La Cuesta Encantada – The Cottages and Kitchens

The three guest houses that make up the “Spanish village” of Hearst’s imagination are like the Three Bears: small, medium and large sizes. We were able to have a look inside the largest of the three, which is where the Hearst family stays when they come to call.

Casa del Mar, the largest of the three guest houses, provided accommodation for Hearst himself until Casa Grande was ready in 1925. He stayed in the house again in 1947, during his last visit to the ranch.

The house got its name from the sea view provided by the western facing rooms. The other two houses are named Casa del Monte and Casa del Sol. None have kitchens; an annoyance to some guests.

Now you see how the house got its name.

Moving on from Cada Del Mar, we returned to Casa Grande and descended to the kitchens and wine cellar.

The large stainless steel tables and the drawers below them are heated. Food could be kept warm until Hearst and his guests were ready to dine.

Best faucet handles ever!

Notice the unfinished look of the topmost tile and the fact that the sinks are not centered under the window frame. These are both the result of an extra section of building being added after this part of the building was completed. Julia Morgan certainly earned her money!

State of the art refrigeration.

Staff dining, just off the kitchen.

The Hearst family return to raid the cellar for special bottles. Unfortunately, many are past their prime.

I’ll end the tour with a door that caught my eye as we headed back to the bus for our final ride down the hill.