There’s More To San Simeon
Than A Castle!
By Rona Edwards
When I was a kid, we’d travel up the coast to Carmel and always stop at Hearst’s Castle in San Simeon. I remember the castle, and its huge towers along with the gorgeous view of the coastline. Mostly, I remember my mom ooing and awing about the furnishings when all I wanted to do was jump into the Grecian pool. But I was a kid then…and now as an adult I ventured on up to San Simeon not only to revisit the castle but to explore 
the area, which turned out to be much more than a circle of motels and a beach. This time would be different because my traveling companion would be my dog, Bizou, a miniature French poodle who was delighted to be on a road trip with me. I always carry his water bottle and some treats for him, while keeping one of his precious play toys near him for comfort while driving. I had his favorite pillow bed decked out in the backseat for him to lay on for the three and a half hour plus drive. 
We made the prerequisite stop in Santa Barbara at La Super Rica Taqueria on Milpas Street. You can spot this unassuming restaurant by the line of people streaming out its doorway; otherwise you might drive right past it. The #7 – tri-tip tacos with onions and peppers along with the tamal de verduras – chayote, potato, corn, zuchini and cheese are my favorites. Afterwards, I took Bizou for a short walk around the block and stopped at the Trader Joes by the freeway to pick up more dog treats (and some human treats) before departing northward.
Driving up the coast is the best way for me to decompress. The ocean 
waters and blue skies make me forget the stress of Los Angeles. With good music on the mp3, Bizou sleeping in the back seat, and the never-ending views, I felt like I had been away for days and it had only been a few hours.
Our next potty break came at Arroyo Grande just below Pismo Beach. 
There’s a little park there that Bizou loves to walk in and I get to indulge myself at Doc Bernstein’s Ice Cream Lab located on the main drag of this quaint antique town. Why is it called a Lab? Because on Wednesday nights the public is invited to come, learn how to make ice cream and then concoct their own creation. Whatever flavor wins becomes a flavor in the ice cream parlor for the next week. Some of those flavors include Champagne Confetti Fudge, Marsh Potatoes and Gravy (marshmallow ice cream with chocolate toffee butterscotch chips and caramel cups) and Chai Cherry Blast, etc.
We arrived mid afternoon in San Simeon and stayed at The Morgan right 
on the circle before Hearst’s Castle. The Morgan, owned by the Broughton Hotels, a favorite of mine, is dog friendly. They have a wonderful enclosed pool with the roof exposed and it’s only a short walk to the beach. The hotel used to be the Orchid but has been totally remodeled in a “W” sort of way. Named after the architect of Hearst’s Castle and a woman ahead of her time, Julia Morgan, there are blue prints on the walls illustrating her work
for the castle. The hotel offers plush bedding (Bizou jumped right up and was very comfortable) plus they provide a continental breakfast, cheese and wine tasting on Friday nights, and even have a spa with massages and facials available. I had one of the most relaxing and best warm stone massages ever so I highly recommend it.
Being so close to the beach, Bizou and I ventured off after unpacking to romp on the beach at sunset. Then I put him to bed and ate at the hotel’s restaurant, El Chorlito, serving delicious traditional style New Mexican food and kickass margaritas. You can also substitute tofu for any meat or seafood dish. I chose to eat in the bar area – dimly lit, brightly colored south of the border charm with wood beams and gas light lamps illuminating the Mexican watering hole. The crab enchilada and chicken taquitos were muy bueno with no filler, and was followed by my favorite New Mexican treat, sopapillias.
After a sumptious night’s sleep of listening to the waves of the night ocean, Bizou and I had our breakfast and then ventured up the coast to Piedras 
Blancas, home of more than 7,500 elephant seals. During the winter months, you can see the females beached and giving birth while their mates eye next year’s conquest. What a sight to behold and is a must for anyone coming to this area. The docents are very helpful and answer any question you may have about these odd looking mammals. I was told I had just missed two babies being born. As we watched the male seals posturing to gain the attention of the females, one docent told me they are not monogamous creatures.
I took Bizou home from his day with the seals and headed off, solo, to Piedras Blancas Light Station, six miles north of San Simeon. I’ve always loved lighthouses and Piedras Blancas, first illuminated in 1875 and under restoration today, is not only historic but in a beautiful setting and well worth the tour. With no beacon on top and now governed by the United States Department of the Interior, volunteers, dressed in Victorian garb, guide us through the different buildings, explaining the architecture, foilage and details of the lighthouse. 
For lunch, it was Lin’s located in Cambria, a quaint artist’s community that has grown by leaps and bounds since I was there last. Lin’s is famous for their meat and vegetarian pot pies which are probably the best I’ve ever had as well as their famous Olallieberry pie.
The Linn family moved to the central coast to become farmers in 1976. By 1985, they opened Linn’s Fruit Bin, a real country fruit stand and pie making business. Using the little known Olallieberry, it became the cornerstone of their success. First developed in 1949 by the U. S. Department of Agriculture at Oregon State University by crossing a Loganberry with a Youngberry, the result was called the Olallie, a Native American word – meaning blackberry. Physically the Olallieberry looks like a classic blackberry but genetically it’s two-thirds blackberry, one-third European raspberry.
Near the restaurant is Linn’s Easy As Pie café and Linn’s Farmstore where you can take the pies home, wrapped in newspaper that keeps them frozen up to seven hours. Buzzing with galleries, shops and restaurants, Cambria and its environs is also home to a budding coastal wine industry. My first stop was Moonstone Winery owned by Todd Clift (whose card says Grape Stomper on it) and has only been open since 2007. Located in the heart of Cambria, it offers a nice respite where the tasting is five dollars (seven if you want to keep the glass). Todd worked for four years at the other known winery in the area, Harmony Cellars before venturing out on his own. 
Moonstone and Harmony Cellars present distinct chardonnays, pinot gris’, zinfandels, sangioveses, syrahs and barberas that could someday rival their neighboring wine consortiums. Plus they’re just plain charming to visit. Bizou came with me and sat very patiently as I tasted at the Harmony Cellars and chatted with fellow wine tasters amidst the gardens and coastal countryside views. At Harmony, you can get six tastings for three dollars (seven if you want to keep the glass). Housed in a country barn like style, with a gazebo and views of the valley, Harmony is located in the town of…yes, you guessed it, Harmony just south of San Simeon. I liked their wine so much I joined their club.
After our sunset walk on the beach, Bizou was exhausted and I headed to Manta Rey on the east side of the hotel circle where seafood is king. Owned
by Miguel De Alba, who worked as a bag boy at a local market while starting his restaurant, the food is continental and elegant with a wine list spotlighting the region. The ambiance is one of a seafood shanty and the wine list is definitively Central Coast and Santa Ynez Valley. I ordered the full flavored and very tasty Lobster Crusted Sea Bass whose panko and flour mixed with lobster gave a new take on the old standard breading. The dish has a rich saffron butter sauce but is surprisingly light. For dessert, Miguel wanted me to try the Chocolate Decadence – flourless chocolate cake topped with chocolate ganache and raspberry sauce. But it was the Orange Ice Cream (not sherbet or sorbet) made with real oranges that was the winner. Manta Rey offers early bird dinners as well starting at $11.95.
While I think San Simeon is more than just a castle, I still made a reservation to visit it anyway. I hadn’t been there since I was a kid and it was very interesting to me to see it from an adult’s perspective. I wasn’t 
disappointed. I noticed things that I wouldn’t have before as a child and because of my background in the movie industry as well as my fascination with the beginnings and history of Hollywood, it felt like I had been there for the first time. I was in awe with the decorative styles and the stories that were told. The ornate fixtures and opulence of an era now forever gone haunted the grounds. One thing that I found fascinating was that the Hearst family gifted the Castle to the state of California but 
maintain the largest single-source supplier of free-range, all-natural, grass-fed and grass-finished beef, fully sustainable Hearst’s Ranch. While at the castle, order the beef, sauces and dips from the Ranch. Personally, I love their smoked ketchup.
Another walk on the beach with my boy who enjoyed all the accoutrements of the hotel and surroundings followed by one last night of dining pleasure before heading 
back down to the hustle bustle of Los Angeles. This last night I chose to eat at Black Cat Bistro in Cambria. Owned by a former film and television producer, Deborah Scarborough, it is described as an American Bistro and Wine Bar and serves up such fare as prime beef filet, cocoa rubbed over roasted rack of elk, stuffed pheasant, pancetta wrapped pork tenderloin, salmon and ahi tuna. The food 
and produce is seasonal so you never know what the menu might highlight. This is definitely one of the best fine dining restaurants on the central coast.
Sad to leave but feeling fulfilled and yes, restored, Bizou and I packed up, had our breakfast at The Morgan, and stopped one more time at Lin’s to pick up our take home pies where we partook in a final Olallieberry lemonade. We drove through the Paso Robles Countryside, stopped by one more winery, Four 
Vines, bought a beautiful Syrah, and enjoyed the countryside one last time before heading down the ramp of the 101 towards Hollywood. Both of us had a vacation, yet we learned a lot about San Simeon. Where else can you get elephant seals, lighthouses, wineries, the beach, gorgeous sunsets, charming towns and shops, and award-winning California cuisine? The castle was definitely the icing on this trip but the filling was so much more.
Photography by Rona Edwards. All Rights Reserved. No portion of this article or photos should be used without author’s consent. Copyright 2009 Rona Edwards.
No comments:
Post a Comment