Travel Center - Southern California Photos & Reviews
The famous 17-mile drive leading to
Pebble Beach, California
Discover Nature’s treasures as you
explore the serene majesty of Del Monte
Forest. Here you’ll quickly experience
the magic of a legendary scenic tour
that’s home to The Lone Cypress, Seal
and Bird Rocks, Fanshell Beach, Point
Joe, and the colliding currents of The
Restless Sea. You’ll see black
cormorants, brown pelicans, California
sea otters, harbor seals, and idle sea
lions all in their natural habitat.
Colorful native wildflowers dot the
scene, adorning the cool, soothing hues
of the seashore and carefully preserved
dunescape.
Along the way, you’ll encounter the
emerald fairways of such famous golf
courses as The Links at Spanish Bay,
Spyglass Hill and the world-renowned
Pebble Beach Golf Links. For a gourmet
picnic lunch along 17-Mile Drive, visit
Pebble Beach Market adjacent to The
Lodge at Pebble Beach.
Hearst Castle* (San Simeon,
CA) - Outside Pool
Hearst Castle* view of the
Pacific Ocean
Hearst Castle* - Indoor Pool
made of 24K shavings
Central California -
Pacific Ocean
* In 1865, George Hearst, a wealthy miner,
purchased 40,000-acres of ranchland that
included the Mexican Ranchos of Piedras Blancas,
San Simeon and Santa Rosa. Originally known as
"Camp Hill," its wilderness offered a place for
family members and friends to "rough it" on
camping trips. Despite elaborate arrangements
with separate sleeping and dining tents, Hearst
envisioned more comfortable accommodations. His
simple instructions to famed San Francisco
architect Julia Morgan in 1919: "Miss Morgan, we
are tired of camping out in the open at the
ranch in San Simeon and I would like to build a
little something".
Hearst and Morgan's
collaboration was destined to become one of the
world's greatest showplaces. As they were
planning and constructing his dream home, Hearst
renamed the rocky perch from which it rose "La
Cuesta Encantada" - The Enchanted Hill. By 1947,
Hearst and Morgan had created an estate of 165
rooms and 127 acres of gardens, terraces, pools
and walkways.
The estate's magnificent main house, "Casa
Grande," and three guest houses are of
Mediterranean Revival style, while the imposing
towers of Casa Grande were inspired by a Spanish
cathedral. The blending of the architectural
style with the surrounding land, and Hearst's
superb European and Mediterranean art
collection, was so seamless that world-renowned
architectural historian, Lord John Julius
Norwich, was moved to say that "Hearst Castle is
a palace in every sense of the word."