Hearst Castle- a good thing to do on a rainy day.

The grounds are beautiful.

Greek and Egyptian vases and pottery.
Our guide said the value cannot be stated. But they could be worth a million dollars each.  They are in the library and earthquake fortified.

The tour bus waits outside this indoor pool.  This is the last place seen at the castle.  The gold is real.  Pics are not chronological. 

William Randolph Hearst inherited a vast business empire.  He was the only child of George Hearst.  George started out as a miner in the California gold rush.  He struck the Comstock Lode.   The family used to camp in tents on the hill. WR Hearst wanted to build 'something more comfortable' , the result was Hearst Castle.

This was WRH's private library and office.  This was everybody's favorite room.

The outdoor pool was drained and undergoing  repairs.  The pool leaked 5,000 gallons of water per day.  With the California Drought (which is now over) it had to be fixed.

Beautiful door in one of the guest bedrooms.  Almost everything here was imported from Europe.

How would you like to wake up under this ceiling?

Or this one??

The guys admiring the craftsmanship.

Or this ceiling?

The art here has occasionally been sent out to some of the most famous museums in the world.

The main dining room.  They said the Harry Potter filmmakers came here to get ideas for their sets.

Mr Hearst always had ketchup and mustard at the table.  He said it reminded him of the family camp outs.

Steve and Gwen getting some close-ups.

The darker tapestries are actually older than the faded ones.  Back in ancient times natural plants, or  berries were used.  They lasted much longer than synthetic dyes.

Lighting fixture in the movie theater.

The main entrance.  Hollywood's stars of the 20's and 30's hung out here.  

A 'newer' tapestry.

Beauty everywhere!

I am sorry I cannot remember the proper term for this choir stall , it might have been a mercichord.  But there are small wooden seats to rest on.  Guess it was hard to stand hours and hours singing.

4 million people visit Hearst castle every year.  The family donated the castle to the state of California.  Our guide said that sometimes Hearst family members come on the tour.  It was a very worthwhile experience.  Thanks for checking into the blog.