Adventure 49/101, Mission 04 - San Antonio de Padua

Capture California, the Game-2012

Adventure: 101 - 04 : Mission San Antonio de Padua, 3rd mission

Team: Thing One, Thing Two

Date:  August 12, 2012

Location: Jolon

Description:

If you like your California missions hot, dry and remote, then this mission is for you. We drove for at least 30 minutes—23 miles according to the highway sign—to get to here. Not only was it the distance, but the drive itself was interesting. You wandered through the hills of the coastal range. Through the dry grasses and the magnificent oaks. And then you enter Fort Hunter-Liggett army base—the road skirts around any check points. Through all of this, on our fine summer day, not a drop of water shown up either on the land or on the dry creek beds. And did I say hot? By the time we got to the mission, the temperature gauge on our car said 108.

But surprisingly enough, this mission was one which was pretty enjoyable. All missions we have gone to have a gift-curio shop and this one was the same as most, catering mostly to the devout with a few tourist nick-nacks. The grounds are dry, even the rose garden looks like it was not robust-but there were olive trees doing well. But the breezeway and the inside of the church was cool. The inside of the church reflected the need for refreshment wth its wealth of symbolism of things above.

From California From Wikipedia site:
In 1894, roof tiles were salvaged from the property and installed on the Southern Pacific Railroad depot located in Burlingame, California, one of the first permanent structures constructed in the Mission Revival Style.

The 1965 horror film Incubus was partly filmed at the Mission. The writer and director, Leslie Stevens, concerned that the Mission authorities would not allow the film to be shot there because of the subject matter, concocted a cover story that the film was called Religious Leaders of Old Monterey, and presented a script that was about monks and farmers. He was helped in this deception by the fact that the film was shot entirely in Esperanto.

The Mission San Antonio de Padua is one of the designated tour sights of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, a National Park Service unit in the United States National Historic Trail and National Millennium Trail programs. A Brochure Map for driving and detailed Anza Maps by County, with a Historical destinations-events Guide and the official NPS: Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail website are all available for information about the historic 1776 Juan Bautista de Anza trail places.

From California Missions Resource Center site:

Mission Bells: Each side of the facade includes a square bell tower, both of which have one bell. The 3rd and largest bell, which is original, is at the center of the arcade, over the largest arch.

Mission Art: The walls of this charming church boast painted decorations painted by the mission Indians. Behind the altar is a large bultro of the arcángel San Miguel, with extended wings and just below, the bultro of the church patron, San Antonio.

Special Attraction: The extensive restoration and unspoiled setting of San Antonio de Padua makes this one of the most picturesque missions in California. It has an extensive museum with a number of exhibits displaying various aspects of daily life at the mission. The site also boasts the most complete, and largely unrestored, Mission-era water control system in California.

Interesting Facts: 

The first Catholic wedding to take place in California occurred here in 1773 between a Salinan Indian woman named Margaretta de Cortona and Spanish solider Juan Maria Ruiz.
Two figure heads from colonial frigates were brought by sailors. They stand in a display outside the arcade of the mission.
San Antonio de Padua was the first Alta California mission with a fired-tile or teja roof, and the very first with over 1,000 neophytes
San Antonio de Padua was known for the excellence of its music. Displays in the museum show musical notations on the walls and a large diagram of hand signals used to teach the neophytes.
For over three decades the mission has been the site of an annual archaeologicl field school directed by Dr. Robert Hoover of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

From California State Parks site:

Located 40 miles north of Paso Robles this picturesque mission is nestled in the grasslands and oak trees of the San Antonio Valley. Named for a saint known as the 'miracle worker', it was dedicated in 1771 by Father Serra. The church is known for its campanario and archway bells, and is today largely restored to its original condition. The fertile soil, water and climate produced excellent wheat and pasture for herds of cattle and horses. The valley comes alive with wildflowers each spring when poppies, lupines and the Golden Blazing Star begin to bloom.
 Mission Creek Rd., Jolon, 93928, (831) 385-4478