Little Miss Sunshine in CA, Pt. 4

Part of 4 of Little Miss Sunshine (aka Christy) in California begins at the San Juan Capistrano Mission. The three of us stopped by there for a visit as we headed back to San Diego from the Chateau Marmont. From the plaque outside:

Founded in 1776 by Padre Junipero Serra, the seventh in the chain of twenty-one missions established in Alta California to Christianize and civilize the Indians. Stone church destroyed in 1812 earthquake. Expropriated during Mexican rule. Returned to Catholic Church in 1865 by proclamation of President Abraham Lincoln. Historical Landmark No. 200, California State Park Commission.

This is one of the most beautiful California missions I have been to, and one that I have photographed many times over the years since May 2007. Below is a shot from that first visit:



It would appear from this current image I took that the bougainvillea ate the statue:



Christy captured me assuming my usual stance:



The resulting shot:



I’m a sucker for a good archway photo:



Candles inside Father Serra’s Church at the Mission:







Jorge was very careful not to grind or stand on the stone:





With another meal calling, it was time for us to bid farewell to the Mission and complete our trip home. There were also naps to be had. It had been a busy weekend!



A quiet night at home sounded good to both of us, so we made a quick trip to Pop Pie in South Park for grub. So many good choices!



Holding the bounty of both salty and sweet:



The Shag Disneyland trays came out for the occasion:



The movie of choice was “The Morning After” (1986), a psychological thriller starring Jeff Bridges and an Oscar nominated Jane Fonda. Christy was dying to watch “Burlesque” (2010) but I talked her out of it. Insert laughing emoji.



Next up: Pollo Fundidos in Old Town!



See more Capistrano photos at my main website.

Return to Capistrano, January 1959

How about a visit back to the Mission at San Juan Capistrano, circa January 1959? Actually, these are most likely from December 1958 as one of the slides in the batch shows Christmas decor. In case you weren’t sure where these were taken, this little boy is helpfully pointing out the obvious.



Any vintage auto fans out there less lazy than me and able to identify the vehicle in the parking lot?



Once inside, this little boy quickly makes a new friend. Obviously, “The Birds” has not been released yet.



For all you signage geeks:



A few more shots of the interior grounds of the Mission:



This kid could have been a bird wrangler for Hitchcock:



You can apparently feed the pigeons…as long as you buy the food on premises!





And now for a few other “mystery” slides that were in the same batch. This Main Street, U.S.A. was not too difficult to figure out.



Zooming in, I can see Highway 101 with markers for L.A. and San Francisco, as well as a marking on the curb for E. Montecito Street. Yes, this is downtown Montecito, circa 1959.



I see Pep Boys and some Hotel blah blah blah....wonder if it’s still there?



Not sure about this one; most likely somewhere along the same journey.



You can see a Standard Gas Station on the right in this dirty detail view:



…and another road shot:



Downtown L.A.?



This last one was date stamped July 1959. No idea on this one.



See more Mission San Juan Capistrano photos at my main website.

The Birdwoman of Capistrano

Today’s journey of the Mission at San Juan Capistrano begins with an establishing shot (so cinematic) of the entrance, circa 1957. Love the vintage auto in the middle! Looks like someone drove all the way from Virginia to see the Mission.

The next few shots came from a batch of vintage images where the family actually wrote on the cardboard mount with dates and other helpful info. My kind of peeps! 

This one is “Mom and Sis, 1954.”

From May 26, 1955: “Sis and May in the Courtyard of the Mission.”

Same date: “Sis and Her Friends.” Sis doesn’t look to comfortable.

This one is labeled, “Sis feeding the Swallows, May 26, 1955.” Someone should tell Sis that these aren’t swallows. They look more like pigeons or doves. Bird experts?

This one is “Sis and Her ‘Burds.’” Apparently, “Burd” is a slang word meaning a female woman or girl. The things I learn here…incredible.

Same day, a different pose. This one is Six and Moxie .

From another batch of vintage images comes this shot of two maidens at the Mission from 1952.

Zooming in for a closer view:

In case you were wondering, the statue of St. Junipero Serra is still there:

But…it has been moved inside to the Sala Building in June 2020 as a precaution to prevent vandalism. How sad that after eighty years in the same place, the statue is no longer safe from stupidity.

See more San Juan Capistrano photos at my main website.

Back to Capistrano

Like the swallows, I finally returned to the Mission at San Juan Capistrano. Whereas they come back every year, my cycle appears to be once every ten years. Hard to believe since I pass it almost monthly on a regular basis as I lumber in the traffic of I-5. Founded in 1776 by Padre Junipero Serra, it is the seventh of the twenty-one missions that dot the California landscape, and definitely one of the most famous.



I'm going to let this shot count towards my light fixture obsession.



The red glow from the votive candles had me mesmerized.











Next time you are traveling along the I-5, take the time to exit and visit this amazing landmark.

More Capistrano photos at my main website.