One of our main reasons for wanting to visit SLO was to go to the mission. Neither of us had been to a mission other than San Juan Capistrano and Santa Clara but we often talk about fourth grade history class and our textbook, "Oh, California!" (Come on, I know some of you remember that book too!)
I remember the unit on the missions very well and look forward to the day when I can help my ten year old build a mission out of sugar cubes. (Who doesn't?) Anyways, it is our goal to eventually hit up each of the 21 mission sites.
On Friday morning, we headed over to our first: Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa. It was the fifth mission in California and was founded in 1772 by Fr. Junipero Serra.
The mission sits on the creek that runs through the city and holds a simple purity that is beautiful.
The structures have been refurbished but are original and many of the stone walls date back to the 1700's.
The gardens in the courtyard are peaceful and bloom beautifully in the springtime. The pergola had grape vines growing on it!
The thing that Corey and I found the most interesting was the story of the last mission bell ringer. He was trained to do the job by a Native American in the late 1800's and did the job for 68 years until his death. To learn to ring the missions bells took two years of training with different patterns for celebrations, baptisms, weddings, funerals and infant funerals among others.
One mission down, twenty to go!
4 comments:
Cute pics! I went there for a wedding once!
I loved learning about the California missions! I have been to San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ines, Santa Barbara, and San Diego and I love them all! I love your mission pics. I wish I could go there. I am EXTREMELY jealous that I won't be making a mission out of sugar cubes with my ten-year-old.
I never made a mission out of sugar cubes...what the hell!
Good 'ol Catholic school! I remember using parsley for bushes and trees!
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