9-11-2016 PASO ROBLES, CA

Heading south, we managed to skirt SFO.  No desire, anymore, to visit The City by the Bay.  Our intention this time is to spend a few days with Fred and Linda.  They are retired and have a vacation home in Paso Robles and Fred was my boss at McDD/Boeing at least 3 times.  Staying in touch electronically is fine but actually seeing the other humans’ faces once in a while is so much nicer and I don’t think that’s happened in 15 years.

In the late 1700s-early 1800s, when a mission existed in Paso, natural mineral springs with theoretically miraculous healing powers were found.  When the Blackburn brothers purchased the land in 1857, they revived the hot springs and it became a stagecoach-era health resort.  So much so that it went on the map internationally when the railroads arrived.  Drury James, nephew of Jesse, had a dream to build an enormous, elegant hotel, The El Paso de Robles (The Pass of Oaks).  The hotel became a reality ~1892 and trains transported folks to the resort and spa.  Of course, then it burned down.  Everything burns down.  The restorative powers of the hot springs attracted world-wide attention, though, so much so that a Russian composer, Ignatz Paderewski, relocated here to avail himself of the waters to ease his afflictions.  I’d have thought that Lourdes would have been closer to home but what do I know about miraculous hot springs?  A statue of Maestro Paderewski stands in the town squareand is one of the town’s claims to fame.

On Thursday, the schedule began with a 2-hour tour of the Piedras Blancas (White Rocks) Lighthouse.  It was built in 1874 out on a desolate point of land where rugged rocks are beat relentlessly by crashing waves. 

The lightkeepers’ only connections with life were sea lions, elephant seals, pelicans, harbor seals, plants and flowers.  There wasn’t even fresh water on the point, so it was an impossibly difficult life.  Food was delivered by tender every few months.  Still, there were those families who bore the tribulations at this unforgiving, severe place, maintaining the light faithfully.  Earthquakes and other weather catastrophes eventually forced the upper 30 feet of the light to say, “uncle” and it was removed for safety’s sake, but a powerful bulb still functions to guide mariners.

(current) Piedras Blancas
Light and Lindy 

(original) Piedras Blancas Light

Next, Fred and Linda drove us to the Hearst Castle, an attraction we have never visited.  There is a guest center where tours gather to hop on a bus that takes them to the castle.  We had a nice lunch, then watched a 45 minute film introducing us to William Randolph Hearst and his castle dreams.  Then the bus took us up the twisted path.

 I always thought that Willy was simply in love with himself, building this white elephant on a mountain, a monument to himself.  But I learned that he was passionate about art and artifact and obsessed with protecting precious, timeless treasures.  When he engaged the services of the chief architect, Julia Morgan, he told her, “I would like to build something up on the hill at San Simeon.  I get tired of going up there and camping in tents, I’m getting a little old for that.  I’d like to get something that would be more comfortable.”  More comfortable, indeed! 

This entryway resembles
ours in Pahrump

Yes, he hobnobbed with the rich and famous but who was he supposed to invite to the castle, the Kraus family?  Seriously?  Anyway, every square inch of the castle, which Hearst called, “the ranch,” is adorned with priceless collectibles, including the ceilings, the walls and floors, grounds, gardens and guest quarters.

View of the castle from afar

One of the guest quarters, by the way, has 8 bedrooms and 6 baths, in case you think your house is big.  There are artifacts everywhere that are as old as 3,000 years and many that are 400-600 years old and they are now safe and in the castle’s protective custody.  The entire estate is breath-taking and I developed enormous respect for Hearst, who worked for more than 30 years on this fabulous project to preserve the irreplaceable. 

Indoor swimming pool at Hearst Castle

He died with his living monument still in the works, never really calling it “finished.” Hearst wanted to leave the castle to the California University System but because of the maintenance expense, the offer was declined.  Eventually, the property fell to the State Parks department and luckily, it is still open to the public.  You should know this in case you want to rent Hearst Castle for your wedding or, say, family reunion.

Rob, Lindy, Linda and Fred
at the "ranch"

On Friday, the destination was the Estrella Warbirds Museum, a wonderful collection of airplanes, tanks, collectibles such as uniforms, helmets and armaments and… my gearhead says, “What the?”  A collection of beautiful old restored street and race cars!  We strolled around them for an hour or two but mainly, Fred was bound and determined that Rob and I would pilot an F-18 in the simulator. 

Mike teaching Rob

Well, Mike, our instructor, was the friendliest and most patient person and we instantly relaxed.  Rob flew first for 30 minutes

Top Gun Rob

and actually landed successfully on a carrier.  He also blew up the stadium in San Diego.  I don’t know a joy stick from a bucket of paint and so didn’t do as well, although my monitor took me over Vegas and I managed to blow up the Luxor and the MGM Grand! 

Blowing up the MGM Grand!  Yay, I hit it!

And I fired a few sidewinder missiles at the enemy.  As for the carrier, let’s just say that with Lindy as a pilot, it saw better days.  I literally dove into the aft end.  Maybe being left-handed on a right-hand control stick and a bit dyslexic causes me to push when the command is, “Pull to blue, pull to blue!”  Who knows.  Fortunately, it was just a video simulation and we got our wings, notwithstanding.  You can thank our military for understanding that 70-year olds should not be fighter pilots (rounded up).

Am I proud or what?  I crashed
into an aircraft carrier!  Don't hire me!

We were entertained, chauffeured,  wined and dined in fabulous fashion, we swam, laughed and compared old war stories for many hours courtesy of our hosts,   Fred and Linda.  We are exhausted!

Our homing beacon is screaming.  This is our last stop and the laundry basket tells me it is time to head for the homestead.  These are all the stories I have in my fingers for now.  To all of you with love from Rob and Lucky Lindy.