Hearst Castle
“The Enchanted Hill”
By Camille Bounds
Travel Editor

Between 1919 and 1948, William Randolph Hearst and his architect, Julia Morgan, transformed a coastal knoll overlooking the Pacific into a legendary 123 acre estate of gardens, terraces and guest houses dominated by Hearst’s 100-room residence, La Casa Grande. A legacy of unmatched beauty and wonder remains for all the inhabitants of this planet to enjoy.
“The way God would have done it if he had the money,” was George Bernard Shaw’s retort after spending a week at the “Enchanted Hill” at Hearst Castle in San Simeon.
Hearst, who headed up an immense publishing, ranching and mining empire, was the heartbeat and brain of this magnificent work of love and ego. He filled it with the most beautiful, expensive and exotically tasteful works of art, sculptures, Persian rugs, furniture and antiques from the four corners of the world.

Three magnificent guest houses
The first structures attempted were three guest houses. Done in a Mediterranean Village style, they were named for their views. Casa del Mar (House of the Sea), Casa del Monte (House of the Mountain), and Casa del Sol (House of the Sun). They were lavishly decorated and furnished with an Italian warmth and villa type coziness not found in the main house. They ran from 10 to 18 rooms each with a character and warmth of their own. Casa del Mar, the largest of the three with its charming 18 rooms, was Hearst’s favorite. He spent much time there enjoying the marvelous view of “his ocean.” Its 8,000 plus square feet echoed an ocean theme with gold seashell motifs running through most of the house.

The ultimate magnificent main house
In 1922, work was started on the great house, Casa Grande, a Spanish colonial type structure of poured concert faced with Utah limestone. Twin bell towers and copper domes housing 36 bronze carillons from Belgium were put in place by architect Morgan, who had shimmering blue-and-gold tiles specially designed and added to enhance her already stunning creation.

A job akin to the pyramids
Building the 100 room, four story, 73,000 square foot (plus) Casa Grande was a mammoth job akin to the pyramids, if they were built in the same era. A large crew hauled building supplies and aggregate for the reinforced concrete up six miles of bad road. Bulky, heavy loads took half a day to get from the pier to the building site. It took approximately two years of continuous building to complete. (Keep in mind that some of this building went on during the Depression.) But as far as Hearst was concerned, it was never really complete. He kept adding and improving right up to the time of his death in 1951.

A top drawer guest list
One of the most impressive rooms is the Refectory that reveals an exquisitely unique 400-year-old hand-carved wooden ceiling imported from an Italian monastery which includes an interesting musician’s gallery. Here is where guests met for galas and parties, with an “A” guest list of the times. Charlie Chaplin, Greta Garbo, George Bernard Shaw, Gary Cooper, Winston Churchill (just to name-drop) is the tip of the iceberg of the famous and sometimes “infamous.”

An uninsured irreplaceable library
If so inclined, guests could take advantage of the comfortable 85-foot library, a delightfully decorated room with 5,000 valuable books, none of which were insured. When asked why there was no insurance, Hearst answered, “No money could begin to cover their loss.” At times, up to 60 invited guests enjoyed the amenities of Hearst Castle. Available were tennis, swimming, horseback riding, bowling, fishing and a private movie theater. You name it, and if it existed, it was there.

The largest private zoo in the world
Hearst was a dedicated animal lover and had signs posted about the roads saying, “Animals have the right of way.” For years the largest private zoo in the world existed at San Simeon. Hearst had over 70 types of animals roam his land within 2,000 fenced-in acres. Ostriches, buffalo, yaks, emus, kangaroos, llamas, zebras and even giraffes lived within special open type enclosures. Thirty species of exotic animals from tigers to great apes enjoyed the best captivity could offer. In the latter part of 1930, most of the animals found homes in other zoos. Today some animals can still be observed on the five mile ride up to the Castle entrance.

Spectacular grounds
The grounds were and still are spectacular. Consider hundreds of tons of top soil were hauled up the steep hillside, five terrace levels were built from scratch, a mile long road for walking and riding was created, giant oaks and 30-foot cypresses were transplanted. Over 100,000 pines, citrus, cedar and eucalyptus trees were planted. The hillside was covered with flowers. Hearst’s favorite camellias grew in abundance. Three thousand rose bushes, fuchsias, star jasmine and azaleas joined the others for a glorious show. More than half a million flowers were propagated annually in greenhouses especially built for the property. Seasonal flowers were always planted and in bloom throughout the grounds.

A stunning pool
The Neptune Pool (one of two pools) is a glorious massive swimming area that reminds one of a place Greek tragedies might have taken place—magnificent and beautifully detailed with perfect architectural balance. Superb statuary by Charles Cassou circles the pool that holds 345,000 gallons of water. Lovely natural turquoise-colored water relaxes the senses to make this a spot of pleasant tranquility. It took three efforts to get the Neptune Pool to meet final approval of this man with an eye for perfection.

Hearst Castle was dedicated as a state historical monument in 1958. Millions of people from every corner of the world have enjoyed the stunning beauty and sense of history of this magnificent estate.

Tour information
Hearst Castle is open daily for tours with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Advance reservations are advised for all tours. Five different tours are offered. It is too vast an area to take all the tours in one day. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes. Take note the docents get very cranky if you sit, lean or touch anything.
Tour 1 “The Experience Tour” is advised for first time visitors. It combines an introductory overview of the Castle with the giant screen companion film, “Hearst Castle-Building the Dream.” The Eplanade and Gardens and Casa del Sol are included.

Evening tours
A two-hour evening tour is offered on certain evenings in spring, fall and winter. A view of the sunset from the “Enchanted Hill” makes this a most well attended event. Reservations are definitely advised.

Reservations
For reservations, tickets, directions and information call 1-800-444-4445. Visa, Master Card and American Express are accepted. You can also book online at www.hearstcastle.com.

Places to stay nearby:
Highly recommended: The Best Western Fireside Inn in Cambria. This is a stunning property with beachfront rooms and every amenity you can think of— from in-room fireplaces to ring holders in the bathrooms. Check it out on your computer a Best Western surprise at great rates.
For other lodging information, call your travel agent or San Simeon online. San Simeon State Beach has basic family campsites that can accommodate trailers and RVs, Reservations are a must.

Camille Bounds is the travel and special events editor for The Inland Empire Business Journal and Sunrise Publications.