Driving South, Day 4

It was a little easier to leave Monterey, CA on our way to Ventura, CA with the sun hidden behind a thick cloud layer. Five miles inland, however, and we were back to sunshine which we drove in all the way to San Miguel (actually all the way to Ventura) where we stopped in at the Mission San Miguel Arcángel. This mission was founded in 1767 and was the sixteenth mission of the twenty-one along the El Camino Real.

Today, the mission is still used as a center for training youth who wish to become Franciscans so much of the grounds are off limits to the public. What is available for public viewing includes the entry shown here, an ancient cemetery, the recently restored sanctuary, and what is generally considered one of the best authentically preserved interiors of any mission in the California system. The exterior was hot, but the interior spaces were cool thanks to the foot thick walls, which also created quite a hush as we walked through the excellent museum.