La Cuesta Encantada

CEBU, Philippines - The United States isn't known for royalty, unless you count Queen Latifah, the artist formerly known as Prince who is now once again known as Prince, and Regina King. But there is such a thing as a castle, located in San Simeon, California, called the Hearst Castle.

Hearst Castle was owned by William Randolph Hearst, a businessman who inherited a 250,000-acre land from his parents. After his mother Phoebe died, Mr. Hearst decided to build a proper residence on the land, as he was tired of living in tents there.  He commissioned San Francisco architect Julia Morgan to design the house, and in 1947 this spectacular Mediterranean-style castle perched on top of a hill was completed, called "La Cuesta Encantada" or "Enchanted Hill." The public can't even access it by car; they have to park at the visitor center and take a five-mile bus ride on winding, hillside roads to get there.

There are several tours you can choose to take, such as the Grand Rooms Tour, the Cottages and Kitchen tour and the Upstairs Suites tour. We chose the Upstairs Suites, since we were most interested in seeing Mr. Hearst's private suite, the libraries, and the guest rooms where Mr. Hearst's famous visitors stayed (among whom were Cary Grant, Winston Churchill and Mickey Rooney).

The bus stops at the foot of the castle's massive staircase, which reminds me of 18th century period movies. I feel like I'm about to attend a ball.

The interior of the castle can only be described as opulent. One of the suites called the Doge's suite is modeled after the Doge's Palace in Venice, Italy. The house itself, called Casa Grande, looks more like a museum than a residence. Mr. Hearst's interest in art was awakened by an extended trip to Europe with his mother when he was ten years old. The impression stayed with him until he was old enough and wealthy enough to purchase these magnificent pieces when they were auctioned. Our tour guide Don rattled off lavish items such as an Italian altar front, Italian coffered ceilings, 17th century Renaissance furniture, sterling silver candleholders, centuries-old religious vestments, a Ching dynasty lamp and Persian carpets (which I keep accidentally stepping on).  13th century Spanish style ceiling adorn Mr. Hearst's private suite.

The Upstairs Suites tour also includes Mr. Hearst's private Gothic Study and the incredible library with handcrafted bookshelves. Don tells us one of Mr. Hearst's guests accidentally took one of his books later learned to be worth $18,000. That guest was Charlie Chaplin.  After that, Mr. Hearst had his bookshelves wired shut, and borrowing books became more regulated.

At the lower level of Casa Grande is the Neptune pool, with intricate blue and golden colored mosaics adorning the walls and ceilings.

Visiting La Cuesta Encantada is like visiting a beautiful museum in Europe. It is truly a special place. (FREEMAN)