Summer Road Trip- Excuse Me, I'm looking For Zorro.

 After loving and spending so much time in Capistrano, I knew the next mission on my list to visit would have to be different. I had read that they had filmed some of the old Zorro tv series episodes where I was headed. And I was right- from the time I arrived. Mission San Luis Rey de Francia (Mission of Saint Louis, King of France), sits on one of those golden, rolling, inland California hills that are fairly bare except for a huge oak here and there. The Mission is perfectly white. Now everyone together, "Out of the night, when the full moon is bright, rides a horseman known as Zorro!"

As I got out of my car, I saw a man dressed in a monk's outfit and thought, "Oh, it's a living history museum, like This Is The Place or Williamsburg." Nope. It was a working mission with nuns, monks, priests an active cemetery and religious retreats.

The historic church was ornate, with life-sized statues of saints. For Amanda, why aren't LDS chapels more ornate? Can you imagine what everyone would be doing in a chapel full of statues and paintings and gold leaf and carvings? I know what I'd be doing- staring at all of them, counting the cherubs, naming the cherubs, making up imaginary cherub adventures...you get the idea.

The cemetery was pretty, with statues, a fountain and a creepy wall carving over the main gate.

 I couldn't get to the gardens, because they were in the Retreat area, but I took what pictures I could, standing behind the fence. They were amazing. "This bold renegade carves a "Z" with his blade. A "Z" that stands for Zorro!"

I could totally picture this as a place where Zorro would hang out- I'm glad I stopped!