THAT'S SO MAJOR: We all can up the generally hyperbolic commentary come the Christmas season, and claiming otherwise is an exercise in fibbing. The crowds at the mall? Major. The traffic on the freeway? Major. Sending all of the greeting cards out that we need to send out before December ends? It can be overwhelming. But let's drop the hyperbole and get down to what is truly a gargantuan task: Decorating one of the Golden State's grandest manors in its end-of-the-year finery. It's something you aren't tasked with doing, so you can breathe a sigh, all while paying a grateful thought to the talented team at Hearst Castle. For, each and every year, the ornaments, pine, trees, and baubles go up, one after the other after the other, lending loveliness and splendor to Enchanted Hill. And that splendor? It can be enjoyed by anyone who purchases a ticket to a...
HOLIDAY TWILIGHT TOUR: Those twinkly toodles are set to begin in 2019 just after Thanksgiving. If you hop on one, you'll "... wind your way through the grounds, Casa del Sol guest house, and the grand social rooms of Casa Grande. Look for a pair of "towering" Christmas trees along the way, as well as other festive details that boast a certain sumptuousness. An adult ticket for the tour, which lasts about 75 minutes, starts at $30. Do note that the tour isn't on every night from Nov. 29 through Dec. 30, so plan your San Simeon idyll accordingly. Good news: That Cambria Christmas Market isn't at all far from Hearst Castle, and other ho, ho, ho doings are dotting the Central Coast stretch. Making a trip of it, with a few seasonal stops along the way? That is major, in the very best sense.
