Mission San Luis Rey

In fourth grade, kids learn about their state's history. California kids usually do a project on the California Missions. For Joey's Mission project, he chose to go to Mission San Luis Rey and make a scrapbook about his trip. I took Joey and his friend Logan, and we took a bunch of pictures for their projects.

The cemetery.

The inside of the cemetery was beautiful.

A statue of Fray Junipero Serra.

 We just got to sneak a peek inside the church because a wedding was about to start!

This is the original document signed by President Abraham Lincoln returning the Mission to the Catholic Church on March 18, 1865. (Fun fact for the day: After the Mexican secularization act of 1833 much of Mission San Luis Rey de Francia land was sold off. During the Mexican-American War in Alta California (1846–1847), the Mission was utilized as a military outpost by the United States Army.) I thought it was SO cool to see Abraham Lincoln's actual signature! The boys weren't nearly as impressed!

Here are the ruins of the barracks that the US soldiers used during the Mexican-American War.

Further down from the Mission was the "lavanderia" which is the area where the Indians went to wash clothes. The water that flowed through the lavanderia went on to water fields and gardens.

Joey and Logan! 

The first Peruvian Pepper Tree in California was planted here in 1830 (on the right).

So beautiful!