Great Gatsby Themed Weekend

A group of friends and I saw the new Gatsby movie Friday evening, spent the night in Carmel and toured the Hearst Castle before returning to Palo Alto, on time for church Sunday morning.  Definitely a whirlwind adventure that delivered great memories and a lot of fun.

Hey Old Sport

Pre-Gatsby, we ate at OD's Kitchen in Gilroy, enjoying the delectable 'kitchen sink' dish (hashbrown, egg, cheese). We loved the movie (SPOILER: Leo does a great job with water deaths, a la Titanic) and headed to Carmel for an evening reservation at the Sea Breeze Inn. The next morning, after relaxing in the hot tub, we stopped by the Tuck Box for lunch.  A charming English teashop with scones, sandwiches and salads, we brunched in an Alice in Wonderland motif room, visited the beach and continued driving down the coast toward San Simeon. 

We ate dinner at the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo.  Dosed in a gorgeous pepto pink, the restaurant served a unique flare of putti decor and free-range meat. We even snuck a peek at the world famous waterfall urinal in the men's restroom.

The Hearst Castle night tour was amazing.  A spectacular sunset glowed as we strolled the grounds and Neptune Pool. Docents dressed up in late 1920's garb wandered the rooms, reminiscent of an iconic era in Hearst history.

I adore San Simeon - something about the coastline here is particularly peaceful and calming.  My second visit was on a return trip to Palo Alto after visiting Pepperdine to evaluate their business school offer. I was awe struck by amazing views and fell in love with the area -- truly one of the world's most beautiful places.

Messing around with my camera settings, I captured a few spooky shots...try to spot Mr. Hearst's ghost in the library or Roman pool!