Pritam Rohila Travels

2009, April 12 - HEARST CASTLE, SAN SIMEON, CALIFORNIA

About 20 miles north from Cayucos, on Highway 101, is San Simeon, the home of the Hearst Castle.

Perched high atop the "Enchanted Hill," it offers pnaromic views of its surroundings and the Pacific Ocean.

Built by William Randolph Hearst, on a 40,000-acre ranch, the Castle has 56 bedrooms, 61 bathrooms, 19 sitting rooms, 127 acres of gardens, tennis court, a movie theater, an airfield and at one time had its own private zoo.

Construction started in 1919, and continued until 1947, when Hearst stopped living there due to ill health. Ten years later, the Hearst Corporation donated it to the state of California.

Now it is a state park complete with a large Visitor Center, which houses information kiosk, cafe, ticket booth, exhibits, and National Geographic Theater with a five-story screen. All tours start from here.

Casa del Sol is an 18-room guest house, where many rich and famous individuals enjoyed the

hospitality of its owners. They included the Hollywood personalities like Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, the Marx Brothers, Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, James Stewart, Bob Hope, the renowned aviator Charles Lindberg, and political leaders like Calvin Coolidge, Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill.

Lined with blue Venetian glass and gold tiles, Neptune Pool is an impressive feature, which is close to the entrance to the Castle. The pool is surrounded by a beautiful colonnade and an ancient Roman temple front, which was brought all the way from Europe.