Hearst Castle

     As I mentioned earlier, this month long externship in the central coast had some downsides, one of which was potentially missing Cheryl's birthday.  The drive from LA to Pismo Beach is about 3 1/2 hours and instead of celebrating her birthday back in the busy city, Cheryl decided to come to the coast and hang out for a few days.  For those of you who know me, I'm kind of a baby when it comes to car trips and can't seem to find enjoyment behind the steering wheel for any extended time, unless of course I'm driving a Ferrari.  Regardless, I was quite pleased with the plan for the weekend and couldn't wait to start our fun-filled weekend together.  

     After some talking, Cheyl and I began to think of the last time we were in the cental coast together.  San Simeon 2005.  We hadn't been dating very long and I invited her on a class trip that I was taking with my Marine Birds and Mammals class - Senior year of College.  She decided to tag along and we had a blast together, although the mating habits of the Elephant Seals were quite disturbing.  We remember hearing about Hearst Castle, but due to my class schedule, we didn't have time to take a tour.  Now, 6 years later, we had our chance.

In the distance you can see Hearst Castle.

After we purchased out tour package, Cheryl and I hopped on a bus that took us up the hill to the sprawling compound called Hearst Castle.  WHAT A VIEW!

Imagine a warm cup of coffee and this view every morning.  Incredible.

The buildings aren't too bad either.

Did I mention the incredible pools?

Another shot of the beautiful statues in and around Neptune Pool.

The tour that we chose, the Grand Room Tour, showed us a little of everything.  Since it was Cheryl's first time and I couldn't remember the last time I was here, we thought this tour would suit us best.  And it did.

The tour took us into some of the guest houses situated around the property.
Each one exquisite in its own particular way.

 My favorite part of the tour was the Casa Grande.  The stonework and architecture itself was breathtaking and we were blessed with a beautiful clear day to take it all in.  Here is a link to a Virtual HD tour. This will give you a much better appreciation of the beauty and grandeur of Hearst Castle.

 

The Formal Dining Room

Last but not least, The Roman Pool.  Absolutely extraordinary.
 My picture does not do it justice, check out the virtual tour.

All in all, Cheryl and I had a great time and truly enjoyed the visit to Hearst Castle.  Later that weekend, we decided to hang out and have a little BBQ at Sunny's place.  Sunny was a student of Cheryl's back at USC and graduated in 2009.  Since then, she has gotten a job working with CHCC and lived one block away from my hotel in Pismo Beach.  She has been a great friend and even better mentor as I practice my dental skills in a real-world clinic setting.  She was kind enough to invite us over to hang out, eat, and play with her two cute housemates: Charlie and Joey.

I caught them cuddling on the couch.

Don't worry! No animals were harmed in the shooting of this picture.

Thanks babe for keeping me company this weekend and helping us make some more great memories.