164 - California Missions
Looking for a warm and dry destination for a mid-winter photo break? This newsletter covers a trip up California’s El Camino Real. Back in 1769 the king of Spain sent a party of Franciscan Friars to expand the Spanish empire into Alta California. From the Mexican border northward, they were instructed to convert the native tribes they encountered to their religion and teach them agriculture and recruit them for the task of building their missions. The crusade from San Diego north to Sonoma, California lasted until 1823 and it created 21 missions, spaced about thirty-miles apart. Most of the missions have become the start of communities like San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Jose and San Francisco. Each mission has its own story and can provide history lessons and photo opportunities amid the oldest architecture in California. You’ll photograph lush gardens planted over a hundred years ago. Visit them one-at-time or plan a two-week trip to photograph them all.
