Hi there, fellas and girls! Am coming to you from the beach at San Simeon, where we checked in yesterday at the Best Western. Lovely setting: We sat in the hot tub in the late afternoon (pool was supposed to be heated, but wasn't) and enjoyed a bonfire a few yards from the Pacific after dinner. Today, we'll take "the second tour" at Hearst Castle. We decided to stay over tonight, too, as there's lots to see. Weather is perfect, sunny and warm, with not a cloud in the sky. Hey, there's a reason people flock to California, budget woes or not.