We loved our visit to the Mission. The girls ran crazy through the gardens, smelled more flowers than they ever have, picked fruit from trees and explored the old mission. The staff was really welcoming and even picked some fruit for the girls. Then, the girls carried the fruits for hours.

Here are a few cute snapshots of the girls during our most recent adventure:

The Mission’s history is pretty interesting, here’s a quick run down:

• Mission San Juan Capistrano was founded on All Saint’s Day, November 1, 1776; one of twenty-one missions founded in Alta California by the Spanish to spread Christianity
• Over the next 30 years, Mission San Juan Capistrano grew to 1,000 people, over 10,000 head of cattle, and The Great Stone Church
• In 1821, Mexico won its independence from Spain. Within the next 14 years, the Mexican government decided to end the mission system entirely
• In 1845, Governor Pio Pico even sold the Mission to his brother for $710 although it was worth $54,000
• In 1848, the US conquered Mexico and California ceded. The government eventually returned the churches to the Catholic Church. United States won the Mexican American War in 1848
• By the 1900s, Charles Lummis and resident padre Father John O’Sullivan formed and funded the The Landmarks Club. The work continues…