Sunday Road Trip - La Purisima Mission
The Sunday Road Trip is a new occasional feature I'm starting today. I've spent the last 3+ years showing, almost exclusively, what can be found within the city limits. But that is only part of the appeal of Monrovia. This is California after all.
The great thing about living here is the close proximity to so many fun, beautiful and interesting places to see and visit. Close proximity is the key here. These will all be places that you can get to and back in one day. One day off is all it takes.
The first trip is the La Purisima Mission in Lompoc, CA. The Mission, founded in 1787, is a true piece of California history. It's also my favorite of the California Missions. This is a huge place. 25 miles of hiking trails on almost 1,928 acres. I've been twice and spent the whole time taking photos. Barely explored a fraction of the grounds so far.
The church is on the left in the photo above. On the right is a portion of one of two very large buildings. These buildings have several rooms that have been re-created to depict different aspects of life from the early 1800's. Some of the rooms you can enter, come you view through windows.
Road Trip details:
La Purisima Mission website.
Mileage (From Monrovia): 165 miles.
Travel time (approximate): 2 hours 45 minutes one way.
This is not just a good destination but a really nice drive. Once you get above Ventura, much of the drive is along the ocean. Lots of rolling hills and wide open spaces. A beautiful area.
Side trips: The mission is only about 20 minutes from the Danish town of Solvang. Solvang is also the home to Old Mission Santa Ines, another of the California Missions.
Comments
I like your idea of a Sunday road trip...look forward to exploring more.