Carmel Part 2: Big Sur & Hearst Castle

Yesterday morning, we headed south along the PCH/Rte 1. You can see on the right hand side of this picture the road we traveled. It was a bit overcast all day and rainy in spots, but everything was still so beautiful. There were times when the ocean ran into the sky and you couldn't seperate the two. Our first stop was Big Sur which was about 30 miles south of the Inn we were staying at. Blink and you'll miss it. I think there were 2 places where you could stop and this was one of them. Here is a picture of the Big Sur River Inn. There was a fire burning and it smelled wonderful. A quick peek behind the Inn, and we discovered this: And this: We have decided that we absolutely must go back in the warm Summer months and sit in these adirondak chairs. We'll curl up with some good reads while the children splash around in the river. Perfection. We continued South with no real plan in place. This area reminded me so much of when we lived in Boston. One Summer we drove up to Portland, ME, put our car on the ferry, and traveled up to Nova Scotia. We spent about a week there, driving around the entire island (and up to Prince Edward Island, too). Anyway, it was the Western part of the island, I think Digby, the tall, tall trees nestled up next to the ocean. Just south where the above picture was taken, we encounted a beach full of seals. Hundreds and hundreds of seals. Just prior to getting here, I was also passed out in the car. Must be something in the air that makes everything and everyone want to take a nap. Yawn. Next up: Hearst Castle. That place is intense. I mean really intense. Gaudy? Absolutely. By the time we arrived here, there was a pretty steady rain. Henry & I were in flip-flops. Fantastic. Most of the tour took plaee indoors, which was a bummer, because the grounds were incredible. There were guest houses on the property (each around 6,000 sq ft) which were amazing and not quite so over the top. This is one of the guest houses and one of the few outdoor shots I have. Inside the guest house: The thing that was so fascinating about this castle is that it's in the middle of nowhere. In the early 19th century when this was built there was nothing around which meant that they had to build farms and plant vegetation in order to survive. There are cattle & dairy ranches, fruit trees, vegetable gardens, etc.,. on the premesis. I love that. I wish I could grow everything I ate. Wouldn't that be great? Chicken coops for eggs, etc.,. This is the Venus Pool (you can see the raindrops hitting the water) and here is another indoor pool: You should google image the castle- there are amazing shot's there, too.