USA 2006: Las Vegas & California
(continued)
The Madonna Inn at San Luis Obispo, California - where we stay for one night in Room 131 (Kona Rock). The eccentricity of the hotel's
exterior is only exceeded by its amazing variety of rooms. Its Gold Rush Steakhouse is decorated in shocking-pink
June 8th: Hearst Castle (45 miles northwest of San Luis Obispo) is the former home of William Randolph Hearst
The centrepiece of Hearst's 'castle' is the hundred-room mansion Casa Grande.
(above left) the main door of Casa Grande originated
from a Spanish convent.
(left) one of the castle's two pools - this one is lined with blue Venetian glass and gold tiles.
The
main facade is a twin-towered copy of the Mudejar cathedral in Ronda.
Located on a rocky ridge above the Pacific Ocean, Hearst Castle is surrounded by a 250,000-acre ranch that the publishing magnate
developed as a private, free-roaming zoo. The castle is reached by a 5-mile bus ride from a Visitor Centre located near the coast
June 9th: after a night at the Best Western Holiday Lodge in Three Rivers, California, we drive to the 630-square-mile Sequoia National
Park
Sequoia National Park, and the adjacent Kings Canyon National Park, are located in California's southern Sierra Nevada
mountains. It's known for its huge sequoia trees, notably the General Sherman Tree dominating the Giant Forest. Moro Rock is
a granite dome offering sweeping park views. Nearby is the Tunnel Tree, a toppled tree cut to accommodate the road.