Empire Gold Mine owner William Bourne II had the 43-room Filoli mansion built in 1915 to “create a magnificent and enduring country estate.” The grand, elegant home is surrounded by 16 acres of astonishing gardens, arbors, water features and pavilions that are tended by 14 full-time horticulturalists. The 654-acre estate, surrounded by 23,000 acres of protected watershed, is just 30 miles south of San Francisco, but offers a complete escape from urban landscapes. It’s bigger than it looks, so set aside plenty of time to explore the house and gardens. filoli.org<