Paso Robles, California – October, 2011

The transition from San Juan Bautista to Paso Robles did not get off to a flying start.  First there was a bit of a snag with the kitchen slide so that we had to waste some time wrestling with it to get it to seat properly before we hit the road.  Then, no sooner had we arrived at our campground in Paso Robles, Howie realized the surge protector had been left behind at our previous campground.  A quick phone call confirmed it had been turned in to the office – they knew we’d be in touch sooner or later.  It’s a heavy little thing that would cost a fair amount to ship and just abandoning it was out of the question because they cost around $400 new; the only option was to hop in the car and make a mad dash back to San Juan Bautista.  Thankfully it was a relatively short trip of 120 miles, which gave us a total of 360 miles that day.

And that’s what put the phrase from an old John Denver song in my head…some days are like diamonds, some days are like stones.  Except I thought it was dust, not stones, until I consulted with Google on the matter.  If you’d prefer, the Dire Straits song about windshields and bugs would work, too.

We were in Paso Robles (which means Pass of the Oaks and is pronounced by those who live there more like “pass-o row bulls” instead of “pa-so row blays”) so that we could drive easily to the coast for a tour of Hearst Castle.  There are brochures still floating around listing five or six different tours of the castle when in reality there are only three to choose from in these hard financial times (not counting the moonlight tour which is offered only periodically).  Each tour costs $25 and at first I was inclined to do two tours until realizing that my knee wouldn’t hold up that long;  we decided on the Grand Rooms tour which purports to be most appropriate for the first time visitor. 

It was foggy and overcast when we left Paso Robles for the 40 mile drive to San Simeon and that was a disappointment.  But as we descended the last hill to the coast the fog dissipated and the sky turned a brilliant blue.  Tours are assembled at the visitors center at the base of the hill and folks transported to the castle on buses.  Our tour was scheduled for 12:20 but the ticket taker/bus driver indicated seats were available on the noon bus if we’d prefer.  The road is steep, twisty and narrow so the drivers get high marks for their professional driving skills.  A tape, narrated by Alex Trebec, provides the commentary for the ride and I  believe it was the narration that noted the road up the hill is five miles long.  It’s easy to understand why tourists are not allowed to drive themselves to the top…not that there’s room up there to park much more than a VW Beetle.

 

William Randolph Hearst spent 28 years and untold amounts of money to build the castle on what he always referred to as “the ranch at San Simeon”, land purchased by his father, George.  Officially the estate was called La Cuesta Encantada, or The Enchanted Hill.  At one time the ranch covered 250,000 acres but now the Hearst family foundation owns a modest 80,000 acres on which they raise black and red Angus cattle.  The castle and its contents are owned by the state of California.  Parts of the house are nowhere near finished and never will be; I’m sure it’s enough of a chore and expense just to keep the silver candlesticks polished.

 

Our tour guide led us through the large downstairs rooms, including the dining room with it’s long refectory table and priceless tapestries and the billiard room with even more  tapestries.  No matter which way your eyes wander there is some antique work of art to admire.  The history of some pieces is known, others remain a mystery but there must be a great many half-empty castles and churches in Europe thanks to Hearst’s appetite for acquisitions.  Flash photography is not permitted in the interior, but for those who would like to see more well-lit photos , many can be found on-line.  Better yet, if you have a fast broad-band internet connection, take a fantastic virtual tour.

 

Following the indoor tour we were left on our own to wander the grounds, admiring the flowers, pools and statuary.  As the day warmed up, the Neptune Pool looked ever more inviting!  The other two tours feature the upstairs room, including Hearst’s bedroom and balcony, and the three cottages where some of his more illustrious guests were housed during long weekends.

 

Until the big house was completed, Mr. Hearst (aka The Chief) and his guests resided in one of the three guest cottages which rival the main house for glitz and glamour.

 

 

 

 

Until some of his newspapers began losing money and he had to limit  expenses, Hearst had a number of exotic animals on his hilltop; some of the stone enclosures are still standing and the descendants of  the less dangerous and exotic species still roam the hills.   These zebras, grazing among the Angus, are descendants of the original herd.

 

Tourists exit to the buses through the Roman Pool, an indoor extravaganza in blue and gold.  It was not hard to imagine Johnny Weissmuller launching himself into the pool from this very board.  Hearst’s guests were what would be called today The Glitterati; movie stars, authors, sports stars and politicians, the movers and shakers of the day, so Tarzan would have fit right in, being both an Olympic gold medalist and a movie hero.

The tour ended for us with a viewing of an IMAX movie called “Building the Dream”, detailing the construction of the castle.  To me, the most interesting character to emerge from the saga was the castle’s architect, Julia Morgan, one of the first female architects and designer of many other famous buildings in California.  She was charged with the task of designing and constructing a building to house all the bits and pieces of European artifacts that Hearst kept dragging to San Simeon.  In addition to her obvious architectural skills, she must have had the patience of a saint.

Anything after visiting Hearst Castle would be anti-climactic but we enjoyed our second day in the area of Paso Robles with quick visits to the Charles Paddock Zoo in Atascadero and to the mission at San Miguel.  San Miguel Archangel is still an active parish and we were able to see the interior and admire the courtyard.   The fund drive for updates and repairs seems to have stalled and the property seems frozen in time.

To wrap up our time in the area, we took a quick stroll around downtown Paso Robles and paid a visit to the Historical Society Museum which is housed in the handsome Carnegie Library on the town square.  We were puzzled by the emphasis placed on the Polish pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski in the museum’s collection.  The docent quickly explained that Paderewski frequently came to a nearby spa to soak his hands in the hot sulfur spring water and eventually purchased a 2000 acre ranch nearby where he grew zinfandel grapes.  The neighborhood continues to support a large number of vineyards and the downtown area boasts many tasting rooms and restaurants featuring food and wine pairings.  As it neared dinner hour, downtown smelled delicious.

It is entirely possible that Paso Robles has replaced Lodi as my favorite town in California.  But it was too expensive to linger long and so we were off to Bakersfield for an oil change on the coach and to be off the road for the weekend.  Then it was on to the Coachella Valley to blend in with all the other snowbirds.  It must be pointed out that both I-5 and I-10 could use some serious upgrades; it would be nice if the government would quit wasting money on these pie-in-the-sky projects and pave the damn roads!  It was like being on the Alaska Highway but without the pretty scenery (and with astronomically more traffic).