Taking the Iron Horse on the Mission Trail.

Even Father Junipero probably didn't really WALK the whole way, but rode a horse or a mule.  If you don't have a mule handy, and don't have the sole of Junipero--take the train!  We won't tell.

If you do want to walk it, check out Ron Briery's maps of the entire route as he did it.  

1.      Mission San Diego de Alcalá (1769): 10818 San Diego Mission Rd., San Diego, 92108-2429, (619) 281-8449. Pacific Surfliner(San Diego)

2.      Mission San Carlos Borremeo de Carmelo (1770); 3080 Rio Rd., Carmel, 93923, (831) 624-3600. Coast Starlight (Salinas)

3.      Mission San Antonio de Padua (1771); Mission Creek Rd., Jolon, 93928, (831) 385-4478 (40 miles north of Paso Robles—Coast Starlight (Paso Robles)

Join Bredeson Outdoor Adventures for a magnificent self-guided hiking vacation in the European Alps. Two of its most spectacular and beautiful areas are combined on this trip, from the high mountain peaks and traditional huts of the Austrian Tyrol to the fairy tale castles and forested mountains of southwestern Germany’s Bavaria.  We are also offering a guided tour from June 29 - July 6, 2013 departure, or private guided tours according to your family or friends' scheduling needs.  Additional details are posted at http://www.bredeson.com/austria.

The sublime public life of a great city

 

Barcelona—once dismissed as a grimy, dull city—is now mentioned in the same breath as Paris, London and Rome as a must-see destination for anyone seeking to experience Europe at its best. What happened?

The city sports gorgeous architecture, both in the charming tangle of medieval streets and in turn-of-the-19th-Century masterpieces by Antonin Gaudi and other geniuses of the Modernisme movement. The Mediterranean Sea splashes right at its doorstep, creating a vibrant downtown waterfront where you can stroll past a harbor full of tall-mast sailboats and broad beaches crowded with stunningly well-toned sunbathers. Barcelona is ringed with mountains, laced with Parisian-style boulevards and dotted with lively nightspots.

San Rafael to S.F. Solano de Sonoma

 (Leg #20: Days #53 & 54) 

These maps follow the route described in:

CALIFORNIA MISSION WALK: A Hiker's Guide to California's 21 Missions along El Camino Real. 

by Ron Briery    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For the most part, this last leg was a nice pleasant stroll through rolling hills and small towns. The last day, however, was probably the scariest day of the whole trek. It was raining and we had to cross a long bridge on a narrow highway, later followed by narrow, curvy roads with no shoulders.