¡Viva La Fiesta!

After our road trip up the coast, we returned to SB via 101. One of our favorite rest spots is San Juan Bautista, two hours south of Sausalito.  We love to lunch in the garden at Jardines de San Juan where one dines surrounded by colorful umbrellas and brilliant flowers. The local mission was founded in 1797 on the Feast day of St. John the Baptist; hence the towns name.  It was the 15th of 21 missions on the Camino Real (King's Highway). It is a cornerstone of the community on a spacious plaza that includes several grand period buildings.  The town was a thriving place of commerce and trade until the train was routed through Hollister instead of SJB.  People moved elsewhere, yet the buildings remained as they were for decades and are incredibly preserved because of this slumber.  Now a good portion of the town is included in the San Juan Bautista State Historic Park and people now lovingly restore the adobe and wood structures of the downtown.