San Juan Capistrano Mission

In the 29+ years that I have lived/grown up in Southern Orange County I have never visited the San Juan mission.  Not even all the years I works blocks down the road! So last weekend my day, Clark and I visited the San Juan Capistrano Mission. 

Cool audio tours.  They even had a kids version of it, and Clark liked it!

Papi teaching at his finest!

A "little" more serious!

Papi teaching Clark about how the walls were made. 

Previous wood structure for the building. 

And no more pictures from him!

Awesome iron work!

This is a big stone that Native Americans would grind acorn seeds in to make acorn meal. The audio tour had interviews of people who had grown up in the mission as kids.  So many times you go to places that are known for their age, but seldom do you get to hear first hand interviews from people that lived in the place you were visiting.  This was probably one of my favorite parts of visiting the mission. 

So you had an idea of how big the holes were. 

 

And then right after, he stepped into the hold and almost tripped.

Clark showing us a grinding bowl. 

Teeny tiny horsies!

The swallows left the mission when they were doing restoration work, this is evidence that they are starting to return. 

Teeny tiny door. 

If there is a horse, I need to take a picture with it!

Brands for the different cattle that traveled through the area. 

Either a vat or cellar of some kind. 

Original wall. 

The Kitchen!

What remains of the winery. 

Multi-tasking. 

This is a series of Vats used for tanning cow hides. 

Then they would spread and stretch the hide and let it dry out. 

Fossils!

Awesome tree!

So cute!

Remains of the original mission. 

Clark was definitely done taking pictures and I was trying to get one last one from him. 

Making picture taking fun!

Family Picture!

Smelling the flowers!