Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Mission San Juan Capistrano
WILLIAM HELSEL / GETTY IMAGES ©
If you road-trip along the coast between San Diego and Sonoma, you'll be follow-
ing in the footsteps of early Spanish conquistadors and Catholic priests. Foremost
among them was Franciscan friar Junípero Serra, who founded many of Califor-
nia's 21 original missions in the late 18th century. Some missions, such as
San
Juan Capistrano
, have been authentically restored, with flowering gardens, stone
arcades, fountains, and chapels adorned by spiritual frescoes. Others are just the
haunting ruins of an era long past, where ghosts still pace the cloisters.
