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| me enjoy the view along the Pacific coast |
After 5 wonderful days in Santa Monica it was time for Susie and I to start our drive north up the Pacific Coast Highway. California has been suffering because of a drought. They yearn for rain, they need rain. We brought them clouds and rain.
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| rain? really? isn't there a drought here? |
The views as we drove up the coast were not as beautiful as we had hoped because there was lots of fog and we kept driving in and out of rain areas. As suddenly as it would rain it would clear and we would have a stretch of blue sky and sunshine. There are parking areas along the highway called Vista Points where we could safely pull over and enjoy the views.
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| vista |
I found this one and pulled in to check it out - it was worth it! The clouds parted briefly and showed us some blue sky in the distance. There was a short path off of the parking area so I checked it out. When I got to the top of the path I heard the unmistakable sound of a hummingbird in flight. I quickly spotted the bird and he stopped and posed for my camera. He was an Anna's Hummingbird. These are native to the west coast. Here on the east coast we only have Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds so seeing a different species was a treat.
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| Anna's Hunningbird |
While we had enjoyed getting out of the car and stretching our legs we soon headed on so we could visit Hearst Castle. When we got there the rain was coming down steadily, which is not good news for going on a tour. The parking area was near the road and tour goers take a bus up the hill to see the Castle and the grounds. It’s a 10 minute ride and we couldn’t see much out of the bus windows because of the rain and the fog that had rolled in.
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| Hearst Castle tour guide smiling through the rain |
After a quick outdoor welcome by our tour guide we were happy to get inside to see the Hearst home. There are several tour options and we took the Grand Rooms Tour. This tour shows you the rooms you would have seen if you were a guest of WIlliam Randolph Hearst during its heyday in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Flash photography isn’t allowed so I didn’t get too many photos of the interior.
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| the Assembly Room in Casa Grande |
Normally after your house tour you can wander the grounds until you are ready to take a bus back down to the Visitor Center. The day of our visit was not a day to enjoy the property. Good excuse to go back again some day.
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| rain, rain go away |
It was raining too hard to even walk over to see the Neptune Pool, which was sad because it’s so beautiful. Instead we headed straight to the Roman Pool, which is covered, to wait for the next bus.
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| the Roman Pool |
MUSAP spent most of the day in my pocket to keep dry. He found some Hearst Ranch wine. The Visitor Center also sold beef from the Hearst Ranch.
2/8/14
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