Hearst Castle

William Randolph Hearst was the Rupert Murdoch of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.  He was a media mogul like Murdoch, and he was also, like Murdoch, fabulously wealthy.  Around these parts, they call him a 'builder'.  First he built his media empire, and after 1919, thanks to the wealth of his 'Daddy', he set to work building Hearst Castle in the rugged hills of the St Lucia Coastal Range above San Simeon.  It took him 28 years.

The Castle is only three miles from where we stayed last night in San Simeon.  The Castle is large, and there are several tours to choose from.  We took the upstairs tour.  This tour showed us various guest bedrooms, Mr Hearst's private bedroom known as the Gothic Suite, his private sitting room, the guests' library, the Doge's Suite, and a room where Hearst worked.

We toured the grounds for a short while, inspecting the Neptune Pool, the Roman Pool, and the tennis courts.  Hearst Castle is a must if you're travelling through these parts.

Hearst Castle

The Castle took 28 years to build.  There were still some projects to be done, but the Castle has been left as it was when Hearst died in 1951.

Visitors come from everywhere.  The Castle makes millions for the state of California, but the state does not give much in return, according to the staff.

The Hearsts owned thousands of surrounding acres, used for ranching.  A short distance away, they housed exotic animals, including polar bears and zebras.

Hearst Castle overlooks the coastal town of San Simeon.

The Gothic Suite

The Library was quite generous in size.

Where Hearst worked.  Every day, a copy of every newspaper he owned was flown in.  He would spread them all out in here, and pick up the phone and blast an editor if he saw something he didn't like.  There were 100 telephones in the Castle.

The surrounding countryside was purchased by Hearst's father.  Hearst spent a lot of time camping in these parts as a child.

The Neptune Pool.  It is currently empty as it needs repair work following damage from an earthquake whose epicentre was nearby.  It measured 6.5 on the Richter scale.

The Neptune Pool is decorated in the Greco-Roman style.  Many of the rich and famous were entertained here.

Hearst liked art.  He also had a mistress.  The above is not his mistress.

This is the Roman Pool.  It is surrounded by intricate mosaics.  Unlike the Neptune Pool, it is full of water.  Above the roof of the Roman Pool are two tennis courts.