One of my favorite rides in California is cruising along Pacific Coast Highway, from Los Angeles to San Francisco. It is a one day trip for us because we like to stop, take photos, and enjoy the view. One of these trips we decided to see the famous “Hearst Castle” near San Simeon, CA. The building, the view, the pool(s), the guest houses, the antiques… Everything is breathtaking, especially the outdoor pool. It features an ancient Roman temple front transported from Europe and reconstructed at the site! I wish I could swim in that pool, even for an hour…

As of last weekend, it is not an impossible wish any more. The compound where William Randolph Hearst lived in grand style with his lover Marion Davies is being reopened as the Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica, CA. The house was designed by architect Julia Morgan who also designed the Hearst Castle. Frederick Fisher & Partners, the Los Angeles architects, restored the pool and the guest house.

Cirque du Soleil performers inaugurated the pool with a “First Splash” at the public opening last weekend. Beginning in May, a pool day pass will cost $10 for adults, $4 for children, and $5 for visitors 65 or older. A family pass for two adults and two children will be $24.

When I visit California -hopefully, this summer- I will make sure to visit the pool, and try to imagine how they used to spend their time by the pool back in the 1920s.

Photo by Grant Mudford