Staycation Challenge San Diego: Day 2. Oceanside - San Luis Rey Mission

Today, the Staycation challenge advised that you should try to put yourself in the mindset of experiencing everything for the first time.  Too often in life we end up living in a "been there, done that" pattern.  Well, I do anyway.

I've been to Oceanside before.  Why should I return to Oceanside?  Or if compelled to go to Oceanside, why should I linger?  I've been there, done that.  Right?

Well... not always.

Today I found myself in Oceanside for a choir concert at MiraCosta College.  I sing in a community choir and we joined several other choirs for a concert today.  There were several other community and church choirs that sang a fun mix of Broadway, Mozart, and newly composed hymns.  It was a lovely concert.  

After the concert, I decided to explore Oceanside properly.  I had never made the time to visit the San Luis Rey Mission in Oceanside before.  So, I decided to see it today before I headed home.

The San Luis Rey de Francia Mission was founded in 1798.  The Mission Church on the site now is the third church that was built on the site between 1811 and 1815.  The San Luis Rey Mission is still used as a Franciscan College, retreat and parish church.  I mean, how cool is it that Franciscan friars still live and study here?  Ok, I know, my history nerd is showing.  But if you are interested in more historical detail and information on the Mission visit this site.

I arrived outside the Mission Church just as a wedding was ending and had the privilege of seeing the bride exit the church in a gown with a massive train on it.  It was very pretty.  The church itself is quiet and provides a warm, intimate feeling despite the height of the ceilings.  The dark tiled floors and exposed wooden beam ceilings break up the tall white walls and make the church feel like a cozy chapel.  The walls, ceiling beams, and pillars are all painted beautifully.  The church is built in the shape of a cross, one of only two churches built in a cruciform layout in the region.  

The gardens and the cemetery are both filled with the perfect combination of California sunshine and contemplative quiet.  Maybe it's the presence of Franciscan friars that walk through the grounds in their habits, or maybe it's the meticulous care that is evident in the upkeep of the gardens and grounds of the Mission.  The whole location just exudes peace and a contented sort of happiness.  It is soothing, calming, and it just makes stress melt away.

I know, cemeteries aren't really happy places.  Nor does everyone want to visit them or find them soothing places.  But there is something about the atmosphere here at the Mission that just is.  The other thing of note about the cemetery around the Mission church is that it is the only cemetery I've seen with a skull and cross bones on the gate/entryway and actual headstones that say RIP on them.  If you have seen others do let me know.  But don't worry, if cemeteries are not for you, the gardens are lovely too.

In fact, of particular interest is an ancient pepper tree that grows in the garden of the Mission. It is almost wider than it is tall with all it's gnarled trunk and branches and with good reason too.  For it is the oldest documented pepper tree in all of California.  It was brought as a seed to San Luis Rey in 1830 by a sailor from Peru and was planted in the heart of the Mission garden by  Fr. Antonio Peyri.  The ancient tree has been growing in the Mission garden for the last 186 years.

The oldest pepper tree in California is growing wide and large in the background.

The San Luis Rey Mission Church was a beautiful place to discover.  It was the perfect place to remember that not far from where you and I live can be found all sorts of wonderful things.  A single beautiful architectural detail, one lighted candle prayer for a loved one, or even one fragrant rose blooming in a garden is all it takes to remind you that nothing is ordinary.  Magic can be found anywhere.  You don't really need to travel anywhere to find beauty and magic.  All you need to do is open your eyes and see what is right in front of you.

Madder Hatter's tricks of the trade for travelers in old buildings:
1. Take a minute to absorb the atmosphere - think about the time it was built and try to place yourself there for just a moment
2. Look up - so many people miss the most incredible ceilings, painted, domed or otherwise... don't be one of them.  Look up!

If you are interested in what I do and see for the rest of this Staycation challenge check back here.