Spring Break Trip - Day 3
The last (and only other) time we toured Hearst Castle was back in 1997, during the pre-digital camera years. I looked through the photo albums and saw that I took about 4 pictures of the famous landmark then. I made sure to remedy that this time around.
Last time we took what I remember as "Tour #1" which was recommended for first-time visitors. I think they have revamped their tours. It seems that the tour for newbies now is called the Grand Rooms Tour. That one was sold out by the time I looked online the day before our tour, so I chose the Upstairs Suites. It also seemed to me that the Grand Rooms Tours had about 30 people in their groups, and our group had about 10.
What struck me this time (and perhaps it was mentioned the last time I was there, but it didn't really take) was that William Randolph Hearst was an obsessive art collector, and the Castle (or the Ranch as he called it) was really a personal museum meant to showcase his collections.
My favorite rooms this time were the Gothic Suite (Hearst's own bedroom suite) and, of course, the library. I think it is time to rewatch Citizen Kane....
The girls at Hearst Castle, July 1997
View of the Castle from the Visitor Center.
The library used by visitors to the Castle.
The ceiling in the Gothic Suite. There are three other such panels.
Lampshade from Medieval Music in the Gothic Suite.
The private library
The front.
H's favorite room. I think he particularly liked the light and the view.
3 comments:
We saw Hearst Castle in the winter of 2012. We watched the movie and took the Grand Rooms and the Upstairs Rooms tours - I had heard we had to book way ahead. Hearst sure had a big ego. We were told that Marion Davies had to bail him out in the late 1930s with a million dollar loan. It seems like she was better at business than he was. I think the family was happy to be rid of the castle when they gave it to the state for death duties. Our pictures: http://photos.hodgman.org/gallery/v/20120229-Hearst-Castle/
Hearst Castle is a treasure not to be missed. I found it fun to picture in my mind's eye what the parties there must have been like, as well as the interactions between the guests.
Nice photos, Dick (as usual).
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