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after five days i let the horse run free

‘cause the desert had turned to sea
there were plants and birds and rocks and things
there was sand and hills and rings

- America, "Horse With No Name" -

I’m reentering our long, indirect road trip in May. Not by accident we had “America” as our ‘tripping music when we reached the ocean in SoCal.

Following an intentional wander through silent deserts, now it was time for plants and birds and crowded life. Just as the solitude of the desert is good for the soul, so is watching waves that go on forever while earthing your feet in minute grains of sand that can’t be counted.




The Northern journey to “Ventura Highway,” while actually driving on Ventura Highway was just as known and unknown as the desert trek. The beauty of travelling during the shoulder season is spontaneity; reservations aren't necessary. 

I'm gripped by the Missions, which are scattered throughout California, so they were on the agenda. If by chance we stumbled upon a few wineries and perhaps a handful of brew pubs, well, all the better. (Side note: We did on our circular trip, but that's for another post.)




Old Mission Santa Barbara was established in December of 1786 on the Feast of Saint Barbara. It was the tenth of twenty-one California Missions to be founded by the Spanish Franciscans.

I find the rustic grace of the Missions in California appealing – stone and rock and wood dotted with icons of the Church, all with the very real cross poised overhead. They lure you to contemplate the meaning of existence, the purpose, the place we have and how the Eternal makes it all work.




Mission Santa Ines was founded in 1804. More bucolic in its setting, all decked with prayer flags. The grounds included an outdoor installation of the Stations of the Cross. The mission was busy with school children, ready for the end of the day. My take was the people lead a simple, beautiful life.



Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa is the fifth Mission established by Father Junipero Serra, in September of 1772. It was centered in the college town of San Luis with influences from the sea nearby. Quiet and serene, we walked the grounds, viewing the gardens, a fountain and porticos.

Our road trip was long and indirect, but purposeful. We journeyed through the desert. The desert turned to sea, and then back to desert.


Time, upon time, it is in silence that I restore my soul.

Missy


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