It was like a fairyland. All the lights twinkled, and the fountain slowly faded from blue to turquoise to orange to red. At each corner of the courtyard, a firepit beckoned. Statues — who looked like they’d be at home in an Italian art museum — looked on as we drunkenly giggled and weaved through the square. After a delicious dinner at Cello, Lori, Sandra, and I made Allegretto Vineyard Resort our own. We explored every nook and cranny, delighting in the art that surprised us around every corner.

On my recent girls’ trip to Central Coast, we had the opportunity to visit Hearst Castle, courtesy of Visit SLO CAL (thanks Berlin!). While I’d heard of the magnificent home built in the hills near San Simeon, and I was familiar with the family name (Hearst Communications publishes tons of magazines), I’d never ventured up north to see the place for myself. Wow. As we wandered around the magnificent gardens and then took the Grand Rooms Tour, I became more curious about the man behind it all. A Passion for the Land William Randolph Hearst (who I’ll call WRH from here on…