March 26 – March 29, 2023
We left Death Valley, going west on Hwy 190 , going through the Panamint Mountain Range and getting a nice view of the Sierra Nevada and Mount Whitney, its highest peak at an elevation of 14,505 feet (4,421 m). At Olancha we joined the Hwy 395, the only way to get to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park, only to find out once we got access to wifi that the park is closed until mid April because of damage to access roads due to heavy snow and floodings. Same scenario with Yosemite NP!
Disappointed but we also wanted to follow Hwy 1 along the Pacific Coast so we carried on towards Bakersfield and Shandon where we spent the night at a Rest Area not far from the intersection where James Dean was killed in a car accident on September 30, 1955 . That historic site has a marker and has been named James Dean Memorial Junction.
The next day we drove to Cambria, a seaside hamlet hidden among Monterrey pines with plenty of charm, nice boutiques and art galleries and a vibrant culinary scene. it was overcast with showers and we took refuge in a French restaurant where we had a nice warm meal !
Hearst Castle
We drove on to San Simeon and Hearst Castle. This is the home that William Randolph Hearst started to build on his ranchland overlooking the village of San Simeon in 1919. He called the estate “La Cuesta Encantada” – Spanish for The Enchanted Hill. By 1947, the hilltop complex included a twin-towered main building, three sumptuous guesthouses, and 127 acres of terraced gardens, fountains, and pools.
The estate is the result of a long collaboration with Julia Morgan, an architect and engineer. She designed more than 700 buildings in California during a long and prolific career.
There is a selection of tours to visit the Castle . We selected the “Grand Rooms Tour” which gives you access to the Assembly Room, Refectory, Billiard Room, Theater, Gardens, Neptune Pool and Roman Pool; only a fraction of the 150+ rooms in the Castle!
Before boarding the bus for the 5-mile ascent to the top of the Enchanted Hill, you start the visit by viewing a 40mn film giving some insight in William R. Hearst, his origins, his early discovery of art while touring Europe when he was 10 years old, his financial success which allowed him to build his dream “La Cuesta Encantada” on top of a hill with superb views to the coast. He used the best materials and borrowed many features of classic roman and greek architecture to create his dream home and furnished it with his private collection of paintings, antiques and other objects of art.
In its heyday, San Simeon was the destination of choice for Hollywood’s elite. William Randolph Hearst and his companion, actress Marion Davies, extended coveted invitations to the time-honored greats of the movie industry: Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, Greta Garbo, Irving Thalberg, Bette Davis, Clark Gable, and many others.
[Click on picture to open gallery]
We wanted to continue on Highway 1 along the coast but had to turn back 10 miles or so after St Simeon as the road was closed for repairs due to damage caused by recent storms. There was no possible detour as there is a small chain of mountains running parrallel to the coast and no other road was available. We had no other choice but to retrace our steps back to Paso Robles and catch the Highway 101 to Salinas and then head for Monterrey on the coast.
By then, we did not want to go back south all the way to Big Sur so we stopped at Carmel-by the Sea. It was raining and very windy but the town is very pleasant , with beautiful cottages, gardens with flowers in bloom and an array of art galleries and boutiques. After walking for a while around town we took refuge in a small French restaurant! we had a nice hot meal and felt ready to forge ahead!
We drove up to Santa Cruz and then on to San Jose, where we met Daniel ( Cathy’s son) and had a nice evening in town. Daniel very kindly invited us to stay at his flat overnight and we readily agreed.
Thanks Daniel for your hospitality and pleasant evening !
