Hearst Castle

Our first scheduled stop on our trip was Hearst Castle. I signed up for a Garden Tour, but I think they don't know what a "garden" is. We spent most of our time inside, looking at concrete support beams, basement wine storage, fancy antiques in stuffy rooms, chlorinated indoor pools, and moldy. When I edged near the door during a long lecture in a windowless enclosure, the docent insisted that it was imperative that I stay with the group. Sigh. He did say a few words about the Cecile Brunner roses on the palm tree trunks, but that was about it as far as plants go. I did appreciate the story about how much the squirrels enjoyed the citrus and got a picture of the remains of one of their meals. But mostly Hearst Castle was a bust.