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Guidebook to hiking or cycling the 800 mile (1289km) California Missions Trail between San Francisco Bay and San Diego. The pilgrimage trail takes in 21 historic Spanish missions and can be completed in 50-60 walking days or 2-3 weeks cycling. With 1:100,000 mapping, route description, and details of accommodation and facilities for each stage. Ancient footpaths became connecting routes between the Spanish missions, pueblos, and presidios in the period 1769 to 1823. Over time these routes became automobile roadways and were marked with bells starting in 1906 to promote and preserve the El Camino Real. Today, the California Missions Trail follows a pedestrian route through urban cities and historic towns, through forest paths and country lanes, to each of the twenty-one historic Spanish missions.
The 800-mile California Missions Trail leads walkers and cyclists through some of the most scenic and historic sites of one of America's most beautiful states. The 21 missions, founded 200-250 years ago, are key to understanding California's history and form the spiritual and cultural landmarks of this epic journey that stretches from the North San Francisco Bay Area to San Diego, near the US/Mexico border. The route never strays more than 30 miles from the sunny Pacific Coast, touching famous California beaches at Santa Cruz, Carmel, Santa Barbara, San Clemente and Carlsbad, not to mention metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. California's diverse wine regions play a starring role, as does the vast Salinas Valley, the 'Salad Bowl of America'. This guide offers everything you'll need to make your trip of 50-60 walking days or 12-20 cycling days on this epic West Coast adventure. There is a wealth of information to help you prepare for the journey, including packing lists and transport notes. In addition to clear route description, each stage of the route includes scale maps for easy orientation and comprehensive details of facilities available on or near the route. The trail is presented in sections, so it can either be undertaken in its entirety or split as desired, and an accompanying appendix displays distance intervals between towns and cities offering accommodation, in case you should wish to choose your own itinerary. The route can be walked or cycled; for cyclists, around 95% of the trail can be completed on a road bike. From Mission Sonoma to Mission San Diego, you'll follow the journey of 18th-century Spanish missionaries as they created 21 missions to convert the native inhabitants to Christianity. Included is a sensitive recount of the history of the missions, highlighting the story and monuments of the Native Americans who formed the foundation of the landscape, rather than the Spanish and Franciscan priests. From the sunlit sea to swathes of vineyards, to the bustling metropolis of San Francisco, and with historic, spiritual and scenic interest aplenty, the California Missions Trail offers an unforgettable journey through America's Golden State.
