I awoke this morning to the sounds of traffic, sirens,
cyclists, joggers, and airplanes passing in most cases within feet of my
tent. Ah, Newport Dunes. Definitely not a campground built for tent
campers.
Then tragedy struck! The last of the Solvang pastries had
gone moldy! Cold cereal ensued, but with plans to find a bakery later in the
day.
We traveled down Pacific Coast Highway past the sights and
sounds of Orange County on a bright Sunday morning (did I mention that it was
beautiful weather again, or should I say still?). Lots of people out cycling, walking, jogging,
rollerblading, playing on the beach, or crowding into restaurants for Sunday
brunch.
Today’s mission was San Juan Capistrano. This was one of the few that I had visited
prior to this trip, but having come from 18 other missions leading up to this
one gave me a different perspective.
Capistrano’s nickname is the Jewel of the Missions, and it is indeed a
very nice mission, However, I would say that “jewel” could also equally refer
to the expensive nature of this particular mission. Unlike the other “lesser gemstones” of the
mission chain, Capistrano is significantly more expensive to visit (three times
the average), has way more donation containers around the buildings, has
numerous additional opportunities to buy things (several paid tours to choose
from, paid activities for kids, etc), and has signs posted around the exhibits
informing the visitor how much it will cost to further restore various
buildings and artifacts. And they had
TONS of visitors.
Strange, then, that this is the only mission that has not
had its main chapel rebuilt. Even
Soledad, with its free admission and few visitors, Santa Cruz, with its scale
model, and San Rafael, with its completely obliterated complex, have rebuilt
their chapels to how they looked in the missions’ heyday. Not that I’m complaining, because it still is
a very large and beautiful mission even with the main chapel in ruins. Its just unusual.
Capistrano’s motto is “Worth a Visit” (it may be the only
mission to have a motto as well as a nickname).
It is indeed, despite the crowds and the price. The gardens are gorgeous, The rooms are full
of interesting displays and exhibits.
The Great Stone Chapel is amazing, even in its ruined state. The Father Serra Chapel (still intact) is
ornate. In short, it is worth a visit.
After the mission, we walked over to the Los Rios Historical
District, which is a small neighborhood of very old buildings on Los Rios
Street. They have nearly all been
converted to restaurants and gift shops, but they were still quaint and
historic despite the changes. We ate at
one of the restaurants on the street, which served pretty good Greek food.
On the way out of town, we found a bakery. They say they were voted best bakery in
Capistrano, so we’re hopeful that tomorrow’s breakfast will be delicious!
Tonight we are camped in San Onofre State Park, just outside
of San Clemente. It is quite the change
from last night. There are very few
campers here, the sites are large, the setting is quiet, and the view is
scenic. We are on the bluffs, about a
mile from the ocean. The only shortfall is that there is no wireless signal of
any kind.
Today’s route: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2875326
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