As we prepared for our honeymoon one attraction kept popping up – Hearst Castle. Formerly owned by media tycoon William Randolph Hearst, the mansion is perched on the San Simeon hillside with expansive views of the coast. As many guide books state – a tour of this mansion is a must.

While the mansion’s interior was not to our personal liking, Ian and I both enjoyed the estate’s extensive gardens. Overall our experience was positive, but I held a bit of a grudge with the California State Park Department. Due to the drought, they closed all of the public bathrooms and supplied visitors with porta-potties , however, their massive pools were full to the brim…

On the drive to Santa Barbra we stopped by the Elephant Seal beach and watched the colony play in the water and snuggle on the sand. It was quite a sight to see these animals in their natural habitat. I have to admit, we enjoyed this more than Hearst Castle and it was free!