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THINGS
TO DO IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA |
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La
Purisima Mission Lompoc
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La Purisima
Mission in Lompoc, California is one of the state’s
most complete missions with activities that are popular
for school field trips and visitors. The first thing you
notice when you pull into the parking lot is that there
is no mission. All you can see is a modern looking visitor
center and a few old buildings off in the distance.
Don't be disappointed, there is a mission, but do take
the time to walk through the visitor center. There are
some excellent displays about mission life plus a happy
park ranger on duty to answer any questions you may have.
Be sure to pay for parking all of us need to help keep
our California parks open. Every dollar helps and La Purisima
Mission State Historic Park is worth every penny of your
parking fee.
La Purisima Mission visitor center has a bookstore and
gift shop where many artifacts that are created by local
Native Americans and people who still work at the mission.
Ok
now where is the mission?
Take a walk down the hill form the visitor center and
across a small bridge (watch out for poison oak) and all
of a sudden your back in the early days of California.
The Mission and surrounding buildings are really an amazing
site as you enter the mission grounds. Be sure to pet
the friendly burros as you walk across the field to La
Purisima Mission.
you will soon see why this is the most complete mission
in California.
You can spend hours exploring the buildings and surrounding
gardens. All roads are hidden from view and its easy to
imagine what life was like at La
Purisima when it was a hub of activities for the Lompoc
area of California. If you only ever visit one California
Mission make La Purisima Mission
the one. This is truly a fascinating place and an excellent
day trip for all. |
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La Purisima Mission Gardens |
One very
popular event at the mission is the Mission Life Days. Many
people work hard to make these days fun and educational
for any age. They allow you to walk around the property
and sample what life was like in the old mission days. You
can participate in grinding corn to make tortillas, making
your own soap, or your own nails out of melted metal.
During the People Days events, you can watch costumed people
as they act out real life at the mission, give lectures,
and host tours.
Village Days offers more hands on activities along with
more games and things related to the Chumash Indian tribe
.
The other notable event is the semi-annual visit by the
American Mountain Men who camp out and talk to people about
life in the 1800’s. There are also the many hiking
trails that many people use.
The animals that live at the mission are unique, some of
them huge and represent the animals that would have inhabited
the people who lived and worked at the mission over a hundred
years ago. |
La Purisima Mission Chapel
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La Purisima Mission in Lompoc |
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Click
on image for larger picture |
La Purisima Mission was
the eleventh mission of the twenty-one Spanish Missions
established in what became California. Mission La Purisima
Concepcion de Maria Santisima was founded on December 8,
1787 by Franciscan Padre Presidente Fermin Francisco Lasuen.
The end of the California missions came in 1834, when the
Mexican government, which had gained independence from Spain,
transferred control of the missions from the Catholic Church
to civil authorities.
The property passed into private ownership and the mission
buildings fell into ruin. In 1933, the Union Oil Company
deeded several parcels to the State of California. Under
direction of the National Park Service, the Civilian Conservation
Corps restored or reconstructed many of the mission’s
adobe buildings. La
Purisima Mission 2295 Purisima Road
Lompoc, CA 93436 |
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Solvang
Village a major
tourist attraction in the Santa Ynez Valley of California |
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