Welcome, fellow adventurers and first-time tourists!
Today, we embark on a whimsical journey to the majestic Hearst Castle, aka "La Cuesta Encantada," nestled between the bustling cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco. Built by architect Julia Morgan for William Randolph Hearst in 1919, this National Historic Landmark features 165 rooms and stunning Mediterranean Revival architecture. Today, it stands as a popular tourist attraction.
Now, hold onto your hats (or crowns), because this castle tour is not your average stroll through history—it's an experience peppered with humor, luxury, and a dash of unexpected surprises!🏰
But first, let's tackle the crucial task of booking our tickets online.
Yes, even in the land of castles, we must embrace the digital age ;)
Click here to book your tour
Throughout the entire tour, knowledgeable staff members will provide introductions and explanations.
This time, we've booked the classic Grand Rooms Tour, which allows us to venture into the most renowned chambers of Hearst Castle.
With tickets in hand (or rather, wrist), adorned with fancy barcodes dictating our gate of entry, we queue up for the shuttle bus.
A scenic 10 to 15-minute ride later, winding through lush greenery and catching glimpses of roaming wildlife (yes, zebras included! 🦓), we arrive at the castle's doorstep.
After disembarking, the first place we visit is an observation deck. It feels like a mansion's front yard, but on a scale so grand that you could practically fit another house on it! 😂
Just take a look at this view—absolutely stunning, right? I could spend an entire day here without a second thought! 😆
After a brief pause, we arrive at a swimming pool adorned with ancient Greek architectural style.
The water is crystal clear, allowing us to see the intricate designs at the pool's bottom. With minimal embellishments, the overall aesthetic exudes an aura of supreme luxury✨
Another angle 📷
Seeing this scene after driving for so long to get here really makes it worthwhile. There's this feeling of "Wow, so this is what a billionaire's mansion looks like! 🤩"
Afterward, we eagerly make our way to the long-awaited castle.
Inside the grand halls, you'll find an array of famous paintings, precious decorations, and intricate tapestries. Our tour guide made a special point to emphasize that we must only walk on the IKEA-looking carpets indoors—no stepping on the ugly ones! 🤣 (Apparently, they're all priceless, ancient artifacts aka very expensive 😂)
Here's the dining room—oh my! So many chairs!
Not just around the table, but lining the around the walls too. Seeing this, I couldn't help but wonder, "Just how many people were invited to dinner? The poor chefs must have been exhausted!" 😂
Moving along, we enter the game room. The walls here even have toasty wall heaters! While they might be commonplace in modern homes, in a hundred-year-old castle? That's something else! You'd need really deep pockets back then! 😂
And finally, let's wrap up the tour with my favorite—the swimming pool!
The gradient water surface and meticulously decorated walls—every detail is just exquisite. However, there's a slight hiccup—the ceiling. You see, right above this pool is a tennis court! 🎾
Due to this setup, there's been some leakage from the ceiling tiles. To prevent further damage, they've removed them for now.
Our guide mentioned that the California government plans to rebuild the ceiling, but who knows when? Fingers crossed for the next visit, hoping to see it in all its glory! 🥰
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