This is Hearst Castle: opulent, obsessive, and almost obscene. It's a must-see stop in San Simeon along California's Pacific Coast Highway. I'd wanted to visit Hearst Castle for ages, having first heard about it because of my appreciation for Orson Welles' cinematic masterpiece Citizen Kane. For those in the dark, the film is based on the life of William Randolph Hearst, the … [Read more...] about Hearst Castle: Scenes from San Simeon’s Shangri-La
pacific coast highway
Wildlife of Coastal California: The Elephant Seals at Piedras Blancas
Just a few miles north of Hearst Castle along the Pacific Coast Highway--if you're driving with the windows open--you may catch a bit of a strong, "organic" scent on the wind. I'm not talking about the salty, seaweed-y aroma of the ocean. The smell I'm describing is worse. Much worse. What you're probably experiencing is the awful stench of the elephant seal rookery at … [Read more...] about Wildlife of Coastal California: The Elephant Seals at Piedras Blancas
Mesmerized by Morro Bay, California
Sitting on an angular boulder white with splattered bird droppings, I sent a sweeping gaze northward along the coast, blue sky blending almost seamlessly into wheat-colored hills before melting into the turquoise waters of the Pacific. A flock of gulls squawked and shrieked overhead, their shrill calls nearly drowned out by the roar of waves carrying surfers toward the shore. I … [Read more...] about Mesmerized by Morro Bay, California