Cruising World – August 2019

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49

CRUISING CALIFORNIA

Conception. The wind was light, but we
had the dependable southerly California
Current helping us along, and we arrived
in time to drop anchor to the east of
Stearns Wharf as the sun set. We enjoyed
sundowners on the aft deck with a view
of the twin towers of the mission peeping
out among the whitewashed walls and
red-tiled roofs of the town, and the surf
pounding on the golden beach.
Old Mission Santa Barbara was the
10th built by the Spanish along the Alta
California coast. It was constructed in
the early 1800s and is the only mission
that still operates today as a Franciscan
Friary. It is one the few old buildings still
standing; most of the town was destroyed
by an earthquake in 1925. The thick stone
walls and arched walkways surrounding
the rose garden and central courtyard
provide a cool, dark hideaway from the
scorching midday sun.