California
California's Mission Trail
In 1769, worried about other competition for its northernmost holdings in the New World, the Spanish Crown gave Franciscan Padre Junípero Serra and his eventual successor, Father Fermín Francisco de Lasuén, a mission: To found a string of Catholic churches along the wild, windswept and often hostile California coastline.. (more)
Detour: Solvang
Perhaps the agribusiness and military towns of the dusty Santa Ynez Valley seem a little too down-to-Earth for the less intrepid traveler. Where are the historic downtowns? The antiques? The theme? (more)