Day 7 - San Simeon & Hearst Castle
We planned a late start for today to afford a leisurly wake up and breakfast before heading south on the I-101 through Paso Robles and a slight jog north to San Simeon. We had booked reservations for a 2 PM
Tour #2 of Upper Floors of Casa Grande. At 404 steps, this tour was the the one with the most steps to climb.
The drive up to the castle, the castle and grounds are spectacular. Amateur photography in the castle is challenging as no tripods are allowed, you can't lean up against anything, and no flash indoors. Following are some of the photos that turned out best. Click on the photos with borders to get a larger picture.
This is the meeting room. Mr Hearst had the center chair with a higher back preferring to sit mid-table rather than at one end. |
I liked the detail on the towers. The whole castle is decorated with art and parts of old european churches.
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This ceiling in one of the many rooms was interesting to me.
Each recess in the ceiling was unique and seemed to tell a story. |
The huge kitchen had these very nice faucet taps on a sink. |
You could sure cook up a fine meal for a large crowd on this stove, but the castle never had many guests at once.
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San Luis Obispo
We sure were hungry after the workout of Tour 2. On the short drive to San Luis Obispo, we discovered Harmony - population 30 - an artist colony with a winery. It was getting late but the pottery and candle store was still open. The kids wrote some post cards and mailed them from the small post office there. Be sure to use the mail slot inside the post office building and not in the post box just outside to get a Harmony, CA cancellation.We rolled into San Luis Obispo after dark and managed to find F. McLintocks Saloon (also recommended by a friend) for their most excellent steaks. We were not disappointed.
If we had more time...
There is a nice state park at San Simeon and apparently a herd of elephant seals on a beach just north of here.
Trip Facts
Distance
177 miles
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Adventure 2004
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