Morro Bay, California

August 31, 2009

This is a wonderful town! The Embarcadero is harbor-side and touristy. Main St. is up the bluff and more hometown in feeling. Just offshore, the Morro Rock is an amazing hunk of granite. We see it our or the window at our Morro Strand RV site. The dome is a cap that formed inside a volcano and eventually sealed it shut. Actually, Morro, Spanish for dome, used to be much larger prior to being quarried for many years. Millions of tons of granite were hauled away, providing the rock for many buildings in the state and for the jetty that helps form the harbor at Morro Bay. Many such rocks sit just off the Pacific coastline. Morro Rock is larger than any of the others we saw and you can drive or walk to it. People can go about half-way around the perimeter, but climbing is not allowed.

Morro Bay is also different from most California coastal towns in that it still has a fleet of fishing boats. Morro Bay is very accessible by bike and foot. There are nearby parks that offer hike and bike paths and a golf course. The estuary is protected marsh land that shelters over 250 migratory bird species.

There are two farmer’s markets each week of the summer. Thursday’s is just north of town and is primarily produce. We found the usual offerings plus lemon cucumbers, Chinese eggplant, Chinese green beans, and French cantaloupe. We did the full stroll sampling along the way prior to spending money. The Saturday farmer’s market downtown has produce but features more artisans wares along with local fish and meat.

Scenery, weather, and location make this California town one of the best we have visited. Unfortunately I have been nursing an eye infection the whole week that made me feel like it was a case of the flu. Russell had allergy trouble with his eyes watering, so maybe we are allergic to the air here, or the juniper outside the window. The down time has given Russell the opportunity to do hitch maintenance and worry over the stock market. It also gave us time to head back to the Hearst Castle!

The previous week we had taken tour 1, The Experience, and seen the movie, Building the Dream. We decided to take tour 2 which included the kitchen and upstairs rooms of the main house. As good as our first guide was Bill was even better on tour 2. This castle is 1 of 7 Hearst estates and we learned that each has a different motif. The San Simeon castle is a display of Mediterranean architecture, gardens and art. There are 3 guest houses, the smallest of which is about 2800 sq. ft. On the last trip we went through one of them. It has a living room and 4 bedrooms and baths. On tour 2 we saw at least a dozen guest rooms in the main house. Each Hearst guest was assigned a bed and bathroom. So if there are 2 beds in a room, there will be 2 bathrooms. Closets were shared and usually not tin the room, but in the hall. Each set of guest rooms has a sitting area. The most elaborate sitting room is the library – 3 rooms, a large center room and 2 symmetrically smaller rooms on each end. This room not only houses rare books but pottery and urns from ancient cultures, Etruscan, Greek, and Egyptian. The 3 upper floors were multiple levels; one jewel of a bedroom was in the bell tower. There is an original 1928 elevator still in working order that was used when the house was a private residence, but the tour has visitors tramping up and down spiral staircases in turrets. Stairwells reveal the massive amounts of concrete used in the structure. The elaborate antique ceilings are suspended from rebar reinforced ceiling between each floor. Despite major earthquake damage in nearby towns and structures, the castle has never felt any effects.

The house and grounds require $9.5 million in maintenance and staff annually. The total amount comes from tour proceeds. The castle is uninsurable since the architectural and furnishings art is irreplaceable. The ceiling in Hearst’s bedroom is painted panels of 6th century Spanish religious figures. One small Madonna and Child by Duccio di Buoninsegna was valued at $10 million many years ago. Hearst’s office is a large Moorish affair with multiple desks, tables and sitting areas.

All bedrooms, including the master suite, are rather small – ornate, elaborate, beautiful, and comfortable – but fairly simple in meeting ones’ needs. The public rooms are large, offering several small private areas. Mix and mingle was the requirement of all guests. The single large living room, single dining room with a single table and a single enormous kitchen reinforce the community feel. No room service of food or drink was provided or allowed.

Given another trip through the area, we will probably take one of the other tours at The Enchanted Hill.