MM.Rogers Photographs: Hearst Castle

Copyright May Rogers
All rights reserved 2011.
Photos shot using Sony DSLR A390

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One of my dream trips coming to life ~ HEARST CASTLE. I believe I've just been to a castle and back. I believe I've just been to Neptune and back. I believe I've just seen the best, most inviting pool ever in my life and I can't believe I didn't plunge in. I'm very thankful I had this. Simply the best.

Hearst Castle has 4 houses, 2 swimming pools, a tennis court and acres of lush garden. Casa Grande alone has 115 rooms, 38 bedrooms, 42 baths, 14 sitting rooms, 2 libraries, a billiard room and a movie theater, all open for public viewing. Owned and built by William Hearst and architect Julia Morgan in 1922, this majestic castle sits on a hilltop located in San Simeon, California.

To visit the castle, go to Visitors Center, choose and purchase a ticket of $25 per tour -(grand rooms tour, upstairs suites tour, cottage and kitchen tour, evening tour). We took grand rooms and upstairs suites tour which took about 2 hours. After purchasing your ticket, wait for the bus that will take you up and down the hilltop.

Welcome to Hearst Castle by May Rogers

Casa Grande (side).This is the biggest house in the castle, this is where Mr. Hearst lived and where many of his invited friends stayed. This side of the castle is where many of the rooms are located with spiral staircases, heavy doors, long hallways and unfinished walls.

Casa Grande (front) and the main entrance. Just got to have my picture taken right this very spot.

One of the many marble sculptures in and around the castle. These sculptures are very well-preserved and maintained by museum curators. Guards surround the castle to make sure visitors keep their hands off everything. Everything.

Neptune Pool is an outdoor 8-feet deep pool completed in 1936 surrounded by ancient Rome-inspired white columns and sculptures Julia Morgan designed, a design sketched from William Hearst's memory of his journey to Europe with his mom when he was a boy.

Roman Pool is the indoor pool surrounded by eight statues of Roman gods styled after an ancient Roman bath. The pool is tiled in blue and gold that glisten with the right amount of lighting, it has a diving port right above this pool and dressing rooms.

Casa del Sol (House C). Dubbed House of the Sun for its location - toward the sun. This house was inspired by southern Spain architecture with Moorish ornaments William Hearst collected throughout the years. Marble and gold statues, beautifully sculpted fountains surround the house with a breathtaking view of Monterey Bay.