LashPair Tour - Hearst Castle Booking Time !!!!

[lashbear]

Hi all,

We’ve arrived at the time of the year when we need to nail down the various tours, etc. that we will be doing on our odyssey.

Hearst Castle tours are the first ones we are booking, and the times we are booking are listed below:

Friday April 17th, 6:30pm - Tour 5, Night Tour. (52 places vacant) http://hearst.reserveamerica.com/tourDetails.do?contractCode=CA&tourId=20252 (http://hearst.reserveamerica.com/tourDetails.do?contractCode=CA&tourId=20252)

Saturday April 18th, 10:20am - Tour 3, North Wing of Casa Grande. (12 places vacant) http://hearst.reserveamerica.com/tourDetails.do?contractCode=CA&tourId=20300&cat=1 (http://hearst.reserveamerica.com/tourDetails.do?contractCode=CA&tourId=20300&cat=1)

Saturday April 18th, 12:20pm - 2 hours for lunch & the IMAX movie at the Visitors Centre

Saturday April 18th, 2:20pm - Tour 4, Garden Tour. (12 places vacant)
http://hearst.reserveamerica.com/tourDetails.do?contractCode=CA&tourId=20251 (http://hearst.reserveamerica.com/tourDetails.do?contractCode=CA&tourId=20251)


It looks like the Garden Tour might fill up quickly, which is why we chose the 2:20pm; it has the most vacant spots - so we suggest you get in early before the spots are all gone. We are sorry we can’t book all folk in one lump, but you should be able to each book a place yourselves in the designated times, before the tours fill up.

Cheers,
The LashPair. :cheers:

[Andrew]

I am sure you will have a wonderful time; Hearst Castle is one of my favorite places. Keep an eye out for animals on the bus ride up the mountain!

[Mousey Girl]

I won't be able to do any booking until Friday...hopefully it will all still be available.

[lashbear]

I think it should - unless 12 LoTters get in first :eek:

(most of the tours seemed to have 14 places, so no general public has booked as yet - I think it's still a little too early for most. Thank goodness !

[Mousey Girl]

Well, The good thing is, that if I do miss out, I won't feel too bad. The only tour I haven't done is the night tour. Trust me when I say I have no trouble amusing myself at the coast.

[Not Afraid]

I can't leave Thurston alone in the hotel room, so we will be tag teaming the tours if we go. I'm more interested in laying on the rocks on Moonstone Beach.

[Mousey Girl]

I have made my reservations. I was able to get all 3. YEAH!!

[lashbear]

:snap: :cheers:

[SacTown Chronic]

Lash,

Crystal and I booked the 2:20 Saturday garden tour. It's about 65-35 that we can go at this point, but I wanted to reserve our spots. If these spots are needed by someone who is certain they are going, let me know and we'll either cancel or transfer the reservation over. But as of now, we hope to see you mid-April.


Where's everyone staying (or where should i book a room)? We love staying at Ragged Point but i think we would want something closer to Hearst Castle.

[Andrew]

San Simeon and Cambria are both close to Hearst Castle -- San Simeon is closer, but Cambria has more hotels and restaurants. Check with your local AAA rep (I happen to know a great one if you want help).

[SacTown Chronic]

Thanks Andrew.

So it looks like Moonstone Beach in Cambria. What should it be...the Blue Whale Inn? The Blue Dolphin Inn? Or maybe the Blue Ball Inn? Help!

[Mousey Girl]

Anywhere on Moonstone Beach should work, and be within walking distance of where the Bear Pair are staying.

I am trying to remember what the hotels look like, but my memory is failing. The only one I have ever been in is the Cambira Pines Lodge. I usually stayed in Pismo and drove up the coast.

[Not Afraid]

We've rented cabin owned by the Blue Whale Inn. That's where the LashPair and others will be.

[lashbear]

I'm getting very excited !! *bouncing up and down*

[katiesue]

I'm in - work permitting - tickets booked.

[lashbear]

The latest tour spots free:

Friday April 17th, 6:30pm - Tour 5, Night Tour. (48 places vacant) http://hearst.reserveamerica.com/tourDetails.do?contractCode=CA&tourId=20252 (http://hearst.reserveamerica.com/tourDetails.do?contractCode=CA&tourId=20252)

Saturday April 18th, 10:20am - Tour 3, North Wing of Casa Grande. (only 8 places vacant) http://hearst.reserveamerica.com/tourDetails.do?contractCode=CA&tourId=20300&cat=1 (http://hearst.reserveamerica.com/tourDetails.do?contractCode=CA&tourId=20300&cat=1)

Saturday April 18th, 2:20pm - Tour 4, Garden Tour. only 6 places vacant)
http://hearst.reserveamerica.com/tourDetails.do?contractCode=CA&tourId=20251 (http://hearst.reserveamerica.com/tourDetails.do?contractCode=CA&tourId=20251)

[SacTown Chronic]

Crystal booked us at the Moonstone Cottages. Barring any unforseen events, we'll see you in Cambria, lash.

[Kevy Baby]

Hmm... maybe it is time to discuss options with Susan

[lashbear]

:cool: Cool! But.. how will I know you ?? Will you wear a red carnation? or even a green one?

[Not Afraid]

OK, Let's get an idea of who will be there, who is going on which Hearst Tours, where people are staying and arrival and departure times. From there we can discuss the most important things - eating and socializing!

Chris and I will be staying at The Cambria Beach Bungalow (http://www.cambriabeachbungalow.com/) which is at Weymouth and Highway 1. Mousey Girl and the Lash Pair will also be staying there. We arrive Friday (about 4ish) and leave on Sunday. Chris and I are NOT doing any of the Hearst Tours because we have Thurston with us. We WILL be exploring the coast and may even take a drive up to Big Sur on Saturday (depending on the plans of others).

I'm going to look into area restaurants as well as see what "facilities" we have at the bungalow. I DO know we're not supposed to have parties there (but one night of fun couldn't hurt, could it?)

[Not Afraid]

Oh, and another attraction that might be interesting (or not) to folks in Cambria. Nit Wit Ridge (also called Poor Man's Hearst Castle). (http://unusuallife.com/2008/08/19/nit-wit-ridge/)

I love folk art and esoteric or unusual places. This place looks fascinating to me.

[Mousey Girl]

Oooo! That looks neat.

[Snowflake]

Oh, and another attraction that might be interesting (or not) to folks in Cambria. Nit Wit Ridge (also called Poor Man's Hearst Castle). (http://unusuallife.com/2008/08/19/nit-wit-ridge/)

I love folk art and esoteric or unusual places. This place looks fascinating to me.

Huell Howser featured this on one of his shows. That man makes me cringe, but he has highlighted some cool spots.

[€uroMeinke]

Huell Howser featured this on one of his shows. That man makes me cringe, but he has highlighted some cool spots.

LOL - one of the first things I said to Lisa when I saw the link was, "Has Huell Howser been here?"

[katiesue]

We're in staying at Moonstone Cottages (http://moonstonecottages.com/mariner.htm). My friend Janet, who I've known since I was 4 and she wasn't even a gleam in her mothers eye (she keeps trying to say we're not the same age), is coming with.

We booked all three of the tours but may or may not bail on one of them, Janet is fond of her afternoon naps. We're still working out details but plan to drive up on Friday hopefully arriving mid-dayish and then going back on Sunday.

[Not Afraid]

Is anyone besides the LashPair doing the Friday evening tour? They don't have a car. I can always drop them off (or have one of us book that tour and leave Thurston at home with the other one of us).

[katiesue]

Is anyone besides the LashPair doing the Friday evening tour? They don't have a car. I can always drop them off (or have one of us book that tour and leave Thurston at home with the other one of us).

We are and now that I have a new car we have room and it won't require anyone pushing it down the freeway.

[innerSpaceman]

Isaac and I are staying at The Fogcatcher Inn (http://www.fogcatcherinn.com/).

And we are actually signed up for FOUR tours.

Isaac's never been, and he loves architecture. We booked the three Lash Tours, but also Tour No. 1. I want to make sure he sees both the Roman and Neptune Pools, as well as some of Casa Grande. The other three tours are kind of esoteric, but if the Evening Tour covers the big stuff, we'll likely skip the main tour (which we have set for Friday just as we breeze into town).

But if none of the LashTours cover the big highlights, we're going to be at Hearst Castle most of Friday and Saturday!

[Andrew]

Restaurant recommendation for those on the road from Cambria to Hearst Castle: San Simeon Bar & Grill (http://www.sansimeonrestaurant.com/). We ate there a few years ago and enjoyed it.

Formerly known as San Simeon Restaurant. It was the first business opened when Hearst Castle was opened to the public in 1958. It remains to this day a famous dining & entertainment spot, with the best ocean view in San Simeon. It is enjoyed by tourists from all over the world as well as the colorful local people. Its location is ideal for any traveler. It is exactly half-way from San Francisco to Los Angeles, in the Southern end of Big Sur, only 3 miles south of Hearst Castle, and only a block to Pico Beach, world famous for kite-surfing, surfing. Only 7 miles from the elephant seals beach at Piedras Blancas.

Hope you all have a great time!

[Not Afraid]

Thanks, Andrew!

[Not Afraid]

We are and now that I have a new car we have room and it won't require anyone pushing it down the freeway.

YAY!

All of our lodgings are pretty close to one another. Good deal!

[Mousey Girl]

I will already be at the cottage when you roll into town. I have no problem with being the driver.

[SacTown Chronic]

Crystal and I are staying at the Moonstone Cottages as well. We are booked for the Sat. afternoon tour.


There's a good chance that we won't be able make it down in time to attend the tour (we're coming to Cambria, tour or no) so if there's anyone looking to take the 2:20, let me know and the two spots are yours.

[Not Afraid]

Nice Sunset Article about Cambria (http://www.sunset.com/travel/california/escape-to-cambria-00400000015576/)- includes restaurant and shopping recommendations.

[SacTown Chronic]

Two years ago we saw a large pod of dolphins heading into the cove to the right of the San Simeon Pier. There's a hike on the bluffs above the cove that I didn't get a chance to do. Perhaps this year.

[Not Afraid]

I plan on doing a few hikes, beach walks, exploring jaunts and whatever else tickles my fancy. To see some creatures in my adventures would be a plus.

[Crystal]

Hi all! I am really looking forward to seeing you all and to meeting the LashPair! Good times to be had, I am sure!

[lashbear]

And Bacon ! :D

[Not Afraid]

I want sea food. Lots and lots of sea food.

[lashbear]

Sea food and eat it !

...We may have to order a couple of quarts of Pismo Clam Chowder from the Splash Cafe online order form (http://www.splashcafe.com/order.html). It is honestly the moxt luxurious clam chowder we have ever tasted in our lives !!

http://www.splashcafe.com/images/prodimg/prod_chowd.gif
Clam Chowder: Our famous, award winning Clam Chowder is a rich & creamy blend of only the finest ingredients.
Now available fresh frozen for delivery

[CoasterMatt]

Have fun storming the castle...

[Mousey Girl]

I'm not a wench, I'm your wife!

[Kevy Baby]

...We may have to order a couple of quarts of Pismo Clam Chowder from the Splash Cafe online order form (http://www.splashcafe.com/order.html). It is honestly the moxt luxurious clam chowder we have ever tasted in our lives !!Several years ago, Denny's (http://www.dennys.com/en/) canned Clam Chowder won the Pismo Beach Clam Chowder competition. It was quite embarrassing to a lot of people.

[lashbear]

I'm not a wench, I'm your wife!
I can't figure out which movie this is from? Is it a quote?

[SacTown Chronic]

It's Mousey Girl, protesting too much.

[Mousey Girl]

ttthhhpppttt!!! :p



And it is from Princess Bride.

[LashStoat]

<doh>Bear...Bear !!! We Ashtrayans don't have the Princess Bride Clam Chowder chain over here...and the Mericans don't have Dundee's Sardine and Strawberry Icecreamery either. Get with the program.</doh>

PS/ The Princess must give good clam to get a chain named after her...besides, it sounds better than the Pizmo Bride or the Clam Bride.

[Mousey Girl]

The Pismo clam chowder place now has a cafe thingy in SLO.

[LashStoat]

The Pismo clam chowder place now has a cafe thingy in SLO.

Dear MouseyGirl,

OMG !

You beauty...Saint Louise Obispo and all the clam chowder we can eat !!!

Thanks for sharing, we are now uber-happy...

Love and hugs,

The Stoat XXX.

[Kevy Baby]

Well, if you are stopping in San Luis Obispo, you must visit Bubblegum Alley (http://www.locallinks.com/bubblegum_alley.htm).

[Snowflake]

Might be some paintings missing (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/04/07/BA5B16UQ13.DTL&amp;feed=rss.bayarea)from Hearst Castle this weekend. Plenty of other swag, so you probably won't miss them!

[Mousey Girl]

A week from tomorrow! I need to start baking this weekend.

[SacTown Chronic]

Only a week to go?!? I need to start getting baked.

[lashbear]

A week from tomorrow! I need to start baking this weekend.

Only a week to go?!? I need to start getting baked.
What sort of cookies, MG, perhaps you can solve two problems at once ;)

[Mousey Girl]

Nope, no alky-haul in my cookies.

Molasses Crackle, Chocolate Chip Butter, maybe another kind, too.
Plus Boy Fudge & Girl Fudge
Plus a Pastel Pound Cake

[innerSpaceman]

Any brownies?


I believe Sac was referring to a fairly common brownie ingredient.

[Mousey Girl]

Nope, no brownies.

No special ingerdients either.

I did that once with brownies, more than 20 years ago... too bad I have no memory left of how they came out. I can't remember anything that happened after they came out of the oven.

[SacTown Chronic]

Baked goods that give you munchies would be the greatest racket in the history of capitalism. You know, if the US was into that sort of thing*.





*Capitalism, I mean.

[belleh5]

iSm, I was told to bring Tequila?!!!:cheers:


I'm trying to book a hotel room ( last minute) any recommendations? How far is the Castle from Cambria?

thanks!!

[Mousey Girl]

About 10 minutes. Not far at all.

Anything on Moonstone Beach Dr would work.

[cirquelover]

Only a week to go?!? I need to start getting baked.


If I was coming I'd make you some special brownies:D I think I still have some in the freezer!

[Mousey Girl]

I am getting ready to head out. I don't have nearly as far to drive as everyone else, but I am ready and bored. I am totally looking forward to kicking back at Leffingwell Landing with a book.

TTFN!!

[Snowflake]

Have an awesome time MG!

Drive safe!

[~MS~]

Drive safe and hug the bears for all of us pouting that we're not there with you!

[cirquelover]

It sounds like they'll have lots of yummy treats made fresh with love from MG, you rock and I'm sure they'll be much appreciated!

Have a great time!

[Mousey Girl]

*yawn*

I got home at 3, but took a long nap.

I will leave the details to others, but I had a GREAT time!!

It was great meeting the Lash Pair, they are just as delightful off-line as they are on-line. I loved being able to spend some time with them. Bear, no, I still don't want to suck on your camel-toe. ;)

It was great to see NA and That Guy again, and actually spend some real time with them. I even got to take Thurston for a walk this morning. I became his play-person, tug-of-war with his Olive. He also likes pizza.

Katiesue and her friend are really good people, and I liked being able to storm the castle with them, screaming toddler and all.


It was good to meet new people, I really like Crystal and Sac. It was also good to see ISM & Isaac again.

The Castle seemed secondary to all of the visiting and laughter of the weekend.

[innerSpaceman]

Just got home and beloved car unpacked (W00t - 1,215 miles of road trip). Despite wretched stop'n'go all thru Santa Barbara and remote vicinity, amazing travel time of 4 hours ... with the de rigeur Clam Chowder pit stop in Pismo bringing the journey to nearly 5.

The Cambria segment of my three part journey was equal parts serene, beautiful, friend fun, and high bizarre drama of a semi-disturbing nature.

An interesting and event-filled finale to a most interest, event-cramed and fantastic Grand California Adventure featuring an amazing revolving cast of LoT swankers and sponsored by the LashPair and the excitement and love they universally engender.


Good to be home. Wonderful Odyssey.

:cheers: Cheers!

[Mousey Girl]

I am thinking that a Cream Soda followed by a Case-of-dildos and a suck on Bear's Camel Toe is sounds really good right now.

[Mousey Girl]

The Cambria segment of my three part journey was equal parts serene, beautiful, friend fun, and high bizarre drama of a semi-disturbing nature.

Now I know we weren't in the same place, I saw/experienced no drama, other than that which we caused at dinner, when we chased off everyone who dared to sit on the patio.

[belleh5]

Now I know we weren't in the same place, I saw/experienced no drama, other than that which we caused at dinner, when we chased off everyone who dared to sit on the patio.





The Cambria segment of my three part journey was equal parts serene, beautiful, friend fun, and high bizarre drama of a semi-disturbing nature.



I was there!!! It was a crazy time drama filled time.


Anyways, I got home around 6:30pm, there was so much traffic on the 101 North. I had a great time stroming the castle, meeting the Lashpair & everyone else. My favorite was the picnic on the beach before we left. I will post a link to my pics once I upload them.


:cheers:

[belleh5]

OOOPS!! I meant to type "crazy drama filled time" sorry, I can't type!!

[Not Afraid]

Well, I'm just glad I missed the crazy drama filled time. I had enough of that on Yosemite Day 4.

Cambria was awesome! We didn't do any Hearst tours and spent Saturday relaxing, walking and napping. After a nice dinner, we retired to our cottage for a fireside chat and juicy birthday cake that MG brought. I could have stayed in Cambria another 2 days.

[Snowflake]

Sounds dee-vine, NA.

Day 4 drama?

[lashbear]

Highlight: Getting to Pee in the lavish bathroom actually IN Hearst Castle. I have movie footage (not of the actual peeing). It was totally worth losing the cap.

[katiesue]

We had such a great time. Sorry we had to bail on dinner but late dinner/early departure wasn't going to go well. We had so much fun on the tours and getting to hang out with everyone a bit.

l'm with NA a couple of more days would have been perfect.

Darn I always miss the drama :)

[Snowflake]

Highlight: Getting to Pee in the lavish bathroom actually IN Hearst Castle. I have movie footage (not of the actual peeing). It was totally worth losing the cap.

Next to swimming in the Neptune Pool (or the Roman Pool), that's a great story!

[belleh5]

Highlight: Getting to Pee in the lavish bathroom actually IN Hearst Castle.



Same here!! I got to use the 3rd floor masterbath, But I didn't take any pictures:(

[Mousey Girl]

Ok, I am glad I missed the drama.

I had every intention of walking on the beach Saturday night, after dinner. When we got back to the cottage and sat, that was pretty much it for me.

My only (minor) gripe was the lack of cell service.

[lashbear]

Oh, and did we mention the DELICIOUS fudge (Male & Female), Cinnamon crunch cookies, Chocolate Chip cookies and Juicy Cake that we feasted on (still enjoying the leftovers)

Mousey Girl is one hellava baker. :snap:

[SacTown Chronic]

Lotsa fun. Great company. Outstanding weather. One very cool dog. The Lashpair are as advertized....fun, funny, great lads. Enjoy the rest of your trip, guys.


I'm off to do the weekend's yard work. Well, maybe after it cools down a bit.