California

is an overnight stopover at the Hearst Hacienda in Monterey County. It was Hearst's getaway ranch house (now located on the grounds of Fort Hunter Liggett) and was likewise designed by Julia Hunt Morgan, the architect of the Hearst Castle. It can be reached by a winding road off Highway 1 south of Big Sur, or off the 101 from the west.

Accommodations are rather spartan but comfortable, and one needs to be prepared to bring along something to eat for the duration. The external architecture is impressive although the rooms less so, but the surrounding countryside is a great place for hiking. It's adjacent to Mission San Antonio, one of the original missions founded by Junipero Serra.

Perhaps because of its isolation I've not had problems making a reservation there (although getting through can be a challenge), and room prices have always been extremely reasonable. It's a nice experience to relax at the "residence" of some former luminary and enjoy the solitude of the surroundings, just as Hearst and his guests did decades ago.

Regarding the actual Hearst Castle itself, what I found most interesting was the size of the bedrooms in the main house; both WRH and Marion Davies' bedrooms were relatively small, especially when compared to contemporary bedrooms (didn't check out the rooms in the other homes, ticket prices are pretty expensive). The indoor and outdoor pool areas were pretty cool, though.