Pirates and other lore await on the California Mission Trail

April 18, 2:11 PMGold Coast Community ExaminerJulie Carobini

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Economy holding you back from the usual family vacation this year?  If you live along the Gold Coast, this could be the perfect year to travel the California mission trail, where cost is low and history…plentiful.

Here are a few facts to find along your way:

Discover which mission’s inhabitants hid from pirates.

Learn where an American Indian school was operated for seventeen years.

Find out which mission now uses a former blacksmith shop as a chapel.

Uncover which one celebrates the arrival of swallows every year.

And which priest and Native Americans had to flee the mission to avoid being swept up in a tidal wave?

Below are some of the missions that have been in California for far more than a century. All are within a short drive of the sea and provide a rich look into yesteryear.  Open to the public, they offer a plethora of activities for your summer vacation at far less the cost of a theme park. Many offer special events, such as historical re-enactments and cultural performances. You may also find audio or group tours, fun exhibits and tour booklets (especially good reference material for 4th grade students studying California history).

Be sure to visit each mission’s website for more details of what they offer.  Happy trails!

Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala - San Diego

Mission San Juan Capistrano – San Juan Capistrano

Mission San Buenaventura -- Ventura

Old Mission Santa Barbara – Santa Barbara

Old Mission Santa Inés (aka Ynez) – Solvang

Mission La Purisima – Lompoc

Mission San Luis Obispo – San Luis Obispo

Mission San Carlos Borromeo – Carmel by the Sea

Mission Santa Cruz – Santa Cruz