On my mom's final full day on the Monterey Peninsula, we decided to venture south to visit the Hearst Castle which is very close to San Simeon, California. San Simeon is more or less the halfway point between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Mom had been to the Hearst Castle when she was younger and wanted to re-visit the place. At first, I wasn't too excited about going. However, I'm really glad I did. We took Highway-1 down along the coastline. I was scared on parts of it! It seemed like there would be a really sharp curve with a guardrail a
nd then a 500 foot drop to the Pacific Ocean! However, it had to be one of the most beautiful areas of the United States I have seen. The picture to the right is a shot I took real quick. It was taken near Big Sur. Even though Mom and I both enjoyed the scenery of Highway 1, we took Highway 101 back...more inland and less chance of ending our lives by plunging over a cliff. Right before we got to the Hearst Castle, we were driving along the shore and what do we see? Elephant Seals!!! Of course, we had to pull over because we love sea lions, seals, elephant seals, sea otters...really any sea animal that we can't find in Texas. These elephant seals were HUGE. They would lay around and yelp out at people looking at them.
They're my new favorite animal. Finally, after almost three hours, we arrived at the Hearst Castle. The Hearst Castle was originally built by William Randolph Hearst, the newspaper publisher. The Hearst Corporation, according to the tour guide, is now the largest privately owned communication company. I'm not sure if that's true or not, but that's what they said on our tour. Apparently, William Hearst was a sociopath because even though he invited guests to his castle, he would enforce strict rules upon them and force them to participate in social events. The castle was truly outstanding. Mom and I took 
the "Experience Tour" and it was well worth the money. A bus took us up the 5 miles to the bluff that Hearst Castle sits on. Hearst Castle, at one time, sat on a land of over 350 acres. The cattle on the land is still owned by the Hearst Corporation. The view from the Castle includes beautiful mountains and a breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean. We only saw 25% of the Castle, but our tour included an outdoor and indoor pool, a movie theatre, grand entrance hall, dining hall, and a guest house. The most impressive parts of the house were the swimming pools, in my opinion. However, it was depressing to hear that the pool pictured to the right has enough gallons of water in it to supply a family of four for a year. After touring the castle, Mom and I took Highway 101 back to Monterey. Overall, it was a fun and relaxing day.
nd then a 500 foot drop to the Pacific Ocean! However, it had to be one of the most beautiful areas of the United States I have seen. The picture to the right is a shot I took real quick. It was taken near Big Sur. Even though Mom and I both enjoyed the scenery of Highway 1, we took Highway 101 back...more inland and less chance of ending our lives by plunging over a cliff. Right before we got to the Hearst Castle, we were driving along the shore and what do we see? Elephant Seals!!! Of course, we had to pull over because we love sea lions, seals, elephant seals, sea otters...really any sea animal that we can't find in Texas. These elephant seals were HUGE. They would lay around and yelp out at people looking at them.
They're my new favorite animal. Finally, after almost three hours, we arrived at the Hearst Castle. The Hearst Castle was originally built by William Randolph Hearst, the newspaper publisher. The Hearst Corporation, according to the tour guide, is now the largest privately owned communication company. I'm not sure if that's true or not, but that's what they said on our tour. Apparently, William Hearst was a sociopath because even though he invited guests to his castle, he would enforce strict rules upon them and force them to participate in social events. The castle was truly outstanding. Mom and I took 
the "Experience Tour" and it was well worth the money. A bus took us up the 5 miles to the bluff that Hearst Castle sits on. Hearst Castle, at one time, sat on a land of over 350 acres. The cattle on the land is still owned by the Hearst Corporation. The view from the Castle includes beautiful mountains and a breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean. We only saw 25% of the Castle, but our tour included an outdoor and indoor pool, a movie theatre, grand entrance hall, dining hall, and a guest house. The most impressive parts of the house were the swimming pools, in my opinion. However, it was depressing to hear that the pool pictured to the right has enough gallons of water in it to supply a family of four for a year. After touring the castle, Mom and I took Highway 101 back to Monterey. Overall, it was a fun and relaxing day.