On Hwy-1, 65 miles South of Big Sur Village/40 miles North of San Luis Obispo. William Randolph Hearst built Spanish Colonial-style homes in San Simeon for the staff of Hearst Castle, sited on the hill above the village. More in evidence today are rows of undistinguished hotels and motels catering to Hearst Castle visitors. Pause to take a look at Sebastian’s General Store, in business since 1852 though these days proffering a rather bland line in souvenirs, and press swiftly on to San Simeon Bay, where William Randolph Hearst State Beach offers some of the best swimming on the Central Coast. Dominated by a 1,000-ft-long wooden pier, the beach is where many of the Hearst Castle treasures were unloaded.