Here are a few pictures
Friday, December 7, 2012
December 7, 2012 San Luis Obispo Christmas Parade
We attended this evening the 37th annual Christmas Parade in San Luis Obispo. A nice evening for a parade and was enjoyable.
Here are a few pictures
Here are a few pictures
December t, 2012 Hearst Castle
The Castle
In 1865, George Hearst, a wealthy miner, purchased 40,000-acres of ranchland that included the Mexican Ranchos of Piedras Blancas, San Simeon and Santa Rosa. In 1919, his only son, William Randolph Hearst, inherited the land from his mother, Phoebe Apperson Hearst. By then the ranch had grown to encompass 250,000 acres.
Originally known as “Camp Hill,” its wilderness offered a place for family members and friends to “rough it” on camping trips. Despite elaborate arrangements with separate sleeping and dining tents, Hearst envisioned more comfortable accommodations. His simple instructions to famed San Francisco architect Julia Morgan in 1919: “Miss Morgan, we are tired of camping out in the open at the ranch in San Simeon and I would like to build a little something”
Hearst and Morgan’s collaboration was destined to become one of the world’s greatest showplaces. As they were planning and constructing his dream home, Hearst renamed the rocky perch from which it rose “La Cuesta Encantada” – The Enchanted Hill. By 1947, Hearst and Morgan had created an estate of 165 rooms and 127 acres of gardens, terraces, pools and walkways.
The estate’s magnificent main house, “Casa Grande,” and three guest houses are of Mediterranean Revival style, while the imposing towers of Casa Grande were inspired by a Spanish cathedral. The blending of the architectural style with the surrounding land, and Hearst’s superb European and Mediterranean art collection, was so seamless that world-renowned architectural historian, Lord John Julius Norwich, was moved to say that “Hearst Castle is a palace in every sense of the word.”
Art Treasures
The Curatorial staff works closely with expert conservators to preserve countless works of art spanning several centuries and representing many artistic styles and media. In addition to state funds, both Friends of Hearst Castle and the Hearst Castle Preservation Foundation dedicate funding for the preservation of Mr. Hearst’s vast art collection. Conservators combine state-of-the-art methods and meticulous attention to detail to ensure the conservation of pieces ranging from a 14th century painted wooden ceiling to a 1st century marble sarcophagus.
The Pools of Hearst Castle
Neptune Pool
Construction for the Neptune Pool spanned 1924-1936. Three swimming pools were built on this site, each successively larger. Initial plans for the site called for a “Temple Garden” with an ornamental pool and temple structure. On March 31, 1924, W.R. Hearst wrote in a letter to Julia Morgan, “I am sending back the plan of the temple garden with the suggestion that we make the pool longer than it is, as long as a swimming pool. Mrs. Hearst and the children are extremely anxious to have a swimming pool!” On June 17, 1924, Morgan wrote that the first swimming pool was nearing completion: “Mr. Neptune and the two ladies can be placed but the finished basins will take some time yet.”
The second version of the pool, a substantial enlargement, was created in 1926-1927. This version had a series of concrete steps at the southern side called the Cascade, down which water flowed. The Neptune and Nereid statues, presently in the temple pediment, then stood at the top of the Cascade. The dressing rooms were begun in 1928 and furnished according to Hearst’s instruction.
The present version of the pool was under construction from 1934-1936. It is unlikely that the enlargement was done to make it closer to Olympic size, as has sometimes been conjectured; Olympic pools are 165 feet long. It is more likely that the colonnades and Cassou statues, which were planned from the late 1920′s, required an enlarged treatment. Morgan anticipated further modifications of the pool for Cassou’s Neptune statuary group to be placed in the small upper pool. On July 27, 1936, Morgan wrote in a letter to Charles Cassou, “enclosed is a plan and some photographs of the ‘Neptune Pool’ in its present (uncompleted) state. The recess of the main pool and the small pool above to receive your ‘Neptune’ group I have not touched since my visit with you last year – so please do not think of them except as something yet to be done to form a proper background and sitting for your ‘Venus’ as well as your ‘Neptune’ statuary.” The “Neptune” sculpture group by Cassou intended for the small upper pool was never installed.
The final version of the pool as it stands at the Castle today is 104 feet long, 58 feet wide and 95 feet wide at alcove. It is 3.5 feet deep at the west end, 10 feet at drains and holds 345,000 gallons of water. Other unique aspects of the Neptune Pool include the oil burning heating system, the light-veined Vermont marble decorating the pools and colonnades, and four 17-century Italian bas-reliefs on the sides of the colonnades.
Roman Pool
The Roman Pool at Hearst castle is a tiled indoor pool decorated with eight statues of Roman gods, goddesses and heroes. The pool appears to be styled after an ancient Roman bath such as the Baths of Caracalla in Rome c. 211-17 CE. The mosaic tiled patterns were inspired by mosaics found in the 5th Century Mausoleum of Galla Placidia in Ravenna, Italy. They are also representative of traditional marine monster themes that can be found in ancient Roman baths. The statues are rough copies of ancient Greek and Roman statues. One such copy represents the “Apoxyomenos.” Statuary was used on a considerable scale in the Baths of Caracalla.
The pool and surrounding room, which were built from 1927-1934, can be compared to an ancient Roman bath. The pool, like the baths, is located indoors. Its water was heated as in a tepidarium. However, in Hearst’s complex there were no hot or cold baths as there were in the ancient complex. The Roman Pool complex was designed to contain an exercise room, sweat baths, a handball court and dressing rooms.
The Roman Pool is decorated from ceiling to floor with 1″ square mosaic tiles. These glass tiles, called smalti, are either colored (mainly blue or orange) or are clear with fused gold inside. The intense colors and shimmering gold of the tiles combine to create a breathtaking effect. The designs created by the tiles were developed by muralist Camille Solon. The inspiration for some of these designs came from the 5th Century Mausoleum of Galla Placidia.
Hearst was affected by the beauty of the mosaics in the mausoleum and incorporated similar styles into his Roman Pool. The walls of the mausoleum are marble but the vaulted arches are composed of blue and gold smalti. The roofs and dome are covered with mosaics of night blue, powdered with stars. The Roman Pool is similar to the mausoleum with its blue and gold color scheme and stylized star patterns. It differs because marble was only used in the statues, not on the walls, and there are no religious murals.
Decorating the Roman Pool are eight marble statues. These statues were carved starting in 1930 by Carlo Freter working in Pietrasanta, Italy. They are rough copies of ancient Greek and Roman statues. The statue of “Apoxyomenos” is found near the east side of the building. “Apoxyomenos,” also known as “The Scraper,” is a statue of an athlete scraping dirt and moisture off the underside of his right arm. The original bronze statue was created by the Greek sculptor Lysippos c. 320 B.C.E. Because Lysippos’ work does not survive, Freter worked from an ancient Roman copy of “The Scraper” found in the Vatican museum in Rome. Freter faithfully copied the Roman copy but also completes the statue with the addition of the missing strigil (scraper) and the missing fingers of the outstretched hand.
Over the years many guests have visited Hearst Castle but we’ll narrow the list down to the more renowned.
Entertainment Industry
- Lew Ayres
- Lionel and John Barrymore
- Ralph Bellamy
- Charlie Chaplin
- Gary Cooper
- Joan Crawford
- Dolores del Rio
- Marie Dressler
- Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.
- Errol Flynn
- Clark Gable
- Greta Garbo
- John Gilbert
- Cary Grant
- Jean Harlow
- Buster Keaton
- Carole Lombard
- Beatrice Lillie
- Harold Lloyd
- Harpo Marx
- Louis B. Mayer
- Joel McCrea
- Colleen Moore
- David Niven
- Mary Pickford
- Dick Powell
- Hal Roach
- Norma Shearer
- Barbara Stanwyck
- Norma Talmadge
- Robert Taylor
- Irving Thalberg
- Jack Warner
Thursday, December 6, 2012
December 7th, Morro Bay, CA
Today we traveled from Monterey, CA to Morro Bay, CA to take advantage of the area to see the Hearst Castle on Friday.
Our camp ground is on the Beach looking directly at Morro Rock.
The nine sisters are extinct volcano peaks which run in an approximately straight line for twelve miles, stretching from Morro Bay to San Luis Obispo. These peaks seperate the Los Osos and Chorro Valleys. The peaks are approximately 21 million years old. Davidson Seamount, disregarded as part of the chain, is submerged about 2 1/2 miles offshore of Morro Rock.
This area was the original home of the Chumash Indians, who made camps at the base of these peaks and ate the berries and roots found growing in the mountain sides. There is currently an effort being made to have the peaks named as historical landmarks, and thus preserved from further development.
Our camp ground is on the Beach looking directly at Morro Rock.
The nine sisters are extinct volcano peaks which run in an approximately straight line for twelve miles, stretching from Morro Bay to San Luis Obispo. These peaks seperate the Los Osos and Chorro Valleys. The peaks are approximately 21 million years old. Davidson Seamount, disregarded as part of the chain, is submerged about 2 1/2 miles offshore of Morro Rock.
This area was the original home of the Chumash Indians, who made camps at the base of these peaks and ate the berries and roots found growing in the mountain sides. There is currently an effort being made to have the peaks named as historical landmarks, and thus preserved from further development.
MORRO ROCK Elevation 576 feet. It is also called "the Gibralter of the Pacific" and is probably the most famous peak. It was first sighted in 1542 by Juan Cabrillo. At one time it was surrounded by water. Quarrying was responsible for its shape, and rock from it supplied the breakwater for Morro Bay.
A picturesque seaside village located along scenic Highway 1 halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Find ocean-side golf, kayaking, sailing, hiking, fishing, surfing, biking and miles of unspoiled beaches. Mix in our popular shopping districts, enticing restaurants, art galleries, museums and warm, friendly atmosphere. It's the perfect natural escape.
Local boats, of all sizes, decorate with lights for the holiday season and cruise the harbor. The Morro Bay White Caps and the San Luis Obispo City Band will be playing Christmas music at the South T-pier
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
December 4, 2012 Carmel/Big Sur
Today we drove south down Highway 1 thru Carmel by the Sea, Big Sur and the 17 mile drive through Pebble Beach.
Big Sur is a sparsely populated region of the Central Coast of California where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from thePacific Ocean. The name "Big Sur" is derived from the original Spanish-language "el sur grande", meaning "the big south", or from "el país grande del sur", "the big country of the south", referring to its location south of the Monterey Peninsula. The terrain offers stunning views, making Big Sur a popular tourist destination. Big Sur's Cone Peak is the highest coastal mountain in the contiguous 48 states, ascending nearly a mile (5,155 feet) above sea level, only three miles from the ocean.
Although Big Sur has no specific boundaries, many definitions of the area include the 90 miles (140 km) of coastline from the Carmel River south to the San Carpoforo Creek, and extend about 20 miles inland to the eastern foothills of the Santa Lucias
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