The Mission Mission - Part 4
Part 4 of the trail starts with San Miguel Arcangel just a bit north of Paso Robles. It's probably one of the easiest Missions to find as it is right next to the freeway. In fact, coming from the South, the bell tower is clearly visible from Highway 101. At the time of my visit they were in the middle of what looked like a major reconstruction/building project so maybe in a year or so I'll visit again. Even so there was plenty see with what was currently there. Next up is San Antonio de Padua. This ones a tough one to find. It's about 30 miles off the freeway (through some beautiful wooded canyons) and located behind a military base. In fact you have to enter the base to get to it. It's located in a valley tucked into the Coastal Range of mountains and I was told that during most springs the valley is covered in wildflowers. This one is close enough to where I live that a day trip would be possible some spring (possibly in conjunction with the previous Mission?). There are plenty of outdoor ruins of old structures, gardens and a good museum to explore. This set finishes with one of the more modest Missions, Nuestra Senora de la Soledad. I'll admit this was my first stop on this project and I was a bit concerned that if they were all as modest as this one that the project was going to be a bust. It was still interesting even if a bit modest in scope.
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