Hollywood comes to Wilderness

The Roman Pool at Hearst Castle

It is difficult to imagine how isolated this area must have been in the first few decades of the 20^th century. San Simeon marked the end of the road and no one ventured further into Big Sur.

George Hearst, a wealthy mining magnate owned a ranch here where he, his wife and their young son William Randolph spent their summers. The young boy was to become the world’s first major media magnate. William Randolph was fabulously wealthy and always dreamed of building something special at San Simeon but his mother opposed any new development at the ranch. After his Mother’s death he approached a 47 year old shy architect from San Francisco called Julia Morgan. They worked in close partnership to build what was initially envisaged as a small house on the top of a hill overlooking the Pacific, close to where the family used to camp. They started in 1919 and the house was unfinished at Hearst’s death in 1945. The “small project” as Hearst called it, developed into a Spanish style hill village with a main house with 115 rooms and 38 bedrooms. Hearst spent lavishly, creating his own version of the European Renaissance from treasures and architectural features that his agents bought in Europe. 

William Randolph Hearst and Julia Morgan at "the Project"

Hearst Castle

The great and the good all came to the ranch to stay in its heyday. Hearst would entertain movie stars, politicians, presidents, writers and anyone of importance. He would feed gossip and news, gleaned during these visits to his editors on the East Coast. Home movies taken by Hearst show familiar faces such as Carol Lombard, Charlie Chaplin, Clarke Gable and many more.

Carlie Chaplin at the Castle

What we know as Hearst Castle was probably the model for Xanadu in Orson Well’s first film, Citizen Kane. It is reputed that Wells and his screen writer Herman Jacob Mankiewicz based the megalomaniac tycoon on Hearst. Wells never visited San Simeon and much of the image of Xanadu was based on the memories of Mankiewicz , who had been a guest there. Not surprisingly, Hearst did not like the film but he was particularly upset by the portrayal of his partner Marion Davies and her alcohol problem.

The controversy over the making of Citizen Kane

The place is worth a visit and should be visited by anyone driving Route 1. It is lavish, brash and lacks decent taste. Hearst’s version of the Renaissance is a mix of styles, cultures and ages.  Is it kitsch? I am not sure. It is certainly an extension of the “Hollywood Dream” into this beautiful romantic location.

The lavish surroundings of Hearst Castle

 Lavish renaissance ketchup

 Hearst's model of the European Renaissance?

The splendour of Hearst's movie theatre

Kitsch or Renaissance?

Whatever, its a great view!

Special thanks to our great guide Anthony who was extremely knowledgeable and helpful.

Anthony, the best of guides

South of Cambria, (the next town) the road crosses route 46 and it’s  only a short distance from a town called Shandon where 46 crosses 41. The junction has become notorious because it was at this junction James Dean was killed while driving his Silver Porsche.

 James Dean (died age 24 in 1955)

 Driving his Silver Porsche

Before Hearst built his airstrip at San Simeon, San Luis Opispo marked the end of the railroad where his guests would be picked up by limousine and transported to the ranch. Nothing singles this town now except a hotel called the Madonna Hotel. This was started in the 1950s and grew over the later decades.. It has been described as one of California’s pop culture landmarks and Roadside America” has described it as the best place to spend a night in America. If Hearst Castle is not kitsch, this is. Every room is decorated in gaudy style. Pink and glitter are in abundance. Surly the high point is the men’s urinal, which becomes a waterfall when you pee!

The Madonna Hotel off 101

 Gaudy with plenty of Pink

High Kitsch

All in Pink!

Waterfall while you wee

Pismo beach is a surfing beach situated at the junction of 101 and Route 1. The town was famous for its clams but true to form, this was another natural resource that was over exploited. The town has a pier that supported the fishing industry but that also disappeared. The town looks prosperous with RV parks along the beach. It has become a mecca for surfers and kite surfers on this vast windswept beach.

Pismo Beach: Pure California

Some of the enduring images of the depression and the “Dust Bowl” migration that took place from the Midwest are the photographs of Dorothea Lange. These pictures shocked the world and prompted John Ford to film John Steinbeck’s classic, The Grapes of Wrath. The classic image of the worn out mother with her hungry children was taken close to Pismo

 Dorothea Lange's haunting images

This is a relatively prosperous area but you occasionally come across small towns that are poor and sad. This is the case with Guadalupe. Many of the shops are boarded up and it looks in part more like a ghost town. The area around it is dominated by industrial scale agriculture with prominent migrant labour involved in the harvesting of vegetables and fruits.

Today is our wedding anniversary. We have been married for 37 years. I am a very lucky man!!

On to Santa Barbara for the night!