Hearst Castle

I wish I could add these photos in the order I want. Unfortunately the elephant seals wanted to be in the middle! We visited the beach just 5 miles north of San Simeon to see them sunning themselves in great numbers. According to the literature, these are likely adolescents. They were fun to watch and listen to. They flip sand on themselves to prevent sunburn and occasionally waddle to the water to play.
Hearst Castle is a magnificent compound of buildings and gardens and pools in a striking setting. The main castle structure is amazing by itself, but it is surrounded by lush gardens and places like the the indoor recreation building that houses this spectacular pool. I also included a shot that gives a hint of the amazing views from the property.
It was a really nice day that included a coastal drive south to Santa Maria for dinner with biker Russ and than a return to beautiful Santa Barbara through San Marcos Pass.