Another day in paradise... Literally! We visited Hearst Castle today... Wow! To have been a guest there in the 30's and 40's... Must have unreal!!! One of many homes for William Randolf Hearst... Media tycoon... It tool 15 years to build... And is home to numerous priceless pieces of art as well as relic European church memorabilia... Absolutly incredible! Though born into wealth (his father found silver ore during the gold rush) WR Hearst made his fortune off a bet, which won him a sing newspaper publication, which he turned around almost overnight... And began buying up other local publications. His monopoly grew an soon included magazines, films, and radio in addition to newspapers. He used all these forms of media to his promote his personal political and moral views. He realized that there newsed to be a forum for women and created some of the largest wonens magazines of all times...One of his most famous and highest grossing magazine (outselling even Times & Newsweek.. Even TODAY) is Cosmo Magazine!! But Good Housekeeping and Womans Day were also his creation!


Anyhow, back to the castle... It took 15 years to build... Beginning in 1920... On his parents ranch, which is today the land stretching from Santa Cruz downto Santa Barbara... Holy Land!!! His father purchased it for $0.68 an acre... When his parents died, he wanted to build a place of dreams... Build off the images he saw as anchold touring Europe... And it really is a dream come true.!!!

On our way to the castle, we saw a bunch of people pulled off by the side if the road... So we stopped ourselves... And saw zebras!!! Yes, Zebras!!! We were baffled that there would be zebras just chilling in the pastures with the cows... And come to find out, they were Hearst's Zebras! He actually had the largest price zoo in the world at one time... Including not only those zebras, that still roam the pastures freely, but also POLAR BEARS!! Giraffes, African goats... Lions & tigers... You name it!!! He was an avid animal lover... And actually had dachshunds and Boston terriers as his dogs!! I know!!! Awesome!!


Beyond just the animals... The castle is dream like... There is a 2000 year old bust of Zeus... A statue of Venus di Milo, ceilings and pews brought in from early European churches... You name it... No matter how extravagant! His Neptune pool he had created... Then re-created 3 times before it suit his liking! (remember, this was 1920s) he was among the first to gave electricity all the way out in the middle of the big sur, too... Remarkable!!

His indoor pool is lines with gold leaf, and is in the theme of a Roman Bath House... And every detail of the home is just as outrageous! I wish wirds could really detail what we saw today... But they really cannot... Just take all of European history via art... Add rediculous amounts of wrath and opulence... And you have the Hearst Castle!