The tour of the Hearst Castle begins with a 10 minute ride up the hill. As you wind your way along on the bumpy bus, a recorded voice tells you a little about William Randolph Hearst's life and his purpose for building the Hearst Castle. You can see it in the distance. It's not so big, but it grows. When you unload at the top of the hill, you will be amazed by its size.
I took the general tour in which you see one of the guest houses, the Neptune Pool, part of the grounds and part of the actual mansion. The view is astonishing. You can see for miles at the top of the hill. The ocean looks like it was painted. While the grounds are not groomed as well as they were when Hearst lived on the 'Enchanted Hill,' you can imagine how beautiful the pergola and lemon trees must have looked. When I visited in June, the flowers were blooming all around. Fountains and sculptures are at every turn.
The guest house we visited was dark and decorated in many styles. It was as if Hearst wanted to show off his collection of priceless antiques rather than try to make the guests comfortable. Just a little peek into his mind.
Adjacent to the guest house is the Neptune pool. I have yet to see a bad picture taken of this pool. Decorating the sides are ancient Greek columns. Classical sculptures are perched on the edge. The water is bright blue.
Inside the house we were given a tour of several rooms including the billiard room, the dining area, the movie theater, the main living room and, my favorite, the Roman pool. Mosaic tiles line the entire area. Intricate blue and gold patterns swirl while globular lights reflect. The 10 ft. deep pool is complete with a diving balcony. It reminded me of old movies where synchronized swimmers splash around.
The visitors center at the bottom of the hill has a gift shop. The IMAX theater shows movies related to Hearst and his castle.
Visit the website at: www.hearstcastle.org