8 Examples Of Real-life Fantasy @ Hearst Castle

     Every girl’s fantasy is to be a princess and live in a castle. This became a reality for me when I visited Hearst’s Castle together with my cousin Lori. Hearst Castle is in San Simeon, California, about 163 km or 1 hour and 45 min away from Lompoc, where Lori resided. We used ‘Maton’ (Pilipino for street tug), Lori’s mustang, to bring us to San Simeon (below L-R: Lori and me). Notice that we drove with the roof top-down, a wonderful experience, except that I got all burned up by the blazing California sun, bringing out my natural dark tan color. Unlike the harsh Philippine weather, California weather made me forget the effects of the bright sun on my native Pinay (Filipina) skin.

'Maton', Lori's mustang.

     This tour was one of the best that I have done in my life because it made me see and feel the lifestyle of the rich-and famous. I appreciated the effort of W. R. Hearst in collecting and building the best that money can buy in terms of the swimming pools, guest houses, the main castle, the artifacts and other art collections in the castle.

Casa Grande, the main castle.Source: http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/jmhearstss/main.html).

     

     History. Hearst Castle (below) belonged to William Randolph Hearst, the newspaper magnate, who died in 1951. In 1957, the family donated the castle to the state of California, and has since been visited by about 1 million tourists per year.  Invitations to the castle were highly coveted during its heyday. William Heart’s guests (1920s to 1930s) included the who’s who of society. Mostly, Hollywood icons, like, Clark Gable, Greta Garbo, Bob Hope, Charlie Chaplin, Joan Crawford and politicians (Franklin Roosevelt and William Churchill) were flown by the Hearst’s private plane or train car from Los Angeles. Patty Hearst is a grand-daughter of William, and her name became a by-word during her kidnapping ordeal in the 70s.

Bird''s eye view of Hearst Castle.

     Castle.  Hearst Castle was also called Enchanted Hill.  It has 165 rooms and 127 acres of gardens, terraces, pools and walkways—all built to house Hearst’s specifications and to showcase his legendary art collection (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearst_castle). Upon arrival, guests will be deposited at the first stairway that leads up to the different buildings in the compound (below).

   

First stairway (background).

 

     Pools. The castle boasts of two of the grandest pools in the world. The first pool is the Neptune pool which offers an expansive vista of the mountains, ocean and the main house (below). The Neptune Pool patio features an ancient Roman temple front, transported wholesale from Europe and reconstructed at the site (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearst_castle). It is easy to imagine Hollywood gods and goddesses lounging on the decks and swimming and playing in and around this pool that is 104 feet long, 58 feet wide and 95 feet wide at alcove. It is 3.5 feet deep at the west end, 10 feet at drains and holds 345,000 gallons of water (http://hearstcastle.org/history-behind-hearst-castle/the-castle/pools/).

Neptune pool (background).

     Another pool fit for gods and goddesses is the indoor Roman Pool, like the Baths of Caracalla in Rome c. 211-17 CE.  “The Roman Pool is decorated from ceiling to floor with 1″ square mosaic tiles. These glass tiles, called smalti, are either colored (mainly blue or orange) or are clear with fused gold inside. The intense colors and shimmering gold of the tiles combine to create a breathtaking effect (http://hearstcastle.org/history-behind-hearst-castle/the-castle/pools/).

Indoor Roman pool. (Source: www.bing.com)

     Guest Houses.  Around the main castle are guest houses, like the Casa del Mar, Casa del Monte and Casa del Sol. I was able to take a picture of one of the rooms (below L), but the guide was strict on the ‘no flash photography’ rule. So my indoor shots were limited. Note the use of silk on the bed cover, the sofa and side chair. The pair of pants and the shirt on the bed is supposed to be the ‘in’ fashion at that time. Picture (R) is a wider shot view of the bedroom. Notice the views of the mountains and trees outside the windows.

Bedroom.

     Artifacts. The castle also holds important collections of antiques. One of the oldest Egyptian artifacts is found on the South Esplanade of the castle, called the two sekhmet figures and two sekhmet heads (below L). Depicted with the body of a woman and the head of a lioness, she was the bloodthirsty protector of Ra, the sun god (http://hearstcastle.org/history-behind-hearst-castle/art/pieces/two-sekhmet-figures-and-two-sekhmet-heads/). Other artifacts include this fountain with two lions (below R). Lion figures abound in the property because lions symbolize power and authority.

Artifacts in the garden.

     Casa Grande. On the highest point of the property sits the main castle or Casa Grande (below), the formal name for the main house. Every evening, guests were invited by W. R. Hearst in the grand social room on the ground floor of Casa Grande (http://hearstcastle.org/tour-hearst-castle/daily-tours/grand-rooms-tour/). This twin-towered residence, partly based on a church at Ronda in southern Spain, is constructed of reinforced concrete and faced with stone. It has an unimpeded view of the Santa Lucia Mountain and the seacoast (http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/jmhearstss/main.html).

Front view of Casa Grande.

     The inside rooms of the castle display the rich décor that befit royalty. Casa Grande is opulent and the collection of arts and artifacts are impressive. The social room (below) is where the guests chatted and danced while the pianist played before dinner.

Social room.

     Dining Room. Guests dined in this opulent dining room (below), called the Refectory (like a monastery). The ceiling has 15 life size panels, representing 12 saints, 2 coats of arms and the Virgin Mary. At the end of the dining room are hollowed seats. According to the guide, these were seats used in the middle ages to relieve oneself.

Dining Room. (Source: www.bing.com)

     There are other places to see and enjoy in Hearst Castle. It has a tennis court wherein the likes of Cary Grant and Clark Gable might have played a game or two. The gardens are also a sight to behold as they are a profusion of colors with the different plants in bloom. Moreover, a theatre showed films for the guests to enjoy. A zoo was also established in the vicinity. In fact, we were able to see some of the animals, zebras, when we went down the castle (below).

Zebras grazing on the grounds.

     I was really ecstatic over this adventure of a life time. For once, I had a glimpse of how old Hollywood and politicians lived and played. I witnessed the ‘things’ that the rich indulged in. The architecture was impressive, including the pools, the guest houses, and Casa Grande. The artifacts and the décor were breathtaking. All the amenities, including the tennis court, the gardens and the pools provided the touch of elegance that only the rich can afford. Overall, a visit to Hearst Castle satisfies the fantasies that ordinary mortals can only dream of. I highly suggest this adventure if you’re a fan of royalty and high living.

     How to go there: The tour starts at the Visitor’s Center in San Simeon, California wherein you can purchase your tickets, have some snacks or buy some souvenir items. Ticket prices start at $25 for adults and $12 for children. At your tour schedule you can board the bus going for your five-mile journey to Hearst Castle. The bus ride provides views of the natural beauty that surrounds this historic hilltop estate.