Mission San Juan Bautista, California

Steven Dutch, Professor Emeritus, Natural and Applied Sciences, Universityof Wisconsin - Green Bay

	Left: commemorating the de Anza expedition of 1775-1776. Below: Markers at the mission entrance

	Left: a bell formerly used as a historic marker on the route of the Camino Real. Below: views along the main mission building. Slight differences can be seen because the left photos were taken in 2002 and the right in 2007. This mission may convey the feel of history better than any other mission. It's in good shape but not over-restored.


	Left and below: exterior views





	Left and below, gardens on the mission grounds.

	Left: a cocky local resident.
	Left: Indian grinding utinesls
	Left: restored sitting room in the convent.
	Left: entrance to the church.
	Left and below: interior views of the church.



	Below: not only is the mission attractive, but the town itself has an old-west look.



	This mission has been hammered by earthquakes. The drop-off just beyond the statue is the scarp of the San Andreas Fault. Below are some views looking down the scarp.


	Left and below; looking north (left) and south (right) along a remnant of the original Camino Real. The road runs right along the San Andreas Fault, which has formed the scarp.

San Juan Bautista has one of the few intact Spanish plazas in California.	These views pan completely around the plaza, starting with a view to the southeast.

Created 15 January 2007, Last Update 04 June 2020