Hearst Castle a California Treasure
Hearst Castle is a place I had heard of many times having lived in California pretty much all of my life, but I had yet to take the trip up the coast to see it. So when my friend Lia suggested we drive up to Hearst Castle it I was excited to go and check it out. Hearst Castle was purchased in 1865 by George Hearst a wealthy businessman and U.S. Senator. The over 250,000 acres of ranch land on the California coast in San Simeon was inherited by George Hearst’s son and newspaper publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst in 1919. Hearst commissioned architect Julia Morgan to help him build the resort of his dreams. Julia Morgan was the first woman to receive a certification in architecture from L’École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and California’s first licensed female architect.
Lia and I decided to drive up to Hearst Castle from Santa Barbara on a Saturday. There are several different options for the tours so make sure you visit the website to plan your visit. Luckily for us we arrived just at the right time before the 60 minute Grand Rooms tour began. We purchased tickets for $25 when we arrived, but you can also reserve tickets in advance from the Hearst Castle website. To get to the castle which is all the way up on top of what is called the “enchanted hill” so you must take a bus. The bus goes up the winding roads of the ranch and driving up the road it transports you back to the time when Hearst and his guests would arrive at the property.