Winging north from the Best Western San Marcos Inn lodging in Morro Bay, high on Highway 1, one comes to San Simeon, the home of Hearst Castle; and going through those gates is like entering Oz, an enchanted land, and you are welcome there to marvel and engage your fantasies.
            For at the end of the road you reach the home of the Wizard himself. He was William Randolph Hearst, impresario of thirty newspapers, and aspirant to the high life and seductions of Hollywood and political celebrities. And, no doubt, of grand political ambitions himself, serving, if serving is the right word, as member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and narrowly missing election as Mayor and then as Governor of New York. Did he secretly yearn for the presidency? Well, he built a Castle.
            This fascinating, brilliant dreamer and doer had his fascinating and brilliant Hearst Castle designed by the fascinating and brilliant Julia Morgan, the to-be-famous lady architect of Oakland.

           Here is what you’ll find adjacent to San Simeon State Park, just a lark of a drive from our San Marcos, La Serena and Masterpiece lodgings in Morro Bay:
            Hearst Castle, thirty years in the never-finished making, 56 bedrooms, 61 bathrooms, tennis courts, movie theater where Hollywood stars would come up from L.A. to watch themselves and enjoy the spectacular central California Coast. Not to mention the zoo and the incredible Neptune Pool, rebuilt three times, with its Roman Temple, purchased from Europe and reconstructed on site.
            Originally built on 40,000 acres, to become 240,000 acres, Hearst Castle is also known as San Simeon, “The Enchanted Hill”. When he asked Julia Morgan to build him a getaway bungalow, he kept asking for more and she had the talent to give it to him. So they wound up creating this amazing castle on spectacular grounds where you can visit and be in dreamland for a few hours, before returning to your lodging in Morro Bay.
            Of course if your lodging turns out to be San Marcos Inn, what’s to complain?
            Close to the Bay waters, some units with ocean views, birds and boats and good dining everywhere, a spectacular indoor spa with views ....sounds just as good as Hearst Castle. Enjoy the great hotel/motel/Inn/lodging, whatever your pleasure is to call it.
            And we can help you get reservations to tour Hearst Castle at any one of our front desks, or at our Reservations Page.