The romance of colonial California begins in San Juan Capistrano, California. In the propitious year of 1776, Franciscan missionaries from Spanish Mexico opened the Mission San Juan Capistrano. The target population for the mission was known to themselves as the Acjachmen tribe but to the Spaniards as the Juaneños. Happily, these Native Americans still exist as a political entity. Now called the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians, the tribe is headquartered right there in San Juan Capistrano, more than 2,800 strong.
Los Rios
Capistrano also boasts Los Rios, literally the original surviving neighborhood in the entire state. Adjoining the Mission, 31 historic structures line both sides of Los Rios Street and include three 1794 adobe structures that housed mission families. The Serra Chapel of the Mission is California's oldest continually used religious facility, found not far from the state's original vineyard and winery.
The Birds
Spanish Mission style architecture dominates the city, inspired by the mission. Most striking is the variety of homes, from modest working ranches to multi-million dollar mansions. But when it comes to home, San Juan Capistrano has always been most widely known for the cliff swallows that used to migrate from Argentina. They nested in the high tower of the mission until 2009, when they chose cliffs some miles away for their nesting site. Apparently, urban sprawl and the distraction of ever taller buildings had confused the birds. "When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano", a love song from 1940, celebrates the annual events that honored the return of the swallows.
The Fox!
Capistrano is not large, with an unchanging population of about 34,000 souls. Considering that the biggest employer is the public school system, it is a place to live, not work. However, in 1919, Capistrano received its fair share of fame in The Curse of Capistrano, the very first appearance of Zorro, the Fox! Johnston McCulley was obviously inspired by the Spanish Mission buildings which dominated the town. And Richard Henry Dana, author of Two Years Before the Mast, visited the area and described it as the only romantic place in California. An easy drive to San Clemente and Capistrano Beach, it has the typically mild Southern California climate and, for its size, impressive shopping, cultural events and historical sites.
