Freakin’ big house on the hill

Another beautifully warm day and we are off to see Hearst Castle - a freakin big house high on the hill above San Simeon - built by William Randolph Hearst in the 1920s.  It cost $36 US each just for the very basic entry via a bus from the tourist centre via a winding dedicated road up to the castle.

It has hundreds of rooms and acres of gardens all decorated with priceless antiques and is waaaaaaay over the top - decadence at it’s tackiest but all very interesting just the same.  The tour guide told us a heap of stories about how filthy rich the family was, and still is, and what wonderful business people they were.....then the commentary on the bus back has the nerve to ask for donations to help preserve it!!

We are back on Highway 1 heading further south to Pismo Beach - about 300km north of LA - and this is as far south as we will travel.  It gave us the chance to take Grover back to visit his homeland - Grover Beach.

Now this is RV city for sure - on every block there is a dedicated RV park with hosting hundreds of them!  While Peter enjoyed a run along the beach, I enjoyed a beer with a squirrel watching the sun set over the Pacific Ocean.

Next day we return to the Big Sur - another magnificent day riding back up along the coast with very little traffic and perfect weather - to our last stop before reaching San Fransisco.