are pretty fancy too...

The front door of the Hearst Castle

Just a little side exterior door at Hearst Castle

Interior Door

Interior door- this is about as plane as they get inside the Hearst!

A door to my favorite bedroom in the Hearst Castle

My two favorite rooms, if I have to pick just two, are #1, this bedroom, where Hearsts' mistress, Marion Davies, liked to stay.  Above is the bedroom door, and below are pictures of inside the bedroom.

Marion's bed

The fanciest door in the bedroom!  JUST LOOK AT THAT!!!

#2 is, of course, the library.  Because if you read my blog, you know I love libraries.  William Randolf Hearst had a way better library than Dallas has...

The cozy little Hearst library

There is both a huge outdoor pool and a huge indoor pool.  The outdoor pool is drained of water currently because it has a leak that needs repair.  So it will be out of commission for a few years.  But the indoor pool is ready for swimming!  And I'm ready to jump in...

Wouldn't it be fun to do a cannonball into the Hearst pool?!?

I have ONE more series of pictures I want to post regarding the Hearst Castle, and the fashion of that era.  But I don't want to make this post too long, so I'll save it for the next one!