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Hearst Castle (Hearst San Simeon State Historical Monument) – If your kids have a hankering to build a castle on the hill,
check out Hearst Castle, a mega building project in a stunning location.
Don't miss the exhibits at the Visitor's Center, especially the section
where you can touch materials used at the castle - limestone, marble, glass
mosaics, ceramic tiles, plaster moldings. Call in advance for reservations: click
here for more information. |
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At the castle you can fantasize about a family swimming pool
like the Neptune Pool or the indoor Roman Pool lined with real gold-leaf
glass mosaic tiles, a veritable Roman emperor's fantasy too. Enjoy homey
touches of ketchup, yellow mustard and paper napkins on the table in the
immense refectory dining room, decorated with Italian heraldic flags. |
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But the bottom line is, the tour of Hearst Castle isn't for
kids under 5 (unless they're really into interior decorating). The round
trip is over 1 ½ hours and is a formal, "don't touch" tour
with lots of detailed but boring-for-kids information about the every aspect
of the castle. No strollers allowed, and if you've got toddlers along, consider
breaking up your group so little kids can stay behind to watch the cows
grazing on the hills or go down to San Simeon (William R. Hearst Memorial
State Beach). |
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 William R. Hearst Memorial State Beach – Beach where kids can play on the sand, or look for dolphins, pelicans and sea otters. There's also kayak rentals. |
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Elephant Seal Habitat (Piedras Blancas) – Elephant seals, the biggest seals, definitely have the best noses, and the
new pups look the most like sausages (new pups are dark brown, bigger pups
are silver-colored). From December to February you can see northern elephant
seals – cows (moms), bulls (dads) and their pups – lolling on the beach or flipping sand on each other in convivial clumps.
Don't be fooled – when you first look out on the beach, they
look like a bunch of driftwood. |
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Camp at the beach – San Simeon Creek Campground is the perfect place to camp, located right along a creek, with beach access. Campsites have picnic tables and fire rings (so be sure to bring marshmallows and firewood), and showers are available. There's junior ranger activities (such as scavenger hunts) and campfire programs. March - September, reserve a campsite (first come, first serve the rest of the year). |
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Cambria – |
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Moonstone
Beach – This beach is a gem, literally – you
can spend hours on the black sand beach, searching for smooth translucent
moonstones (birthstone for June). One section of the beach is covered with
silvery driftwood, another part has tide pools.
The Moonstone Beach Boardwalk
has viewing platforms, stair access to the beach and benches where you can
sit down to watch the sun set over the Pacific while the kids run the length
of the boardwalk. |
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Leffingwell
Landing – At Leffingwell Landing there are picnic tables
and a grassy area overlooking the ocean. While you're having lunch, keep
your eyes peeled for sea otters, elephant seals, and in season, gray whales. |
