Drastic measure but they had it right.
1769 The first Catholic mission in California was dedicated. Father Junípero Serra, a Spanish Franciscan missionary, founded the first Catholic mission in California on the site of present-day San Diego. After Serra blessed his new outpost of Christianity in a high mass, the royal standard of Spain was unfurled over the mission, which he named San Diego de Alcala
I think there are 21 missions along El Camino Real: El Camino Real (Spanish; literally The Royal Road, often translated as The King's Highway) is a 600-mile (965-kilometer) commemorative route connecting the 21 Spanish missions in California (formerly the region Alta California in the Spanish Empire), along with a number of sub-missions, four presidios, and three pueblos. Historically associated with the Calle Real which terminates in Mexico City, as the former capital of New Spain and the seat of royal power for Las Californias (hence "Real"), its southern end in the modern U.S. state of California is at Mission San Diego de Alcalá and its northern terminus is at Mission San Francisco Solano in Sonoma.
I've been to San Gabriel Mission, San Louis Obispo, Capistrano and Santa Barbara Mission. Huel Houser of PBS fame did a whole segment traveling to each of the missions that are still in existence. There are a few That are no longer there. Each one is so different. They are lovely and many still hold services, mass, weddings, funerals.
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