Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
From the parking lot, follow the raucous barking sounds south. You'll skirt the open
bluffs 0.1 mile, enjoying sweeping views of the sea and rocky shore. The trail quickly
reaches a small cove packed flipper to flipper with elephant seals.
Turn your attention from the rookery to the
Piedras Blancas lighthouse
, built
in 1875 to guide ships between the lights at Point Conception to the south and Point
Piños to the north. The original tower was 115 feet tall and housed a first-order Fres-
nel lens. Today, technology has eased navigation and the light is now automated. The
original Fresnel lens is on display at the Veterans Building on Main Street in Cambria,
13 miles south.
Guided tours of the lighthouse are offered Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
September 1-June 14 and Monday-Saturday June 15-August 31 ($10/adults, $5 chil-
dren ages 6-17, free/children age 5 and under). Contact the Piedras Blancas Light
Station for further information: (805) 927-7361,
piedrasblancas.org
.
Hearst Memorial State Beach
T
HIS SANDY COVE
was once part of the 24,000-acre Hearst property at San Simeon,
a playground for the family, friends, and guests of media tycoon William Randolph
Hearst. In 1953 the Hearst Corporation, which owns Hearst Castle and the surround-
ing acreage, donated the park grounds in memory of its founder.
San Simeon remains a popular year-round destination for visitors interested in
hiking, swimming, fishing, kayaking, picnicking, and whale- and bird-watching. In
May the park hosts “A Day in Old San Simeon,” a celebration of the area's 19th-cen-
tury heyday.
ONE MAN'S CASTLE
Perched high atop the San Simeon hills, Hearst Castle was the collaborative vision
of eccentric news baron William Randolph Hearst and architect Julia Morgan. Trans-
formation of the ranch and campsite into the lavish 165-room castle began in 1919
and dragged on nearly 30 years. It remains unfinished. A showcase for Hearst's inter-
national collection of antiques and art pieces, the 250,000-acre estate also included
guesthouses, elaborate gardens and pools, tennis courts, and a zoo. Famous guests
through the years included President Calvin Coolidge, Winston Churchill, Charlie
Chaplin, and myriad other bigwigs and Hollywood celebs.
On most Friday and Saturday evenings from September through December,
Hearst Castle offers two-hour living history tours ($30/adults, $15/children ages
6-17) that capture the bygone lifestyle of this great estate. Docents dress in elegant
vintage clothing, discuss the social life of Hearst's guests, and lead visitors on en-
chanting strolls around La Cuesta Encantanda (The Enchanted Hill). For more in-
formation, visit
hearstcastle.org
.