If I Were A Rich Man

First, let me say I have always loved the music from "Fiddler on the Roof."   But that's not what this is about.   Every time I drive to our coast, I am in awe of the beauty of the landscape.   I am also in awe of the fact that so much of it is private land, fenced off, unspoiled, often times with a few cattle grazing.   It is a treasure.   And it is a treasure that George Hearst was able to purchase in 1865, initially 40,000 acres which eventually grew to 250,000 acres.   The history of the land and the castle are interesting and rich with celebrities of the times.   I never considered going to the tours, thinking it would be "touristy" and not worth my time.   But a few years ago we visited the castle and went on one of the tours.   It was so interesting to see the opulence of the time and the beauty of the grounds.   Besides being wealthy landowners, the Hearst family lived around our area and were quite generous with donations to projects such as the restoration of the San Miguel Mission after an earthquake.   George and Phoebe Hearst both passed away within the past year or so, but the mark they left on our county will live on.   If you are ever in this area and have the time, I would suggest taking one of the tours of Hearst Castle in San Simeon.   It really would be worth it.

http://www.hearstcastle.org/history-art/castle

If I were a rich man, I would definitely buy up as much of this land as possible.   And then let the animals roam and graze and enjoy their lives here.