We stayed the night of Tuesday in Morro State Park a good open area with many large trees, well large to us but small by redwood and sequoia standards. Not our van in the picture either!
Onward only a few miles to Hearst Castle to view what can only be described as an upmarket and completed Portmerion..
Randolf Hearst inherited billions of Dollars and had ownership of or interests in just about every business, industry, land and politics one could think of. In fact his estate after selling some land to pay off a $210 million dollar debt to the government in the 90s is now richer than ever. It is reported that the 61 Hearst heirs receive $210 million dollars per year as their share of the currently held interests of Hearst inc.
To the Castle a place Hearst built and loved over the course of 15 to 20 years. He had a great love of Spanish and Italian architecture and artifacts including all internal decoration styles of the Italian Baroque. The main house has a huge number of rooms all furnished in this style and all containing original parts of old collections, church artifacts, parts of monasteries bought and shipped back to usa for incorporation into the main house and three guest houses which themselves are mini mansions.
Built on top of a 'hill' about 3 miles back from the Pacific ocean it commands a 360 degree panorama a truly fabulous position. Building costs who knows, current estimate of value say $5 billion.
Difficult to describe goggle it if you want to. An incredible folly by a gigantic ego of a man who literally had everything and could have anything. An amazing place visited by invitation by just about anybody and everybody one has ever heard of int h 1920s to 50s.
Photos are taking too long tonight to import to blog they will follow.
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