The West (Day 37)- San Juan Bautista to Santa Barbara

We are definitely getting closer to southern California, camping is getting less pretty and there are more people.  We booked this site at Betabel not for the beauty but for the convenience and location. 

 It did its job.

Here we are, following the mission bells down El Camino Real.

There are 380 bells along the highway, which marks the path that was founded by Father Junipero Serra, linking the 21 California missions.

We had to do a quick baby reset at Ecola State Beach, before reaching our final destination in Santa Barbara.  The beach is always a great reset, for everyone.

45 minutes out of the car allowed us to continue for 30 minutes in the car.

Our campsite at Sunrise RV park is even more so just getting the job done than Betabel was. 

So we get settled and then picked up dinner and dessert and drove three miles away to the Santa Barbara Mission.  

We were already following the mission bells, we may as well see some more missions!

Each mission was strategically built so it wasn't more than a day's horseback ride away from the mission before.

Santa Barbara was built in 1786, it was the tenth mission built in California.

It is known as the most beautiful mission, as well as for its twin bell towers.

We picnicked on the lawn (pizza and a salad from Bettina and ice cream from Rori's).

First we gave her calories then she burnt them off.

I think we spent most of our time at this fountain built in 1808. Little fishies are so interesting. 

Beauty is found everywhere.

Just like San Juan Bautista Mission, Santa Barbara was not on our itinerary, but it was the perfect place to spend our last full day as we travel down El Camino Real.