California

On the Other Side of the Pacific Part I

When I resigned from my work as an online copywriter and helpline associate last December, I knew I needed to take some much needed time off. After almost a year without any proper vacation, I was fortunate enough to have a few days of sight-seeing, soul-searching, and parental independence. Last February, I left the country with my brother Ian (yes, this is a travel adventure with my bro J) for an epic 12-day vacation all over California and notable destinations in Nevada and Arizona.

To start things off, since I know I can’t write about my entire experience in one entry, this vacation journal will recount the first day of my tour.

When my brother and I arrived in LAX, glorious rain and freezing winds welcomed us. I could feel my hands and ears start to numb the moment we stepped outside the airport. But of course, we were already warned about the weather. We had our winter jackets, gloves, and bonnets ready in our hand carry bags. By the way, yes, it was my first time on American soil. Frankly, I don’t think I will ever get used to that kind of weather.

We were greeted warmly by a PR associate from the travel agency that booked our trip. He drove us from the airport to our hotel in Anaheim Park and oriented us a bit about the city; where to dine and shop, etc. Because we were tired from the 13-hour plane trip, we didn't have time to go around and check out the nearby restaurants and stores. According to our itinerary, our tour bus was going to pick us up at 7:30 a.m. the next morning to start our road trip to San Francisco.

Destinations for day 1 of our California tour:

Solvang Danish Village 

The historic Hearst Castle-- built by newspaper magnate and art aficionado, William Hearst

We woke up, had a hearty buffet breakfast at our hotel, and boarded the bus with the rest of our luggage. Because we’re going to San Francisco, we had to stay at another hotel for the night in Union City, which meant we can’t leave anything behind. We got some much needed (weight-lifting) exercise just by transporting our luggage from the second floor of the hotel to our bus. We were also lucky enough to have sunny weather that morning (although the cold went right through two layers of clothing, at least it didn’t rain). Seeing the California sunrise uplifted me—I knew it was going to be a wonderful day.

California Sunrise

We arrived at Solvang (which means “sunny field” in Danish) at around 10:00 a.m. Located in Santa Barbara County, it’s a lovely traditional Danish village right in the central coast of California. It was strange to walk through a slice of Europe on my first day in America. Because it is a heritage site, the architecture was well preserved and it also featured interesting galleries, clothing boutiques, shoe and antique shops as well as plenty of cafes.  It’s also known to have 70 world-class wineries. Our tour guide also mentioned that the village had luxury hotels and inns where tourists can stay.

Solvang strip

Windmill! 

(they don't use it anymore, of course)

Clock tower

I just had to take a picture at the Hans Christian Andersen monument

While crossing

I could smell the sweetness from a street away!

I'm not big on wine, but I wish we had more time to taste some

Yours truly with bro Ian

After walking around and taking pictures, we had a nice lunch at one of the Belgian diners along the food strip. If I remember it correctly, the name of the diner was Belgian Café.

Philly roast beef sandwich with coleslaw

Yes, we both had huge plates for lunch. 

Ganun naman lagi eh. Busog kung busog!

Burger with potato salad

We left Solvang right after lunch. I believe it was a 3 or 4 hour scenic bus ride before we reached Hearst Castle. To be honest, it was the first time I've ever heard of the place. The tour guide did a lot of talking about how some crazy rich dude wanted to build a castle on top of a hill which had a zoo, 3 luxurious swimming pools, and guest rooms fit for a queen. The crazy dude's name was William Hearst (I must have read about William Hearst somewhere, but I'm sure I wasn't paying much attention at that time). 

Anyway, for those who don't know, William Hearst is an important figure in the publishing business. He took over his father's newspaper company in the late 1800s and later on became successful in establishing a chain of news dailies and magazines circulating the United States. If you've read Cosmo, Harper's Bazaar, Town and Country, and Good Housekeeping, then you should know William Hearst is the dude behind all that shizz (type Hearst Corporation on Google). He also happened to collect most of the popular art back in the 19th century. My guess is, he had that castle built to house all the art he horded over the years.

William R. Hearst

Hearst Castle is located in San Simeon, on top of what is known as the Enchanted Hill. Built in 1919, it was designed by Julia Morgan, the first woman to have a degree in civil engineering from the University of California (she also studied design at the Ecole de Beaux-Arts in Paris). In fact, she kept on designing and re-designing the castle until 1947. The design was greatly influenced by Spanish and Roman architecture. Our tour guide mentioned that William Hearst couldn't make up his mind to finalize the castle's construction. He just wouldn't settle for any specific design. They kept on expanding and reconstructing the guest rooms, halls, and even the pools.

Hearst Castle tower

The first constructed pool

The dining hall

A picture in a picture

Male guest room

A tour bus brought us up the Enchanted Hill. By this time, it started raining again. When we got to the top of the hill, the outdoor tour started while it was drizzling. Unfortunately for my brother and I, we weren't able to bring our winter jackets and umbrella, we stood there freezing. I wasn't able to take much outdoor shots. We were all basically waiting until the tour could start inside the castle. But, I must say they were able to preserve the castle and its surroundings very well.

The tour guide

I was actually more interested in the man behind the castle rather than all the art and architecture. Most of the paintings were Roman Catholic art because it was the popular art available at that era. William Hearst had good taste. But to be honest, I found the castle's over-the-top furnishings and design too kitschy. I don't like it much, and I mean kitschy in an obnoxious manner. When I went through the place, it did feel like it was quite unfinished. You almost get a sense of disorderliness not because the place was ancient or unkempt. It was arranged in such a way that you felt it was trying too hard to mimic European architecture. If you've been to Britain, Germany, or any other European country, I don't think you would be able to appreciate Hearst Castle much. In any case, it was still worth the visit. 

We boarded the bus and endured another 5 hours on the road before we could reach our hotel that evening. If I recall it correctly, we ate at a Chinese buffet on the way to Crowne Plaza. We arrived at 10:30p.m. I took a warm shower, wrote on my journal, and slept.

And that's day 1 of my epic vacation. To view the complete photo album of this tour, please visit this link.

For my next destination: San Francisco