I forgot my Nike wind proof cap at Cathy's place so when we got to the Boot Barn where Cathy wanted to buy some cowboy boots, I went to Dick's sporting goods store and got one which was ok, but not as nice. I asked Cathy to send the one I forgot to my cousin. After the Boot Barn where I tried on a few pairs, I discovered boots aren't for me. Unless I needed a snigger pair. Apparently they need to be hard to get on. Not for me.
The GPS was saying we would arrive at Hearst Castle about 10 minutes late. Cathy apologized for taking so long with buying her boots. The fux ended up being a $7 charge to change our time so we could enjoy the incredible scenery and cloud formations.
The peace of mind was great, particularly with the frequent road construction that delayed is further.
I was not only taking in the scenery of this route which I had enjoyed twice before, but as a driver, but I was also watching the road conditions. I was glad to have skipped this part of the trip. The cyclists we saw barely had enough room. I'm much wider so it would have been stressful. Cathy was great with bikes, giving then plenty of room and waiting till incoming traffic was well clear.
There was s great tunnel which they rockified to make it blend.
We would have barely made it to our tour, but with the extra time we hit up check out the sea elephants moping around and kicking sand up over their own bodies as they lay.
We parked at Hearst Castle and got our tickets. We had time to browse around begot the bus trip up. When we got on the narrator on the bus was Alex Trebek! I'll have Awesome Castles for 100 Alex! Hearst Castle is truly awesome. Everyone should take the time to see it.
If you're ever in Sam Francisco or LA it's worth the trip! Do tour 1, the Grand Rooms, if nothing else.
I had only seen the cottages before, which was impressive in their own right. But nothing compares to the dining hall and living room area, and the things he did with the fire places and ceilings. He made many changes to what he wanted and if resulted in many revisions.
The flags in the dining room made the place perfect. Very impressive!!!
And yet, ketchup and mustard were available with dinner. It's in interesting contrast. And no, it wasn't Grey Poupon!
After dinner... I mean visiting the dining room, we passed through the billiard room and smoke room before retiring to the movie room where we were treated to some movies in his home theatre, which is probably the size of a regular theatre of the time, and not far off from the Bloor Cinema in Toronto minus the balcony.
Our tour guide invited us to roam the premises and we headed to the outdoor pool. Cathy wanted to jump in, as did I, and security told us at least once a month someone jumps in.
Most of what we saw was authentic from
Europe stuff, and the Greek stuff around the pool had lots of genuine article pieces. Over the top, or necessary considering the castle? It fits. I could imagine it without Greek columns.
Cathy and I kicked back for a little while and just enjoyed the scenery around the pool.
We continued to walk around and got partially lost. We climbed stairs which led to the back of a cottage and had to go back down to get around to the indoor pool. I took some video of a hummingbird. Gorgeous!
When we passed the tennis courts and I saw our tour guide and asked if the glass on the courts lot the indoor pool underneath. She confirmed this and we were eventually led to the busses which were located after visiting the indoor pool.
The outdoor pool looked refreshing but the indoor pool was just as inviting but in a more intimate and secluded way.
We took the bus down and opted up watch the movie which I expected Rolf be in a small theatre. It was almost IMAX size and stadium-like seating and it was a real joy to watch. I should have hot the video for $10 and might send away got it. The history of the man, the castle and the history is really amazing.
Cathy and I headed to our hotel, and during checkin, a 26 month old grabbed her hand and tried to lure her away. She was so cute and fun. Cathy laughed and the owner, her father, and to come around to get her. She was too small to open the door for us, but she held the door handle and her dad lifted her and pulled her do that the door would open for us.
After a tourist trap meal, which was better than expected but nothing to write about or share in a picture, we headed back to the hotel and konked out. I couldn't find the Rolls Royce documentary as there was no Discovery channel. So I hit the hay.
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