Hearst Castle
I first saw Hearst Castle in 1981 with my father and my first wife, Mary. We were going from his place in Marina del Rey on the beach up to his country estate in the San Joaquin Valley, specifically Visalia. It wasn’t so very much out of the way and it gave us the chance to taste Anderson’s Pea Soup and stay st the Madonna Inn. But it was San Simeon that really left the impression. When you’ve grown up in Europe and seen a bit of the would, Hearst Castle or La Cuesta Encantada (the enchanted hilltop), as Hearst properly named it, is no less spectacular than the great palaces that inspired it. Those are in Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, England and Scotland, but as special as they are all in their own ways, none of them have the broad sweeping sunset views of the Pacific that you get from this mid-coastal icon.
Kim, Thomas and I took a holiday trip down the California coast in 2011. My tribulations at Bear Stearns had calmed down and it was time to buy another future retirement home since Park City was too cold and well in the rear view mirror since 2007. Kim and I are both the youngest of three siblings and all our siblings lived on the West Coast, so it did not seem like an odd place for us to land. But we wanted to be thorough. Kim had lived in LA for ten years as a recent college grad. I had lived in Santa Monica for a year as a child and then in LA for 6 months as an adult. But neither of us knew where in California we should settle. We flew into San Francisco, where my buddy Frank had moved. We then systematically went down the entire coast looking at areas all along the way.
We looked in Sausalito, but it was too…maritime. We looked in Silicon Valley for a hot moment, but it was too crazy, stupid. We looked in Monterrey/Carmel and could not believe the sky-high prices and lack of value proposition. As we headed through the mid-coast of Cambria, a place we did not want to consider living, we both did want to share Hearst Castle with Thomas, so we stopped for a visit. Santa Barbara interested us both and we saw a nice little house near the Mission, but that is a very narrow strip of land between mountains and ocean and it’s not really very travel-friendly. We skipped the entire LA Basin though Palos Verde did seem a little interesting. Next stop Laguna, was OK, but a bit too cool for us humble mice. That put us in San Diego’s North County. Sister Kathy had suggested Bonsal or Fallbrook. We looked seriously, but weren’t smitten. Then on Christmas Day during a motorcycle ride in Escondido, I spotted our hilltop and fell in love.
I didn’t camp on the hill as a child like William Randolph Hearst had on his hilltop, but it was love anyway. Both hilltops are about 1700 feet in elevation and have sweeping views of the Pacific. I won’t pretend Casa Moonstruck and it’s views are quite as special and enchanting as Hearst’s Casa Grande, but I bet it means as much to me as the ranch at San Simeon did to him.
Five years ago I asked Kim what she wanted to do for her 60th Birthdsy celebration. We had been and have since generally celebrated her birthday with family, usually then abroad. She surprised me by telling me she would like to gather the two families somewhere in California, but not at Casa Moonstruck. I put my Thinking Cap on and then it hit me. What about a destination birthday party at Hearst Castle? Was it even a possibility? It was owned by the State of California, which meant it could go either way. They were pretty bureaucratic and egalitarian, but then they needed money too. I called and spoke to the events person for the Castle. She said that indeed they did rent the place out for events, but it didn’t happen much due to its remote location. They allowed 50 and 250 person gatherings in the evening and only on the outdoor terraces.
It was pricey, but I could say Kim is worth it (which is very true), but I could also list many more extravagant things I’ve done than that as well. I booked it on the spot for 50 figuring that it was a tad early (18 months to be exact), but I sensed we might need the time to pull this shindig together. I figured a guest list of 50 would be easy. As the saying goes, “not so fast, Abernathy”. You would be surprised how quickly you can fill a party list of 50 when the party is at Hearst Castle. What made this an even bigger extravagance than just the State of California Event Fee, was that They required us to use one of their authorized event planners, one of their authorized caterers, one of their authorized furniture suppliers, and one of their authorized florists. Yikes! I just closed my eyes and barreled forward.
We booked out most of the Fireside Inn in Cambria and set up ancillary events like elephant seal watching and wine tours, but also all the added meals like it was a destination wedding. Double Yikes! But here’s the thing, it was a memorable and resplendent evening that was worth every penny. It was a highlight of Kim’s and my life together and always will be. I gave the testimonial, but she sang and that’s always the high point of any evening with Kim.
Kim and I make s point on our north/south California trips to stay at the Fireside Inn to remind us of that wonderful evening. We don’t stop at Hearst Castle every time, but on this trip south, we decided to pay a visit. It brought back all the great memories of that night four years ago. At that time, the Neptune Pool, one of the hilltop’s most recognizable features, was being renovated. Today we saw it in all its glory. We also learned that if one joins the Foundation donors list, there is an opportunity to register for an event several times each summer to swim in the pool and enjoy a poolside cocktail party as part of a group of up to 40 members. We noticed that one of those dates was Frank’s 85th birthday. Enough said. One call to Frank and the plan was set. We joined the donor rolls, booked the party and booked the Fireside Inn for that weekend.
So, this will be our second birthday celebration on William Randolph Hearst’s hilltop, and we can’t wait. I love that Hearst Castle is a public park that is open to all to enjoy. But I am equally pleased that the state makes it available to those of us who choose to afford to do special events there. I don’t feel the least bit imperious about it either. I hear radio ads for truck drivers (who are in big demand these days, it seems) that tells me that a truck driver willing to dedicate two weeks salary could afford to do what we’re going to do. It’s open to him if he cares about this special hilltop as much as we do….and we do.