The weather had warmed and we enjoyed getting out and walking around the desert, looking at the beautiful flowers that had sprung up as a result of the rain. 
We also went one more time to pick oranges so we could take a good supply with us on the trip. Of course, we had to make another trip into town to get groceries, do laundry and make one more run to the Arizona Market, just in case we needed one more thing before leaving! McKenzie had to make her usual trip to Petsmart for food and treats and just happened to find a real bargain on a new shirt. We had trimmed her down and she now needs to wear shirts for a few weeks until her hair grows a little, so she doesn't get sunburned. At least she chose something that was on sale!!! 
We had a couple of campfires and a Leap Year day that consisted of games, starting in the afternoon at the activity center and then ending up with a hot dog roast. We played washers and a game named "golf". (How it got that name, I will never know, but you try to throw a ball on a string around a platform made of pvc pipe. It's fun and neither George nor I had ever played, so we had to try it out. ) You are now hearing from the Grand Winners of the water balloon toss! That's right, George and I were the lone couple standing after everyone else had managed to drop or bust their water balloons!!(Wet T-shirts on senior citizens - hmmmm!) 
Jack decided to check out the buffet table but decided there just wasn't enough ruffage to suit him. He did reappear for the hot dog cookout though.
After spending a couple of days in Quartzite, we headed toward California with our first stop being at the Elks Club at San Luis Obispo. From this spot, we left the trailer and drove the truck on Route 1 up to see the Hearst Castle.
William Randolph Hearst, the man behind Hearst Castle, was an important figure from the twentieth century whose influence extended to publishing, politics, Hollywood, the art world, and everyday American life. His power and vision allowed him to pursue one of the most ambitious architectural endeavors in American history, the result of which can be seen in the magnificent grounds and structures of Hearst Castle. Before we go much further, here's a little background history.In 1865, George Hearst, a wealthy miner, purchased 40,000 acres of ranchland that included the Mexican Ranchos of Peidras Blancas, San Simeon, and Santa Rosa. In 1919, his only son, William Randolph Hearst inherited this land from his mother. By then, the ranch had grown to encompass 250,000 acres. Originally known as "Camp Hill", its wilderness offered a place for family members and friends to "rough it" on camping trips. Despite elaborate arrangements with separate sleeping and dining tents, Hearst envisioned more comfortable accomodations and dreamed of building a dwelling similar to those he had seen on his European tour as a boy. Hearst amassed a vast and impressive art collection that included classical paintings, tapestries, religious textiles, oriental rugs, antiquities, sculptures, silver, furniture and antique ceilings. His mother introduced him to Julia Morgan, an architect that she had used. Hearst Castle was to become the realization of his dream as he and Julia collaborated for 28 years to construct a castle worthy of those he saw in Europe.
As they were planning and constructing his dream home, Hearst renamed the rocky perch from which it rose "LaCuesta Encantada" - the Enchanted Hill. During construction, Hearst used the Castle as his primary residence, continually entertaining the elite of Hollywood, politics and sports. By 1947, Hearst and Morgan had created an estate of 165 rooms and 127 acres of gardens, terraces, pools and walkways. The estate's magnificent main house, "Casa Grande",
and three guest houses are of Mediterranean Revivial style, while the imposing towers of Casa Grande were inspired by a Spanish cathedral. 
Construction of the Neptune pool spanned 1924 - 1936. Three swimming pools were built on this site, each successively larger. The final version of the pool as it stands at the Castle today is 104 feet long, 58 feet wide and 95 feet wide at the alcove. It is 3.5 feet deep at the west end, 10 feet at drains, and holds 345,000 gallons of water.
The Roman Pool is a tiled indoor pool decorated with eight statues of Roman gods, goddesses and heroes. The pool appears to be styled after an ancient Roman bath. The Roman Pool is decorated from ceiling to floor with 1" square mosaic tiles. These tiles are either colored (mainly blue or orange) or are clear with fused gold inside. The intense colors and shimmering gold of the tiles combine to create a breathtaking effect. 
Hearst left his San Simeon estate in 1947 to seek medical care unavailable in the remote location. While the Castle was never completely finished, it stands as the remarkable achievement of one man's dream. William Randloph Hearst died on August 14, 1951, at the age of 88. He was interred in the Hearst family mausoleum at the Cypress Lawn Cemetery in Colma, California.
After spending the day pretending to be visitors of William Randolph Hearst - staking out our bedroom,
gathering to socialize in the Assembly Room,
and then having dinner in the Refectory 
- we boarded the bus and headed back down the curvy road to the museum area. It's hard to fathom how a person could put all this together to create such an impressive site!After leaving the Hearst Castle, we drove about 4 miles to the Piedras Blancas rookery on Highway 1 to view the Elephant Seals, aptly named because of their large long nose.
The Northern Elephant Seal is an extraordinary marine mammal. It spends eight to ten months a year in the open ocean, diving 1,000 to 5,000 feet deep for periods of 15 minutes to two hours, migrating thousands of miles, twice a year, to its land based rookery for birthing, breeding, molting and rest. This particular area is home to about 15,000 animals. The time we were here was the breeding and birthing season, so we were able to see everything from babies who are 3 to 4 feet long and weigh 60 to 80 pounds at birth, adult females which are 9 to 12 feet in length and weigh between 900 to 1,800 pounds, and large males which are 14 to 16 feet in length and weight between 3,000 and 5,000 pounds. It is estimated that they swim at speeds of 10 to 15 mph. En route to the feeding grounds, they cover around 60 miles a day foraging as they go. Females, who eat in the deep ocean, eat primarily squid. Males who forage over the continental shelf eat bottom dwelling species such as ratfish, hagfish, rays, and small sharks. They swallow their prey whole and digest it in about six hours.People often think the seals are dead because they are not moving or breathing. They will often stop breathing and dramatically lower their heart rate - as they do routinely at sea - for periods of a few minutes to half an hour. That apnea and their general inactivity are ways of conserving energy. During the time they are on shore, they are fasting and relying on their stored fat to meet their water and energy needs.
We spent quite a while watching the antics of these mammals and enjoying the beauty of their life and then headed back to San Luis Obispo.
San Luis Obispo boasts that they have the largest street Farmer's Market in California. Every Thursday evening, they close off the main street in town for about 12 blocks and the Farmer's Market opens, selling everything from fresh fruit and veggies to rib dinners.
We enjoyed participating in it and bought some excellent strawberries. They were as big as the palm of our hands and sweet as could be. I have to admit that I am not a big fan of the state of California, but there is no place greater for fresh fruits, vegetables and gorgeous flowers! We're heading out tomorrow and will spend the night at Salinas and then drive the next day into San Francisco. We were there on our honeymoon and decided that we needed to go back to experience the city once again. So stay tuned and we'll see what we can find to share with you in San Francisco.
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