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Old 06-07-2010, 08:38 AM   #1
Bulldog 73-06
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Hearst Castle

We're heading for Hearst Castle in the near future. Any information you could provide on the following topics would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Nearest place to set up our 34' Mountaineer, tour suggestions, what to do with our dog during tours, other things to do in the area.
 
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Old 06-07-2010, 12:20 PM   #2
NCFischers
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I can help you with tour info. There are several tours that take in different parts of the castle and any one of them is worth the trip. Make reservations in advance. The tours book early. You park in a lot and a bus takes you up to the castle. Someone else can help you with setting up and what to do with the pooch. That I'm not familiar with. Have fun.
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Old 06-07-2010, 12:58 PM   #3
Art-n-Marge
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There are several primitive campgrounds in the San Simeon area where the Hearst castle is located. For your Monty I would recommend any of the RV friendly campgrounds in Morro Bay which would accommodate your rig a little better. We've stayed in Pismo Beach several times but if your emphasis is Hearst Castle and parts north I'd recommend you try the Morro Bay area. This is about 30 miles away from San Simeon.

I would recommend the first timer's tour of the Hearst Castle. It lasts about 2 hours and covers much of the basics and the grounds of the home. There are several other tours (which I have not done) I have also done the self-guided tours where you pretty much have a run of the grounds. Nowadays much of this might be more organized or even limited but you will see enough to appreciate the opulence of the Hearst family. The home and grounds are phenomenal.

You don't say how long you are going to be in the area, but I'd recommend at least one day for a drive north on Highway 1 along the coast. You will enjoy it much better not towing the rig but I don't know how you like driving tours (this is about 110 miles one way from Morro Bay). Then do a return trip on the way back using the same route after turning around at Carmel (it's funny how the views are different in each direction) or head East to HWY 101 for a faster southern drive back to Morro Bay. There are several places to stop to enjoy the views and enjoy points of interest. I hope none of your party is afraid of heights since the road overlooks much of the ocean from a pretty high level at some stops and along the road.

Further north of Carmel is Monterey which has a great Aquarium you can visit but requires several hours. Using hwy 101 (then East/west using hwy 68 at the north end or Hwy 46 at the south end) is a much quicker road to use between the Pismo Beach areas and Monterey.

Besides some beautiful areas around Morro Bay (Morro Rock is definitely a curiosity to visit) 25 miles further south are the Avila Beach/Pismo Beach/Oceano towns.

I will caution you to take wet/cold weather gear. If the rains show up (and they just might) and the winds known to accompany them, it will be cold but not enough to stop you from doing anything unless you are not prepared. If you are planning to enjoy the ocean keep in mind the current comes from Alaska and even this far south the water can be very cold - note most of the oceaneers will be wearing full neoprene suits. I didn't have a suit so the best I did was enter around Pismo Beach where the water is more shallow therefore the sun helps a lot, but it's still cold water. I get out when I start feeling numb. [:-)]

I don't know of dog-friendly areas (beaches, parks,etc.) so I can't comment any further except that dogs are not allowed in Hearst Castle. When we visit surrounding areas we either leave our Chihuahua in the rig or leave him in the vehicle with ventilation and water if we are parked but not for long periods. There are other places we've been in these areas where we bring him along on leash & poopie bag but I don't remember anything in particular. I don't recall any severe heat because the ocean breezes keep the temps down for the most part except when you go further inland like using Hwy 101.

I don't mean to concern you, but with some precautions you will enjoy yourselves much more if you are not surprised. Have fun up there.
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Old 06-07-2010, 05:41 PM   #4
exav8tr
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If you Google "Dog kennels/Boarding near (Zip Code), it will show the kennels or boarding facilities in the area. We also Google "Doggie Day Care and include the zip" should bring up something. We try and use the Day Care centers as opposed to kennels or boarding. Most have customer reviews also. If you use one of these you should ask for a tour or the facility before leaving your pet.
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Old 06-07-2010, 08:05 PM   #5
HamRad
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Bulldog 73-06,
The nearest place to stay is probably the San Simeon SP. We stayed there in our 3295. We stayed at the lower CG but next time would at the upper CG. The CG is just a few miles from the Castle. Of course there are no hookups... You would be dry camping. There is water available to fill up your tank and a dump station. You will need reservations. Or at least we did. It is a popular park simply because it is so convenient to the Castle..

Have fun and good luck.

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