Love-hate relationship with Hearst Castle

San Simeon, CA

No visit to the central coast of California would be complete without a visit to the "Hearst Castle," one of several getaways for William Randolph Hearst, newspaper publisher and media mogul of the first half of the 20th century.

One cannot help but be impressed by the sheer size and opulence of this place, and the stories of how millions of tons of material were brought up to this vantage point high atop the hills that look out over the vast Pacific. The tour guide stressed, over and over again, how no expense was spared to make the castle and its grounds a sort of 8th wonder of the world. And wonderful it certainly is. The swimming pools alone are immense, magnificent works of art. And since Hearst was an avid art collector, every wall is graced with some sort of tapestry, or statue, or gold-inlaid tile. We are left to imagine--and, actually, to see, through some grainy old films--how Clark Gable and Charlie Chaplin and Carole Lombard and Hedda Hopper and their ilk whiled away the hours riding horses, playing billiards, watching movies in the theater-sized screening room, and eating sumptuous dinners in a dining hall that literally inspired those who tried to put Harry Potter to life in film.

Having said all that, if one does not feel somewhat conflicted by this incredible homage to capitalism, conspicuous consumption, and the power of money and privilege, then one lacks either a conscience or an understanding of how the world works. Mr. Hearst was fortunate enough to inherit millions from his father George, and to be taken to Europe for a year and a half by his mom, where he became inspired by European castles and cathedrals. If anyone was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, it was William Randolph Hearst. Now, to his credit, he was an incredibly creative, hard-working, and driven fellow, just like his dad. But there are lots of creative and hard-working people out there who don't command the resources of a Hearst; at best they might be employed by a Hearst and manage to get a teeny piece of a massive pie. And we can all understand the desire for immortality, and the legacy that the Hearst castle represents, yet it would be possible to have a VERY, very nice getaway for 1/10th the price--leaving many millions of dollars to be used, potentially, for more socially beneficial ends. Simply put, the Hearst Castle is also the mark of a person with a jumbo-sized ego and a sense of entitlement that comes with more money than you know what to do with.

And so, see the Hearst Castle--it's more impressive than I thought it would be. It is an impressive display of wealth, and architecture--and an impressive display of vanity, materialism, and privilege. You will secretly want to live there, but you will want to remember all of those who stand at freeway off-ramps with cardboard signs, begging for spare change.