Mission San Juan Capistrano

[Mikey]

The Fetching One and I chose to celebrate our wedding anniversary by taking the train down to San Juan Capistrano where we enjoy shopping in the antique stores and visiting the historic Mission and the adjacent historical areas.  The Spanish built 21 missions from San Diego to just north of San Francisco.  You do watch Zorro don't you?     Each mission was roughly a 20 mile journey and many were both religious and military outposts. 

We took the southbound Amtrak Surfliner out of the Fullerton Station












After we arrived we ate lunch in the old historic area just on the other side of the tracks.  This view is from the patio of where we had lunch looking across the tracks.


After lunch we walked around a bit in the historic area  where we saw this very old and gnarly Pepper Tree




The Romneya poppy aka the Matilija poppy is a California native and large bushes with these large lovely flowers grow wild near the railroad tracks.


Lion's tail


Entrance to Mission San Juan Capistrano


Inside Mission San Juan Capistrano




There are two fountains inside the mission grounds.






The Great Stone Church was in the shape of a cross and was 180’ x 40’.  A nearby 7.0 earthquake occurred during mass in 1812, collapsing the bell tower, ceiling and walls, killing the 40 worshippers inside.






The mission is famous for the swallows that used to build their nests there.  Every March the swallows return from the south and build mud nests.  The mission used to be popular because it was the only tall structure around, however, urbanization has cause the swallows to now nest elsewhere as there are many other man-made structures that they prefer, including two story homes and freeway overpasses.  The nests in the below photo appear to be man-made but the nest in the second photo appears to have been made by swallows.














The second fountain






After touring the mission we did our antique shopping thing in this huge antique shop just down the road from the mission.  I got off cheap this year as the Fetching Mrs. Mikey only bought one relatively inexpensive item. 


We finished up the day having dinner at a steakhouse located in some old train cars and then caught the Surfliner back home…

[Jerry]

You two now how to have fun. Nice trip!

[jclements]

Stunning photographs and congratulations on your anniversary!

After my trip to Anaheim a few years ago, I took that train to San Diego for a vacation, it was wonderful! We're actually going to vacation in the Seattle area for a few days prior to my meeting this summer in Vancouver and will take the Amtrak cascades up to Vancouver. Definitely looking forward to it!

Congratulations again!

[Julles]

That's great that you can get there so quickly and effortlessly, via train.

They sure have some stunning and colorful landscaping, for being in essentially a desert.

Thanks for sharing!

[Kittyzee]

What a beautiful, old mission--thanks for a quick history lesson.  Those plants are beautiful and so unusual to a mid-westerner--I don't think I recognized any of them!     That poppy was gorgeous and those red blooms just stunning--set in the back drop of a hot, sunny desert.  Thanks for taking us along!

[miguynmkoi]

Happy Anniversary!  Fullerton sure has a nice train station.  I absolutely love those Matilija poppy growing near the railroad tracks in SJC.  I've always wanted to help trim that plant there 

I sure enjoyed your day trip!  Thanks for taking us along too!

[Indiana Karen]

Happy Anniversary............I always enjoy these trips. 

Karen

[Argos5]

Great pictures, Mike.

[reddad35]

Thanks Mike. I was there when I was 3. My parents said I was there but of course have no memory. Thanks for the tour. It was fun.