Hearst Castle

Hearst Castle is one of the most incredible places I’ve ever visited. Believe it or not, it started out as a wilderness where the family with friends went to “rough it”. Believe me…it was nothing like we would call “roughing it”. They had elaborate plans, tents, pavilions, cooks…He finally decided he was tired of camping out in the open so he thought he’d “build a little something”. That “little something” became an unparalleled exotic showcase.
We only completed one tour – there are quite a few you can choose from. The “Casa Grande” is the main house – a spectacular Spanish inspired cathedral. It is spectacular – from it’s elaborate entrance through the extensive front room, exotic dining room (complete with a balcony for the nightly music) and the men’s pool room where they could retire after dinner.
I would absolutely have loved to have stayed in one of the guesthouses. The one we went through was a “Mediterranean revival” style – the plush furnishings and most spectacularly – the views!!! Everything was designed to take advantage of the breathtaking views that are available.
The gardens were exotic. You could move from one to the other and encounter an entirely different style with different flowers and ambiance. The sculptures were representative of styles and periods of history throughout the world. Glad I don’t have to keep it up!!!! There were any number of pools available, though the Greek inspired outdoor one was my favorite.

Taos

While I was in New Mexico for training, the college arranged a visit to local sites – shopping for the most part but fortunately, there were some other options. I took the trip out the Indian village of Taos. It is another World Heritage site (we seem to find these all over the place). It’s completely built out of adobe and has been continuously inhabited for over 1000 years! I didn’t think there was anything that old in the states.
The buildings are completely made of adobe (earth mixed with straw and water and made in sun-dried bricks). The walls are really thick – 3 or 4 feet!! They did use some wood in the construction, particularly for the support of and the building of the roof. Originally there were no doors or windows so you had to climb in from the roof. The homes now have doors and windows installed and people still live in them, many with the inevitable collection of tourist wares to sell. The silver jewelry made by the people was very nice.

Montezuma Castle

First stop this summer was a week-long training in Montezuma, New Mexico. Why Montezuma???? It is the home of a World College (International Baccalaureate), housed in the picturesque Montezuma Castle.
The Castle is a majestic structure, perched on top of the hill, overlooking a valley, currently home to the World College. It was once a hotel with a claim that a number of presidents and dignitaries slept there. It has been remodeled but they kept it basically true to the original structure. Well, let me clarify…the Hotel burned down a couple of times so it’s true to the last rendition of the famous hotel. They have wonderful spiral staircases, an ancient vault (so heavy it actually started sinking into the floor) and a fabulous veranda for attempting to catch the cooling breezes. The stained glass work is spectacular throughout the building.
You can hike up in the hills behind the castle, in fact you can stand on one of the original verandas…or what’s left of it. The weather was warm and pleasant – hiking was a great way to spend the afternoon especially after sitting all day long. The valley was a gorgeous green blanket of trees and grasses, though I imagine it dries out quite a bit once summer is around for a while.