Mission Trail Today - The California Missions

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Mission Trail Today

All photographs taken by Kenneth A. Larson. All rights reserved. © 2003 - 2013.

Select photographs of my many visits to the California Missions build by Spain and Mexico between 1769 and 1823.

#16, San Miguel Arcángel
Founded July 25, 1797
by Father Fermin Lasuen
in San Miguel

 Updated
Page

Personal Observations

Mission San Miguel Arcángel is the closest mission to Highway 101, the modern approximation of the original El Camino Real. Ironically, the next mission north in the chain, San Antonio de Padua, is the most isolated. Easily visible from the highway, my father speed past it many times refusing to stop. My wife and I had been planning for over a month to drive from Los Angeles to San Jose on Christmas day, 2003, to visit her parents. Along the way, we had planned to stop at Mission San Miguel Arcángel for the 9:00 am Christmas mass, and also stop at Mission San Antonio de Padua and Mission Nuestra Sonora de la Soledad. Only three days, almost to the hour, before our planned visit to San Miguel, on December 22, 2003, a 6.5 earthquake struck the area and seriously damaged the mission. When we arrived Christmas morning, all we could do was walk around the mission in a light rain, photographing the mission from the outside as my wife held a large umbrella over my camera. We stopped again on the return drive and while it had stopped raining, the mission was still closed with chain link fence and yellow hazzard tape blocking every entrance. Over the next several years, we visited often and in July 2009 were pleased to see scaffolding around the church. The church reopened in the fall of 2009 and we attended Easter Mass in 2010, the first Easter at the Mission since 2002. Most of the mission site is now open including what is one of the best preserved mission churches.
Photo-Art
Mission Art & Photo-Art

History

(text is in the works)
The first winery in California was at Mission San Miguel.
Incomplete updated page with more photos at www.usmissiontrail.com.

Address and Directions

775 Mission Street
San Miguel, CA 93451-0069
Telephone (805) 467-3256

From Highway 101 north: Exit Highway 101

From Highway 101 south: Exit Highway 101
Watch signs.

Photography Gallery


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1945 1945
These photographs of Mission San Miguel were taken about 1945 by Irma Larson.

On the morning of December 22, 2003, about 10:00 am, an earthquake originating about 30 miles west of Mission San Miguel Arcángel struck the area and damaged the mission. Within a few weeks, most of the museum complex reopened to the public. The church will remain closed until a seismic retrofit can be performed. We had the bad luck to have planned a visit only three days after the quake and again two days later on our return trip, while the entire site was still closed. We visited the open portion of the mission a few months later and hope to return again when the church is repaired and reopens.

It may take two to five years to repare the earthquake damage, depending on availability of funding.
Contributions to the rebuilding can be made to:

Old Mission San Miguel Parish
775 Mission Street
P.O. Box 69
San Miguel, CA 93451-0069

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Earthquakes are a part of the mission story. Few missions do not have a story to tell of damage from earthquakes. The stone church at Mission San Juan Capistrano was never rebuilt. I personally have lived through two earthquakes that damaged Mission San Fernando. With your contributions, Mission San Miguel Arcángel will rebuild and the church, described as the best preserved of the missions, will reopen.

Sources:

This web site was created because of my love and respect for the California Missions. This web site is for your benefit and I make no profit on it. A non-tax deductable donation to help cover the cost of operating this web site may be made to Kesign Design Consulting through PayPal ... donate

This page last updated 7-30-13

This site maintained by Kenneth A. Larson.
Copyright © 2003 - 2013, Kenneth A. Larson. All Rights Reserved.
Website content including photographic and graphic images may not be redistributed for use on another website.

Web Design This site is a light hearted alternative to my commercial design portfolio site. This site's only purpose is for your enjoyment. If you are in the need of a designer, please check my commercial site www.kesigndesign.com. Kesign Design Consulting


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Contact | Ken Larson | Kesign Design Consulting | K L Images | Places Earth