On the Mission Trail
“It is but another instance of injustice, Fray Felipe said, the sainted Junipero Serra invaded this land when other men feared, and at San Diego de Alcala he built the first mission of what became a chain, thus giving an empire to the world. “— Johnston McCulley
Helmed by Father Junipero Serra, under the orders of King Carlos the III of Spain, the Franciscans established 21 missions that stretched across California. His goal to convert the native Californian population to Christianity making them Spanish subjects. Pope Francis canonized Father Serra for his accomplishments, saying “He learned how to bring to birth and nurture God’s life in the faces of everyone he met; he made them his brothers and sisters. Junípero sought to defend the dignity of the native community, to protect it from those who had mistreated and abused it.”
But according to Elias Castillo, a three-time Pulitzer Prize nominated journalist, this statement is anything but the truth. In his book “A Cross of Thorns: The Enslavement of California’s Indians by the Spanish Missions,” he tells a horrific tale of enslavement, torture and a complete loss of identity and way of living for the native population of California under the aegis of the missionaries led by Father Serra.
Despite how they came about, the missions survive and even thrive as centers of their community today, offering church services and attracting a host of tourists who stop by to marvel at these living examples of California’s history both good and bad.
On this beautiful summer day, I made my first stop at Serra Cross Park in Ventura. I had visited the mission previously but not the park high up on a hill overlooking the mission and the Pacific Ocean where Father Serra once planted a wooden cross that stands even today.
The view from the top of the park is outstanding. I really did pick the perfect day to enjoy the view and set the tone for my sojourn on the Mission Trail. I had to marshal every ounce of discipline I possessed to continue my day’s agenda and not stop every few miles to enjoy the view.
I drove past much visited Santa Barbara and the queen of missions that I have visited many a time previously and followed navigation to exit off the 101 and make my way through the Los Padres National Forest and the Lake Cachuma recreation area to arrive at the Mission Santa Ines. I was in Solvang last year but never realized that the Mission is right there next to the town, sandwiched between the town of Solvang and the Chumash Indian casino.
Growing up in India once a part of the British Empire and of course the Portuguese towns of Goa, Daman and Diu, I was familiar with the empire building of these two countries.
Of course, I knew that Christopher Columbus had been funded by Queen Isabella of Spain and that he ended up in the Americas instead of India but a Spanish Empire that spanned the globe? This map on the wall of a mission museum room shows you how far and how wide the Spaniards traveled.
One of the striking things about most of the Mission architecture are the beautiful tranquil gardens and the structure. Now after reading about the writings of Elias Castillo, it all sheds a much more sinister light but nevertheless it’s hard not to admire the beauty that survives.
Not far from the Santa Ines mission is La Purisima, which is a part of the California State Parks system. I know that the missions were originally established a day’s journey apart but now with our superior horsepower it only takes between 30 minutes to 45 minutes on a good day between most missions.
Unlike the formal gardens of the other missions, I found a much more rustic look and feel with native Californian vegetation. Interestingly this is a poison Ivy tree that guards the path from the parking lot to the mission.
While this mission is unique in its salmon-colored walls and a slightly different architecture, the beautiful simple chapel is very similar to others that I have seen and visited.
Lunchtime seems to have been and gone if my growling stomach was any indicator. I decided that the town of Pismo Beach and the Splash Cafe which were only 12 minutes out of my way according to my trusty navigation would be a good option.
This stop would allow me to handle my hunger pangs and also give me an opportunity to enjoy the beautiful day beachside. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to score primo parking as someone was pulling out and after a brief walk settled on an open-air patio restaurant for a delicious plate of fish and chips.
A quick walk to shake off the stiffness from the drive and enjoy the beautiful day and the sparkling blue of the ocean and off I went.
About 8 miles past Paso Robles the famous wine growing region of Central California is the beautiful Mission San Miguel Arcangel. Since it is right off the freeway exit on the 101 it’s hard to miss but nevertheless you need to watch where to make a left to park outside the mission walls.
According to the hours posted on the entrance the mission should have been open, but the gift shop was locked tight and except for a gardener no one was there to help.
After a quick wander around the areas that were open to visit, I decided to move on to the next stop on my itinerary.
The day was waning, and I was doomed to disappointment since my long drive through back roads and the military base of Fort Legget brought me to the Jolon mission which was enclosed behind closed gates with signs that said Restricted Property.
The land around here was once owned by Randolph Hearst and is now home to a military base. Since I was not going to commit a federal crime by crossing the fence, I had to content myself with pictures from the distance and call it a day.
My last stop for the day was the Soledad Mission but again the gate was padlocked and protected behind cameras. Since it was not that far from Salinas, I came back the next day when I made my trip to visit the locations around here that John Steinbeck had once visited and written about.
Like a lot of missions that I have visited the chapel was austere. Located in a very rural area, surrounded by fields and farm workers, there were not many people around the actual mission except for the young lady manning the gift shop.
Since I started my solo wandering journeys in 2021, I have been slowly but surely visiting these missions as opportunity presents itself. On my recent visit to the Salinas Valley to work in John Steinbeck’s footsteps I was able to visit the ones in Central California.
This brings me to a grand total of 19 out of the 21. 3 more to go in Northern California, San Francisco and beyond. I’ll have to incorporate these into another interesting itinerary because I do need to complete my goal of visiting them all.