I just have to share some of my photos from my trip to southern California a few weeks ago. This is Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside. I am a native Californian, and one of the things I love about the state's history are all of the Spanish missions. I visit one whenever I have the chance.
I beleive Mission San Luis Rey was the last of the missions founded in California, and was also the largest and the richest of the California missions, called the "King of the Missions". This was my first visit to San Luis Rey, and I was not disappointed.
The day we visited was bright and sunny, the sky a beautiful blue, which made the white stucco of the mission absolutely glow.
I find the history of the missions to be very interesting. The following is excerpted from about.com on the California Missions, if you love getting new information as much as I do.
The California Missions were started by a Spanish king (I don't know which one), seeking to create permanent settlements in the new world. The decision was political, as well as religious, in that Spain wanted to gain a foothold in California before Russia did.
In 1769, Spanish explorer Gaspar de Portola and Father Junipero Serra made their first expedition to establish the California missions. All were established near the coast, and they were located to be a day's walk apart. Over a period of 54 years, 21 California missions were established by the Spanish, spanning 650 miles along the El Camino Real (or "The Road of Royalty", I believe is how El Camino Real translates).
The missions were meant to be self-reliant communities, raising different crops and livestock.
When Mexico gained independence from Spain, they could not afford to support the California missions, and in 1834, Mexico decided to secularize the missions and sell the land. A few missions remained in the hands of the Spanish Catholic fathers, but many others were used for all kinds of other purposes. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln returned all the mission lands to the Catholic church, but by then many of the California missions were in ruins.
In the twentieth century, many of the neglected California Spanish missions were restored, or rebuilt. Most of them are still active parish churches today, and they have excellent museums and interesting ruins.
If you have the opportunity to visit any of the California Missions, do it. There's something there for everyone, even if it's just a beautiful place to take a load off.
A listing can be found here. And more of my photos can be found here.