Hearst Castle

As long as I've lived here I've wanted to visit Julia Morgan's most famous architectural contribution, Hearst Castle, not just for the architecture but also for the stunning views and coastal beauty it's said to have. The newspaper giant's west coast "ranch" is far removed from Highway one and the coast, so you can't just drive up to it. You have to hit the visitors center first and then take a bus up the winding five mile road that leads to the mansion. I'd always pictured the house being a lot closer to the coast for some reason...

The grounds and landscaping are impeccable, with the pool and tennis courts just inviting us to come play and swim. We restrained ourselves and didn't, however, don't worry. Apparently the pool was hardly used, since back in Heart's day no one knew how to swim, but today they use it for staff parties (that'd make trimming trees at a mansion pretty worth it). The famous indoor swimming pool was not as big as I'd expected, but the gold-plated tiles covering the floor of the pool were pretty impressive nonetheless.