This mission was founded by Fr.Junipero Serra in 1790. It has a similar history as mission San Diego. Fr. Serra started a total of nine missions in costal California. Until about 1990 swallows would yearly wing their way to the Mission of San Capistrano on March 19th,and leave October 23. When San Capistrano was reconstructed workman destroyed their nests and, even though they still return to the area, they have not returned to the mission as they use to do. A large stone church was built on the mission grounds in 1806,it was destroyed in 1812 by an earthquake. It was in the arches of the ruined church that the swallows would nest. I have a picture here of a nativity scene which has been placed in the ruins of that church. After we toured the mission(which is quite a bit larger than the mission at San Diego),we strolled the Los Rios Historic District. The street of Los Rios is the oldest continuously occupied residential street in California. It has several adobe homes on it built in the 1790s. We wandered this street at dusk when the Christmas lights were being turned on,and it suddenly struck me that we were seeing all the seasons of the year at the same time. Grass and other plants were greening up with the recent rains(spring),roses were blooming(summer),sycamore leaves were turning to a brilliant yellow(fall),and all this amid the soft glow of Christmas lights(winter); all that was yet needed was a wee dash snow!
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