Mission Soledad was founded in 1791 by the Franciscan order and is located near the city of Soledad in the Salinas Valley. Surrounded by lush farmland and more recently upscale wineries, Mission Soledad is definitely worth a visit; it's the 13th mission in California's 21 mission chain. One of the chief purposes of this mission was to facilitate travel between Mission San Carlos de Borromeo de Carmelo and Mission San Antonio de Padua, but during its peak years it was a center for livestock - mostly cattle and sheep herds. Unfortunately, it became the victim of numerous floods and was pretty much destroyed and left in a state of disrepair until renovations began in 1954.
Since this particular mission is a bit off the beaten path, it's not exactly swarming with tourists like some of the other missions are. As we strolled around the immaculate grounds, we really felt a sense of solitude and remoteness.
1 comment:
I wish this mission would get enough funds to do a little "refurbishing" or at least clean up, don't you think?
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