Guajome County Park, Oceanside, CA
From the ocean-side fence of the Aliso RestArea on I-5S c5.8 miles north of Oceanside looking northwest. Much of what you see is part of the Joseph H. Pendleton Marine Corps training base.
Looking due west from the Aliso Creek Rest area there appears to be either a fog bank or an island directly offshore. [Click 1 or 2 times to zoom in.] Checking out a 2010 Rand-McNalley atlas that island is Santa Catalina if this shot is due west or San Clemente if it's a view to the southwest.
Just to the left of the post there is something on the horizon; whether it is a large ship or part of San Clemente Island is unclear.
Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, dedicated to Louis IX of France. There is some debate [see Links below] as to whether a left bell tower was to be built. Or was it built and then lost to an earthquake?
A monument dedicated in 1996 to the 500 Mormons who volunteered to join the US Army and march to California to aid in protecting American's settlers and interests there. [Click 1 or 2 times to enlarge.]
In my travels through the Mother Lode in Tuolumne County I seem to recall another monument to the Mormon Batallion which spoke of their discovery of gold not too far from Tuttletown at a spot now call Mormons' Gulch. [See Links below.]
If I counted correctly, there are 10 agaves in bloom, perhaps the most I can recall seeing bloom at the same time. Of course, in Central California they are called Century Plants because they allededly take nearly 100 years to bloom. However, agaves bloom as often as annually to every 50 years. [See links below.]
Another view of the mission along with what appears to be a large oak tree. Now that I think of the several missions I've photographed (or seen before I began traveling), most of them face south with perhaps a few facing west; but I cannot think of a single mission which faces north or east. Perhaps solar warming of the entrance of the mission was a factor in how the missions were built.
A closer view of the front of the mission as well as the fountain between it and the large oak tree.
Just as many agaves were blooming, the catctus plant in the center of the photos was loaded with buds. [Click 1 or 2 times to enlarge]
An "Old Salt" was responsible for the old pepper tree represented on the plaque to the right as well as in the next photo.
The rose garden between this arch and the pepper tree is indeed well-tended.
The docent working the museum in the mission itself told me it was OK to take a photo as long as I didn't use a flash; but I told her that I did not know how to turn the flash off. So I suggested that she close her eyes while I took this photo. She was a good sport, especially after she learned we were both descendants of ancestors from Eire.
The mission's cemetery is apparently being used by the parrish church, which is to the right as one looks at the mission.
As the old line goes, "People are just dying to get in here" -- and their relatives are paying a "pretty penny" for these gravesites.
Unlike like the Soledad Mission (see post immediately below), where a former governor of California when it was controlled by Spain is buried, it appears that these sites are for more recent decedents.
As I was about to take this photo, two cars drove up; and by the time I took the shot, there was less of a reflection of the sun on Mission San Luis Rey de Francia's white-washed facade.
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Links:
- Wikipedia article on Mission San Luis Rey
- Website on the retrofitting of Mission San Luis Rey
- Wikipedia article on The Mormon Battalion
- Russian Misinformation site with an entry on Century Plants
T 24 Jan Actual Route: Simi Valley - Pomona - Orange - Yorba Linda - Anaheim Hills
W 25 Jan Actual Route: Anaheim Hills
Th 26 Jan Actual Route: Anaheim Hills - Huntington Beach - Anaheim Hills - Chino (Prado Regional Park)
F 27 Jan Actual Route: Prado Lake - Chino - Yorba Linda - Placentia - Anaheim Hills
Sa 28 Jan Actual Route: Anaheim Hills - Yorba Linda - Brea - Fullerton - Santa Ana - Newport Beach - Balboa Beach - Laguna Beach - Camp Pendleton - Aliso Crk Rest Area
Su 29 Jan Actual Route: Aliso Crk Rest Area - Oceanside - Mission San Luis Rey - Guajome County Park
M 30 Jan Actual Route: Guajome County Pk - Oceanside - Guajome County Pk
T 31 Jan Actual Route: Guajome County Pk - Oceanside - Escondido - Dixon Lake Park
W 1 Feb Actual Route: Dixon Lake Park - Oceanside - Encinitas - San Ysidro - Chula Vista
Th 2 Feb Actual Route: Chula Vista - San Diego Mission - Santee - El Cajon
F 3 Feb Actual Route: El Cajon - Ramona - Dos Picos County Park
Sa 4 Feb Actual Route: Dos Picos County Park - Ramona - Santa Ysabel - Juian - Powder Wash (Anza-Borrego Desert State Park)
Su 5 Feb Route: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park - Ocotillo Wells - Salton City
M 6 Feb Route: Salton City - Coachella - LaQunita
Finding Campgrounds:
- RV Campgrounds from TrailerLifeDirectory.com
- Family Camping Directories from Woodalls.com
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