Go West! Mission San Juan Buatista

Mission San Juan Bautista
(Bell wall)

All the family gathered for custom omelettes on Saturday morning at the Holiday Inn Express in Gilroy where we were booked.  We confirmed the wedding time for that evening; and while Barth and Wendy were obligated to attend rehearsal in the afternoon, that left a gap for the early afternoon for those of us not standing upfront at the evening's big event.  What to do?

I suggested a return to San Juan Bautista for a look at the Mission.  It ends up that my suggestion turned out to be quite the chick magnet kind of idea, my mom, my wife, my daughter and my sister all hopped into our car and we headed south 11 miles on Highway 101 (I guess the term now in California is "The 101").

La Mision del Glorioso Precursor de Jesu Cristo Nuestro Senor San Juan Bautista was constructed in 1797, the 15th of the 21 California missions established by the Franciscans along El Camion Real (Highway of King's). El Camion Real is now basically The 101, and the 13 word title of this mission has been reduced by the efficient Americans to merely San Juan Bautista, or even better, SJB.  We do not like too many words.  In a America we like to get to the point - which is exactly why not too many people read this blog. TLDR as they say as they tweet, "Too looong, didn't read".

The mass is still performed here, and we paid a small fee to get in to tour the courtyard garden and interior of the mission and sanctuary.

Mom, Inga, Sue and sister Sheri
Walk outsode the Mission walls in San Juan Bautista

Sue and Inga under the spreading cacti
Mission Courtyard Garden

A face that rings a bell - if yuou stand too quickly

Mission chancel and Altar

Sheri encourages our group to follow

 When I was in school in California, the 4th grade curriculum included an emphasis on the history of the California Missions established by Father Junipero Serra.  part of the lesson included building a chosen mission facade out of sugar cubes and Elmer's glue.  Unfortunately, I had chosen a facade with arches and my attempted arched facade collapsed before the glue dried.  My teacher chuckled when I reported this fact to him.  Had I attained the geologic wisdom that was to come to me in later years, I wish I would have quipped something like, "this collapsed pile of sugar cubes represents the work of the friars after an earthquake along the San Andreas Fault."

Interesting to note that Mission San Juan Bautista is located on the Pacific Plate just yards from the fault scarp of the San Andreas.  The Mission has been damages on several occasions from seismic temblors.  

The notorious San Andreas Fault is located on just
the far side of the cemetery wall.
The cultivated field is on the North American Tectonic Plate,
The photo was taken standing on the Pacific Tectonic Plate looking east.