Spanish Missions
I've decided to visit some of the Spanish Missions in the US. I will sometimes ride a bike or incorporate the visit into a hike. There will likely be mulitiple, unconnected, trips. I will need to acquire some books, etcetera, to know which to visit, to get directions, etcetera.
Some internet research showed people walking less than ideal routes. For example, they walked all four lane roads from the San Diego Mission to Campland by the Bay, at the north end of Mission Bay. Had they followed the San Diego River, they could have been on boardwalks separated from traffic most of the way, the scenery would have been much nicer, and there would have been fewer hills. Maybe they just didn't know the area or didn't plan thoroughly. Perhaps they felt legitimate pilgrims would walk the least enjoyable route possible. Whatever. I think I'll be trying to find a nice route...
 Feral Red Eared Sliders, Trachemys scripta live in the San Diego River. They compete with the Western Pond Turtle Emys marmorata, the only native pond turtle. In my fifty years living off and on in San Diego, the two pictured are the first aquatic turtles I've seen in the wild. |
Friday, March 13, 2015
I walked along the San Diego River, to the San Diego Presidio site, and to the inlet between the Marine Corps Recruit Depot and the old Naval Training Center (now a shopping mall), off San Diego Bay. In the San Diego River, from the Morena Drive Bridge, I saw Red Eared Slider Turtles. they are escaped pets who have formed a stable feral population. The Presidio has long since collapsed and is today under ground in a grassy, hillside city park. The site has excellent views of the the Pacific Ocean to the south and west, and usually has water nearby at the San Diego River. Occasionally, an archaeological dig allows the casual visitor views of the old buildings, etcetera, but not today. A Mission style building is a modern museum, not remains of the Presidio. The museum is open on weekends, and has an entry fee. There is no bike rack, and many homeless people hang out in the park and nearby river, so you would have to keep an eye on your bike.
A Wine Press at the Presidio Museum
| San Diego Missions Timeline | |
|---|---|
| Year | Description |
| 1542 | Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo (Portuguese, but sailing for Spain) arrives by ship in San Diego Bay. |
| 1602 | Sebastián Vizcaíno arrives by ship in San Diego Bay. |
| 1741 | The Vitus Bering expedition and others cause Spain to consider developing better claims to western North America by settling the west coast. |
| 1769 | El Presidio Reál de San Diego established by Gaspar de Portolá. 2 ships and two overland parties converge to staff and supply this mission and presidio, and another to be established at Monterrey. A third ship sunk. Over 100 people died just coming to San Diego to establish the mission and presidio. Indians attacked within a month. |
| 1770 | The Presidio completes a stockade and mounts cannon. |
| 1773 | Adobe buildings start to replace temporary wood and brush huts at the presidio. |
| 1774 | The Mission moves away from the Presidio, up the San Diego River several miles. |
| 1775 | The Mission is attacked and burned by Indians. |
| 1783 | 54 troops were stationed at the Presidio. |
| 1795 | Aqueduct projects are begun. |
| 1813 | Mission Dam completed. |
| 1816 | Flume completed. |
| 1818 | Santa Ysabel Asistencia established. |
| 1821 | Santa Ysabel Asistencia chapel, granary, adobe houses, and a cemetery completed. |
| 1821 | Mexico gains independence from Spain. |
| 1825 1829 |
The presidio serves as the Mexican Governor's residence. |
| 1831 | Mission Dam damaged and no longer in use. |
| 1833 | The Mexican Congress passes An Act for the Secularization of the Missions of California. |
| 1834 | Governor Figueroa issues Decree of Confiscation. |
| 1835 | Presidio abandoned. |
| 1846 | Mission San Diego de Alcalá given to Santiago Argüello by Governor Pío Pico. |
| 1846 | The "Army of the West", commanded by General Stephen Watts Kearny, made camp on the Santa Ysabel rancho on their way to the Battle of San Pasqual. |
| 1847 | Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, son of Sacagawea of Lewis and Clark fame, camped at the Santa Ysabel Mission and San Luis Rey Mission in 1847 after guiding the Mormon Battalion from New Mexico to San Diego. |
| 1849 | A.W. Whipple, U.S. Army Lieutenant, United States and Mexican Boundary Survey, finds the Santa Ysabel Mission in ruins. |
| 1846 1862 |
US Military uses San Diego Mission and lands. |
| 1862 | President Abraham Lincoln returns just the San Diego Mission to the Roman Catholic Church. |
| 1880 1907 |
Father Anthony Ubach restores San Diego Mission Buildings. |
| 1907 1929 |
George Marston buys Presidio Hill, builds park and museum, and donates it to the City of San Diego. |
| 1941 | San Diego Mission becomes an active parish church. |
| 1976 | Pope Paul VI makes San Diego Mission a minor basilica. |
Saturday, March 14, 2015
I rode a bike to the San Diego Mission and to the Mission Dam. The Mission is a current Catholic Church and charges a $5 admission. There were no bike racks at either place, but it would probably be ok to lock the bike to something and explore for an hour or two.
Monday, April 20, 2015
I stumbled across a display of items dug up at the San Diego Mission at the public library on Zion Avenue. I need to return with a better camera.
Fired Clay Pipe, Mission San Diego
|
San Luis Rey de Francia
March 20 - 25, 2015
The Mission is a current Catholic Parish and Franciscan Monastery. The museum charges admission, but visiting the public areas, including the church, graveyard, laundry, baracks, and kiln is free. There were no bike racks, but the lady watching the old church let me park there while I walked the grounds.
|
| Locations of California Missions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Mission | Address | Order1 | Longitude Latitude |
| San Diego Presidio | - |
- | -117.19476 32.75957 |
| San Diego de Alcala | 10818 San Diego Mission Rd San Diego, California 92108 |
1st | -117.105838 32.783901 |
| San Diego Mission Dam | - |
- | -117.043180 32.839565 |
| Santa Ysabel Asistencia | 23013 Highway 79 55 miles by bike |
1818 | -116.678133 33.130707 |
| San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo | 3080 Rio Rd Carmel, California 93923 |
2nd | -121.919274 36.543368 |
| San Antonia de Padua | Mission Creek Rd Jolon, California 93928 |
3rd | -121.179064 35.998209 |
| San Gabriel Arcangel | 537 W Mission Dr San Gabriel, California 91776 |
4th | -118.107719 34.09662 |
| San Luis Obispo de Tolosa | 782 Monterey St San Luis Obispo, California 93401 |
5th | -120.664884 35.2801 |
| San Francisco de Asis Mission Dolores | 3321 16th St San Francisco, California 94114 |
6th | -122.426927 37.764475 |
| San Juan Capistrano | Ortega Hwy at Camino Capistrano San Juan Capistrano, California 92693 |
7th | -117.662799 33.50185 |
| Santa Clara de Asis | 500 El Camino Real Santa Clara, California 95953 |
8th | -121.93704 37.351537 |
| San Buenaventura | 225 E Main St Ventura, California 93001 |
9th | -119.297274 34.280993 |
| Santa Barbara | 2201 Laguna St Santa Barbara, California 93105 |
10th | -119.712625 34.437286 |
| La Purisima Conception | 2295 Purisima Rd Lompoc, California 93436 |
11th | -120.421338 34.66967 |
| Santa Cruz | 126 High St Santa Cruz, California 95060 |
12th | -122.029682 36.978361 |
| Nuestra Senora de la Soledad | 36641 Fort Romie Rd Soledad, California 93960 |
13th | -121.353156 36.40549 |
| San Jose | 43300 Mission Blvd Fremont, California 94539 |
14th | -121.92001 37.533787 |
| San Juan Bautista | Second and Mariposa Sts San Juan Bautista, California 95045 |
15th | -121.536129 36.84514 |
| San Miguel Arcangel | 801 Mission St San Miguel, California 93451 |
16th | -120.697431 35.745475 |
| San Fernando Rey de Espana | 15151 San Fernando Mission Blvd Mission Hills, California 91345 |
17th | -118.461682 34.272892 |
| San Luis Rey de Francia | 4050 Mission Ave San Luis Rey, California 92068 |
18th | -117.319708 33.232097 |
| Santa Ines | 1760 Mission Dr Solvang, California 93463 |
19th | -120.136322 34.595833 |
| San Rafael Arcangel | 1104 Fifth Ave San Rafael, California 94901 |
20th | -122.528207 37.974267 |
| San Francisco Solano | 20 E. Spain St Sonoma, California 95476 |
21st | -122.45711 38.293761 |
| 1 - Order of First Establishment | |||
| These coordinates were not taken by me and may not be accurate. | |||
My Family
Fletcher, Cousin Vicki, Dan
 Feral Red-Crowned Amazon Parrots, Amazona viridigenalis live in Ocean Beach and Point Loma, and as far away as Lakeside and Escondido. The wild population may be only a couple thousand, so feral flocks in some US cities may benefit the survival of the species. |
