Maitai On A Mission: 21 Missions To Be Exact
Jul 27th, 2011, 02:22 PM
#1
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Maitai On A Mission: 21 Missions To Be Exact
I turned 59 (damn, that's hard to write) last Sunday and realized that in all my years living in California, I had only visited a Mission once. My concern that day in 1978 was that I was forced to wear a brown tux (yes, brown) to be in my friend's wedding, so history was not top of mind.
A few days ago, Tracy and I hopped in the car and drove to Mission San Gabriel Arcángel in San Gabriel to take a self-guided tour. It only took about 90 minutes or so, and we have now made it our goal to go to all of California's missions. I will update here each time we go.
If you click on the link below, it tells the tale of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel (with photos), our first in this Mission mission.
http://www.travelswithmaitaitom.com/...C3%A1ngel.html
A few days ago, Tracy and I hopped in the car and drove to Mission San Gabriel Arcángel in San Gabriel to take a self-guided tour. It only took about 90 minutes or so, and we have now made it our goal to go to all of California's missions. I will update here each time we go.
If you click on the link below, it tells the tale of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel (with photos), our first in this Mission mission.
http://www.travelswithmaitaitom.com/...C3%A1ngel.html
Jul 27th, 2011, 04:55 PM
#2
I completed all 21 missions back in 2006. Three road trips but well worth the effort.
The tricky one is San Antonio de Padua. You have to have proper documentation to enter the army base where the mission is located.
Some of the 21 don't really exist any longer such as Santa Cruz and San Rafael.
It was a wonderful experience for a California native. I,too called it my "mission mission".
The tricky one is San Antonio de Padua. You have to have proper documentation to enter the army base where the mission is located.
Some of the 21 don't really exist any longer such as Santa Cruz and San Rafael.
It was a wonderful experience for a California native. I,too called it my "mission mission".
Jul 27th, 2011, 05:07 PM
#4
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Mmmm.... I love missions. I love the history and the love that went into building and decorating them. My dad used to take us to missions when we were traveling in Mexico and as a result I think all of us kids have a respect for the missions and what they meant to the communities.
Jul 27th, 2011, 09:23 PM
#6
Three comments:
1. You must have no children, since all of us and our children who grew up in California went through the ever popular 4th Grade California History, which should have been called 4th Grade Missions. You (I mean, your kid) sees a couple of Missions and ends up putting together either a Mission Diorama or a 3-D Mission Puzzle. If you were raised here and have one kid, you go through this process twice. The more kids you have, the more dioramas you have lined up on the mantle piece. (Those who don't live in California probably think I'm kidding. I'm not).
2. Missions are cool. Father Serra is buried in Carmel's Mission. My favorite is San Miguel, just north of SLO. Can't explain why, just is.
3. You are exactly one day older than me. (And I spent my Monday ziplining in Catalina!).
1. You must have no children, since all of us and our children who grew up in California went through the ever popular 4th Grade California History, which should have been called 4th Grade Missions. You (I mean, your kid) sees a couple of Missions and ends up putting together either a Mission Diorama or a 3-D Mission Puzzle. If you were raised here and have one kid, you go through this process twice. The more kids you have, the more dioramas you have lined up on the mantle piece. (Those who don't live in California probably think I'm kidding. I'm not).
2. Missions are cool. Father Serra is buried in Carmel's Mission. My favorite is San Miguel, just north of SLO. Can't explain why, just is.
3. You are exactly one day older than me. (And I spent my Monday ziplining in Catalina!).
Jul 28th, 2011, 07:09 AM
#7
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Hey surfergirl, First of all, happy birthday!
You're right. No kids. We were going to take the dogs and cats to Mission San Juan Capistrano for the Blessing of The Animals, but they found out the Corgis were Presbyterian and the cats Agnostic (plus they are not old enough for fourth grade), so we stayed home.
Looking forward to my "Mission Quest." Off to another one on Sunday. Maybe they will have a zipline through a bell tower.
You're right. No kids. We were going to take the dogs and cats to Mission San Juan Capistrano for the Blessing of The Animals, but they found out the Corgis were Presbyterian and the cats Agnostic (plus they are not old enough for fourth grade), so we stayed home.
Looking forward to my "Mission Quest." Off to another one on Sunday. Maybe they will have a zipline through a bell tower.
Jul 28th, 2011, 09:24 AM
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We visited San Gabriel Mission last July. Also went to Buena Ventura and San Fernando on that SoCal trip. We've been to all but two, I'm ashamed to say the closest to us (Santa Clara and San Rafael). As logandog noted, Santa Cruz and San Rafael are small replicas, not the originals.
Purisima is impressive. Santa Barbara beautiful, as is Carmel. San Juan Bautista is interesting and the town itself is fun. San Juan Capistrano is also beautiful (at least the swallows think so). We always like our visits and each Mission seems to have a personality of its own, so we like many or most all for different reasons.
Your trip report was great, as always, and particularly interesting since we had been there just a yaar ago.
By the way, Happy Belated Birthday!
Purisima is impressive. Santa Barbara beautiful, as is Carmel. San Juan Bautista is interesting and the town itself is fun. San Juan Capistrano is also beautiful (at least the swallows think so). We always like our visits and each Mission seems to have a personality of its own, so we like many or most all for different reasons.
Your trip report was great, as always, and particularly interesting since we had been there just a yaar ago.
By the way, Happy Belated Birthday!
Jul 29th, 2011, 05:43 AM
#12
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I have learned that our famous travel partners in crime, Kim and Mary, will be joining us on our Mission mission this weekend. Usually the only Padres the four of us see together are the inept ones in baseball uniforms down in San Diego. We will see if the four us can get this Mission accomplished on Sunday.
Aug 1st, 2011, 07:11 AM
#14
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Two down! 19 to go!
Yesterday I (along with Tracy, Mary and Kim) visited "The Jewel Of the Missions," Mission San Juan Capistrano. Mission SJC lived up to its advanced billing and then some. Beautiful gardens, fantastic buildings and exhibits, not to mention a very informative Audio guide. Below is a link to my website story on our day at Mission San Juan Capistrano and a lot of photographs. The Mission continues!!!
http://www.travelswithmaitaitom.com/...apistrano.html
Yesterday I (along with Tracy, Mary and Kim) visited "The Jewel Of the Missions," Mission San Juan Capistrano. Mission SJC lived up to its advanced billing and then some. Beautiful gardens, fantastic buildings and exhibits, not to mention a very informative Audio guide. Below is a link to my website story on our day at Mission San Juan Capistrano and a lot of photographs. The Mission continues!!!
http://www.travelswithmaitaitom.com/...apistrano.html
Aug 2nd, 2011, 10:02 AM
#16
Original Poster
Thanks Leely.
As stated in the last installment, Mission San Juan Capistrano is going to be a tough act to follow.
Looks like this weekend we are going to visit Mission San Buenaventura and Mission San Fernando Rey de España. Missions, nothing but Missions!
As stated in the last installment, Mission San Juan Capistrano is going to be a tough act to follow.
Looks like this weekend we are going to visit Mission San Buenaventura and Mission San Fernando Rey de España. Missions, nothing but Missions!
Aug 2nd, 2011, 10:23 AM
#17
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Speaking of Mission San Antonio de Padua, that was the one my DS chose for his 4th grade mission report. At the time, it wasn't difficult to get in (1993 or 94). We parked, walked into the gift shop and right there at the door was a table with a sign that read "Fourth Grade Mission Report Materials". For $10, we got the history, a postcard or two, and a little plastic statue of Father Junipero Serra. Made our lives much less miserable (the mission was great, too...we did tour even though we already had everything we needed!)
Speaking of Mission San Antonio de Padua, that was the one my DS chose for his 4th grade mission report. At the time, it wasn't difficult to get in (1993 or 94). We parked, walked into the gift shop and right there at the door was a table with a sign that read "Fourth Grade Mission Report Materials". For $10, we got the history, a postcard or two, and a little plastic statue of Father Junipero Serra. Made our lives much less miserable (the mission was great, too...we did tour even though we already had everything we needed!)
Aug 11th, 2011, 03:01 PM
#18
Original Poster
Wow, what a surprise! After our visit the previous week to Mission San Juan Capistrano, Tracy and I thought our next Mission would pale in comparison. Far be it.
Mission San Fernando Rey de España, just 25 minutes up the freeway from downtown Los Angeles, proved to be quite a worthwhile experience. Nicely renovated with well-cultivated grounds, we were quite impressed. There was even a a little bonus trip that I took the following day to complete our journey here, however the heat nearly had me joining the people I "visited."
Click on the link below for all the photos and more details from our self-guided tour this past Sunday. Comments on the site are welcome, too. Three Missions down. 18 to go. So far this has been fun, but now we are actually going to have to travel some distances to see the rest of them.
http://www.travelswithmaitaitom.com/...7_Entry_1.html
Mission San Fernando Rey de España, just 25 minutes up the freeway from downtown Los Angeles, proved to be quite a worthwhile experience. Nicely renovated with well-cultivated grounds, we were quite impressed. There was even a a little bonus trip that I took the following day to complete our journey here, however the heat nearly had me joining the people I "visited."
Click on the link below for all the photos and more details from our self-guided tour this past Sunday. Comments on the site are welcome, too. Three Missions down. 18 to go. So far this has been fun, but now we are actually going to have to travel some distances to see the rest of them.
http://www.travelswithmaitaitom.com/...7_Entry_1.html
Aug 11th, 2011, 04:36 PM
#20
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Wow Tom and Surfergirl! You are bringing back the 4th Grade Memories - Missions - 21 of them, complete with diorama!
I will have to think a bit to remember all the missions I've visited, but I certainly do remember the 4th grade field trip to San Juan Capistrano.
San Juan Capistrano
San Fernando
San Luis Obisbo
Purisima
Santa Barbara
Carmel
San Gabriel - all I can remember
I grew up in Orange County - back when it was a really great place to be growing up (and there were lots of orange groves even).
I will have to think a bit to remember all the missions I've visited, but I certainly do remember the 4th grade field trip to San Juan Capistrano.
San Juan Capistrano
San Fernando
San Luis Obisbo
Purisima
Santa Barbara
Carmel
San Gabriel - all I can remember
I grew up in Orange County - back when it was a really great place to be growing up (and there were lots of orange groves even).
