That's the best word to describe the feeling one experiences when looking up at Hearst Castle. Dreamed up by newspaper magnate, William Randolph Hearst, and designed by architectural glass-ceiling-buster, Julia Morgan, this property is truly stunning. To me, it's a reminder of what can result from a lot of work and little luck. Luck, of course, being what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Of course, life isn't all about work and this place wasn't Hearst's main abode, but a vacation home of sorts.
Despite being referenced as "The Little Ranch" and described as a side project for Morgan, it's incredible what can result from a labor of love, skilled artisans, and a ridiculous amount of wealth. Perhaps it's because I'm not familiar with current trends in art, architecture, or decor, but it seems to me that there isn't the same value or importance attributed to quality craftsmanship or attention to detail now. At the very least, it doesn't seem that it's a priority. Of course, that could just be a blind spot... after all, I lack a sample from today's wealthy and it's always said that history is written by the victors and the rich.
In any case, I've been wanting to photograph Hearst Castle since I started this project and I'm glad I was finally able to plan the trip. Logistically, it can be a difficult trip to plan since it's approximately 4 hours from either Los Angeles or San Francisco and removed from major cities. In part, that's what makes it so picturesque - there's no development within 13 miles of the property.
These were from just the first day of a 5 day lap around my old haunts in Northern California to celebrate the end of an era and the new adventures to come. On this day, we drove up to San Simeon via the 101 (after detouring around a ridiculous milk truck accident) and continued up the Pacific Coast Highway through Big Sur and on to Monterey for the night.
More to come once I get a chance to update.
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| Casa Grande - the main house... over 60,000 square feet of house. |
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| Hearst's Gothic Study, where yellow journalism was perfected. I dream of a workspace like this. |
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| He collected ceilings... that's right, ceilings. |
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| Neptune Pool |
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| With this view and a private airstrip for easy access, this seems like paradise. |
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| An elephant seal flipping sand on itself at Piedras Blancas, just north of Hearst Castle. |
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| Rain Rocks Rock Shed, opened just in January. Built by Caltrans to protect this section from falling rock. It actually shepherds falling rock directly into the Pacific Ocean instead of onto the road. |
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| The rocky shore, from a viewpoint alongside PCH |
Active Shooting Hours: 6
Review Hours: 3
Hours to Date: 122
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