The first real rain that this area of California has had in three years happened last night and it was a downpour! However, according to the weather guy, this was the weaker of the two storms so I’m supposed to have a day of decent weather before the REAL storm hits. I’m going to take advantage of the day to head inland to the missions at San Luis Obispo and San Miguel before hunkering down in Greenfield for the storm. Rain is usually not an issue for me, but lots of rain and heavy winds tend to make driving a motorhome less than pleasurable so I’m going to try and sit the worst of this one out. Travelling between Lompoc and San Luis Obispo is again weaving in and around the hills and valleys of the coast range before opening up into the San Luis Obispo River Valley. The town of San Luis Obispo sits at the head of the valley, right by the base of the mountains. I was pleasantly surprised by the town and will probably return at some time for a more in-depth look. The downtown area is vibrant and alive with a great mix of retail and restaurants in restored buildings. It reminded me a lot of downtown Walla Walla with lots of trees. This is another urban mission with the main drag only a block away and across a creek from the mission (which makes it easy for a walking visit!) It also has the classiest “Ross Dress for Less” that I have ever seen…
Just down the street from Ross I do one of my “look both ways” picture sets of the main downtown area.
Still no Dollar Store in sight, but at least a Ross Dress for Less! Just a block south of the corner in the picture to the right is the mission. There really are no grounds to speak of remaining from the original mission lands as the mission is surrounded by a creek side park, historic residential buildings and a school. Yet, it is still a striking setting. The picture below is taken from the sidewalk in front of the mission.
This is obviously a healthy, modern parish that has been in constant use throughout the years and seen many modifications. The traditional quadrangle design is loosely interpreted here, with the central plaza mostly a parking lot and the sides now housing a youth center, senior center, and housing for the fathers. Yet the ghost of the original mission remains. The interior of the church is beautifully restored again with painted frescoes instead of expensive wood carvings forming the primary means of decoration. An addition to the main church was added over the years so now, in order to accommodate the large numbers of worshipers, the church has two perpendicular wings with the altar at the center. The addition blends seamlessly into the main church and really the only indication that it is an addition is that the altar and pulpit are focused in the direction of the original church rather than the side addition and the choir loft sits above the original main door.
Note again the evolving simplicity of the decorations in the missions as we move farther north along the El Camino Real. Extensive frescoes are painted on the walls rather than carved wood panels and oil paintings, both of which would have been very expensive to transport into the interior of California from Mexico and/or Spain.
Because the mission was actively used and evolved over time as needs required, it really does not have the all-encompassing historical feel that many of the other missions have. A small museum houses some relics of by-gone eras but it’s clear that the function is of a modern church reaching the needs of current people while still respecting the heritage of its past. Different feel but still very interesting.
The contrast between San Luis Obispo and San Miguel couldn’t be more striking. Upon leaving San Luis Obispo you quickly rise up and over a rugged mountain range and descend into a valley that starts with several sizable towns (Atascadero and Paso Robles) and over a small ridge emerges into a part of the valley that is clearly not prosperous. San Miguel is a little, bedraggled collection of run down house and businesses strung out along the old highway with a couple of modern residential subdivisions whose residents must be commuting to nearby Paso Robles because I can’t see anything much that would have jobs around here.
The Mission San Miguel reflects the community in that it appears that it is being lovingly maintained with minimal attempt at restoration, thus giving the visitor one of the more realistic atmospheres for exploring the history of the mission. A simple mission built in the traditional quadrangle shape around a central plaza, visitors only have access to the front wing and the church, the rest of the buildings surrounding the quadrangle are not open to tourists and, looking from the covered corridor on the side that you get to walk through, they do not seem to have been restored in anyway. Again, the dry climate has undoubtedly helped the preservation of the original buildings. From across the old highway you see the front wing of the quadrangle and the church, which forms the right wing.
The tourist entrance is to the left of the large tree and sets the feeling of the visit right away. The central interior plaza is large but clearly not “professionally” landscaped like some of the others I have seen, again contributing to the “real” feeling.
The church again displays the long, narrow design and is richly decorated with colorful frescoes. It’s amazing that the frescoes have survived in such great condition with the colors still vibrant. Interesting fact, the paints used in the frescoes were made from cactus juice and ground-up local minerals.
A large triangle of land immediately south of the mission quadrangle was originally enclosed with a mud brick wall, most of which is still very much around. I know I’ve said this before, but it’s amazing how the dry climate has contributed to the natural preservation of these remains. The triangle comes to a point with a small bell tower anchoring the corner. I’m leaning over the wall as I take the picture looking southwest. You can see from the sky above that there was a nice break between storms but the horizon tells me that the deluge is approaching. Augie and I head to our next stop, Greenfield, where there’s no mission but a nice RV park with good wifi that will be a good spot to last out the worst of the storm. Remember, we’re not camping out in a tent. The Lunch Box is a cozy place to hole up in with electricity, satellite TV and internet. This is not roughing it by any stretch of the imagination, and that’s just fine with me! But, imagine my surprise when I pull into the RV park (which is mostly empty this time of year) and before my eyes is a veritable gaggle of Lazy Dazes! I have never seen so many in one place in my life, not even when we visited the factory in Montrose. Had to take a picture!
Buying a Lazy Daze is almost like joining a cult as they are somewhat of a specialty item, and there are various groups that you can join. This happens to mostly be the “Northern Exposure” group, based in Northern California, and they were sponsoring this gathering. Advertised on the Lazy Daze group on Yahoo, I have seen there “rallies” talked about before, but never participated in one. As soon as we pulled in and I got out to hook up the utlities, a group descended on me to check us out and invite me to come over later that evening to the rv park clubhouse for an ice cream social and some bingo. How could I pass that up! While I am clearly one of the younger participants, there were a couple of other people around my age, including a single retired school teacher from Missouri. We all had a good time and it was a nice break from the solitary lifestyle (yes, Augie is valued company but he just can’t quite yell out “Bingo!”)
Next up: Heading towards Monterey Bay but first exploring the last two interior missions.
Post a Comment