Then, I ended up in Old Town. It's considered the birth place of California as it was the where the first permanent Spanish settlement was. Remember the mission that I showed you in a previous post? Father Serra built it here first. By the 1820s, while my sisters and I were living with Papá outside of Santa Fe, a small collection of adobe buildings had formed (including a rancho that made me feel right at home) and by 1835, it was called El Pueblo de San Diego.
This is newer than what mi abuelito used for caravans but it reminded me of him.
My first stop was the rancho. It was built in 1825 for a Spanish aristocrat but also became a safe place for women & children during the American occupation in 1846.
Here is how it looked way back when
I wanted to see how the rooms were all decorated, especially the grand sala but unfortunately, most of the furniture has been temporarily moved out because they are in the middle of a restoration. I did find a spinning wheel and some kitchen tools.
This is a water filter. Since water shortages were a problem here, porous lava rock filters such as this one was used to clear sediment and debris from the water collected either from the well or from the San Diego River.
Here is the inner courtyard, which has a garden. There were many plants we would have used...
...and even a horno .
Nearby, was the sheriff's office and a jail (I snuck in)
Did you know the largest gourd farm in the United States is nearby? Look at how pretty these are.
By then, I was hungry so I had some lunch...
…and finished up with some shopping! I bought a new sarape for the cool evenings, a fancy sombrero (not exactly accurate for me but so fun) and a new box from the local tinsmith. I'll be back soon with more fun to tell you about.
To see all of Josie's adventures from her trips, click here and visit her Travel Log!
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