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San Juan Capistrano
The past and present blend in this charming community, the oldest settlement in Orange County. There is much to do in and around San Juan Capistrano. Take a trip back in time with a walk through the Mission, or take the self-guided walking tour of San Juan’s historic town center and Los Rios area.
Mission San Juan Capistrano
“The Jewel of the Missions” has been the center of Orange County since its founding by Padre Junipero Serra on November 1, 1776. Today it is one of California’s most important historical, cultural, and educational centers. The Mission is the seventh of 21 Spanish Missions established in California by Franciscan Padres. Spain controlled California until 1821, when Mexico won its independence. In 1845, the Mission was sold for $710 to Don Juan Forster. His family lived at the Mission for 20 years. In 1865, Abraham Lincoln returned the Mission to the Catholic Church. In 1915, Mary Pickford was married in the Mission chapel.
Areas of interest within the Mission walls include early adobe barracks, Friars’ quarters, olive millstone, cemetery, aqueduct system, the beautiful gardens, and the original Stone Church. The Church was completed in 1797 and partially destroyed by an earthquake in 1806.
The Mission has embarked on a $20-million preservation campaign to protect the historical landmark. Temporary shoring and bracing of the Stone Church and stabilization of the Mission’s adobe buildings have been completed. Mission San Juan Capistrano is a non-profit historic site supported solely by tourism and gifts.
Source: www.sanjuancapistrano.org
Dana Point
Dana Point Harbor is truly one of the most spectacular man-made harbors in the world. It is an exciting portside community, located in a natural setting cove-bound on one side by dramatic cliffs and, on the other, by clear waters of the Pacific. Considered one of the most romantic spots in California, Dana Point Harbor houses two marinas inside a one-and-a-half mile jetty.
The harbor and adjacent city are named after Richard Henry Dana, who, in 1835 at the age of 19, sailed around Cape Horn aboard the trading brig “Pilgrim” in search of cowhides for Boston shoe factories. Upon his return, he wrote the book “Two Years Before the Mast.”
In addition to the tallship “Pilgrim,” Dana Point Harbor is home to the Orange County Marine Institute and the “Festival of Whales.” The harbor offers a wide variety of restaurants and shops. If you prefer enjoying the beauty of the ocean from shore, relax on the half-mile picnic park island where there are picnic shelters with barbeques on wide grassy areas. Watch the boats sail in and out of the Harbor and listen to the music of the sea. Visit the nine-foot bronze statue of author/seaman Richard Henry Dana as he gazes across the Harbor.
Sources: Dana Point Chamber of Commerce, Dana Point Harbor Association
Laguna Beach
2,000 years ago, long before Laguna Beach became one of the most desirable resorts on California’s coast, an Indian tribe named the Ute-Aztecas (later the Shoshones) roamed the land. Lured by the temperate weather and the rich coastal strip, the tribe inhabited the canyon formations directly east of Main beach. They named the area Lagonas, their word for Lakes, after two fresh water lagoons that decorated the canyon.
When the Spaniards arrived they applied the name Canada de las Laguna (Canyon of the Lakes). And in 1904, the name of the area was officially changed from Lagonas to Laguna Beach.
Laguna has always been a resort area – a place for rest and relaxation. In the early days, people came from miles around to enjoy its beauty and tranquility, pitching tents on the beach, exploring the intimate coves and the rolling hills.
By the late 1800s, as the word spread, more and more people flocked to the seaside settlement to plant themselves permanently.
In 1903, Norman St. Claire (the first important artist) came from San Francisco by train and stagecoach to paint the surf, hillsides and lagoons surrounding this seaside village. His artist friends were so impressed with his paintings and reports of a balmy year-round climate that they followed him to Laguna Beach.
Many of this seminal group were known as plein-air artists who painted in the style of Monet’s French impressionists and remain at the top of the Who’s Who in California Art list. In early 1918, artist Edgar Payne opened an art gallery and formed the Laguna Beach Art Association (now the Laguna Art Museum). By the late 1920s, approximately 300 people moved to Laguna Beach permanently. Nearly half of those residents were artists.
In 1932, the Festival of Arts opened with a stage and booths at a location near the Hotel Laguna. Ten years later the Irvine Bowl was dedicated and the festival grew to become the world-renowned Pageant of the Masters.
Following the artists came the Hollywood film makers who found Laguna to be every bit as appealing on the silver screen as it was painted on canvas. Many of Hollywood’s famous stars like Bette Davis, Mary Pickford, Mary Miles Minter, Victor Mature, Judy Garland, Rudolph Valentino, Charlie Chaplin, Mickey Rooney, Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, and Bette Midler maintained homes in Laguna Beach.
Over the decades the stars continued to flock to Laguna Beach as did dignitaries like President Franklin D. Roosevelt and writers like John Steinbeck who wrote Tortilla Flats while living at 504 Park Avenue. They traveled to Laguna for inspiration and relaxation, frequenting landmarks like the White House and the Cabrillo Ballroom.
Laguna’s universal allure is best expressed on a famous gate built in 1935 (which still stands on the corner of Forest and Park Avenues); it reads “This gate hangs well and hinders none, refresh and rest, then travel on.”
Source: 1999 Laguna Beach Visitors Bureau/www.lagunabeachinfo.org
San Clemente
The seaside City of San Clemente, commonly known as the "Spanish Village by the Sea" spans seventeen square miles of coastline and scenic foothills. The southern-most city in Orange County, lying just above San Diego County, often claims the distinction of having the Best Climate in the World.
The City was named after nearby San Clemente Island, which was named after Saint Clemente. Although it remained largely undeveloped until 1925, some of the most beautiful historical buildings in California can be found in San Clemente. Ole Hanson, a Seattle developer, who had spent time in Mexico, was the primary creator of the San Clemente we know today. Hanson's vision for San Clemente was a village not unlike those peaceful Mexican villages of which he was fond.
"I vision a place where people can live together more pleasantly than any other place in America... the whole picture is very clear before me... I can see hundreds of white-walled homes bonneted with red tile, with trees, shrubs, hedges of hibiscus, palms and geraniums lining the drives, and a profusion of flowers framing the patios and gardens... I want plazas, playgrounds, schools, clubs, swimming pools, a golf course, a fishing pier and a beach enlivened by people getting a healthy joy out of their life... I do not want people repulsed and sent away by ugliness in other communities... I have a clean canvas and I am determined to paint a clean picture."
One of the few Southern California cities that, until recently, enjoyed slow growth, San Clemente gained national recognition in 1969, when President Richard Nixon purchased a 1927 Spanish manor in the southern part of town. Dubbed the "Western White House," his home became the site of numerous historical meetings and decisions. In earlier years, San Clemente was a frequent stopping point for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt whenever he traveled between Los Angeles and San Diego.
Today, San Clemente still has the feel of a small town. A stroll down Del Mar, San Clemente's main street, will provide you with plenty of boutiques and antique shops in which to browse and cafés in which to relax and refresh. Del Mar is also home to a weekend farmers market, as well as arts and crafts fairs, classic car shows, and other events throughout the year, such as the annual Ocean Festival. And, always a favorite with the local surfers, San Clemente's beaches are also beautiful to stroll.
Truly, San Clemente is a great place to just relax and take it slow.
Source: www.thebeachcities.com
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