"Historic San Juan Capistrano" Top 5 Page for this destination San Juan Capistrano by keida84

San Juan Capistrano Travel Guide: 157 reviews and 469 photos

Toppled remains of the Great Stone Church 1812

The Great Stone Church

Kristi and I took a day trip to San Juan Capistrano braving the LA freeway traffic and arrived on a beautiful sunny April day. Not a swallow in sight though. I believe SJC has been devoid of swallows for some time now. The mission had some new art and cultural exhibits which made the trip a bit more interesting. The gold altar fixture is currently undergoing a restorative cleaning. It should look beautiful when it is completed.

My sojourns took me to the historic town of San Juan Capistrano (SJC) again. The first trip in April of 2005, I met VT'er cnango The second trip in November of 2005 was with my "sister" Kris TazMocha It was my gift for Kris's birthday. Instead of giving "stuff" we are giving experiences as gifts--so much less to dust!

Kris and I took the Amtrak train, Kris had never ridden board an Amtrak train before and we both agreed this is a great way to get to SJC, no LA or Orange County traffic to cope with. We dis-embarked the train right in the heart of the town and walked to our hotel which was about a 5 minute walk at the most. The local merchants offer complimentary walking maps to help you navigate the town.

SJC has the historic Los Rios District which is a funky street across the train tracks which has historic houses that are over 100 years old. Shops, restaurants, a tea house, services and professional offices inhabit this tree lined, flower filled street.

The Mission SJC is the seventh mission built out of the 21 and is considered to be the "jewel" of the missions. Built in 1776 this spanish adobe is, in my opinion, the prettiest mission I have seen so far. The Great Stone Church was destroyed in an earthquake of 1812.

I have lived in California all my life and to discover a new "town" ranks high in my book. The surrounding areas of South Orange County (Laguna, Dana Point, Balboa Island) are lovely places to visit but this quaint gem of a town is a wonderful find!

San Juan Capistrano--A Cool Town

Fountain on Camino Capistrano

An Artist's Heaven-Los Rios District

Pros and Cons

Pros:The town is a "walkable" town, so much to see and do
Cons:Cars honk a lot in SJC, Pedestrians need to be cautious
In a nutshell:A town made for walking and quiet reflection

Last visit to San Juan Capistrano: Apr 2007
Intro Updated Apr 30, 2007
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Reviews (21)

Take a Walking Tour of San Juan Capistrano - San Juan Capistrano

Take a Walking Tour of San Juan... Things to Do (6)

When we visited the area of San Juan Capistrano we knew we would walk everywhere we went. The nice thing about that is... more travel advice

The "new" Parish Church - San Juan Capistrano

The New Parish Church Things to Do (6)

The "New" Parish Church was built in 1984 it is a copy of the Great Stone Church which was destroyed by an earthquake in... more travel advice

Sunrise shining on the Great Stone Church - San Juan Capistrano

Early Morning Risers Need Early Morning... Restaurants (7)

Diedrich's coffee house has been taken over by corporate Starbucks, an insult to the quaint main section of San Juan... more travel advice

Looking down at the Old Barn Antiques Mall - San Juan Capistrano

Vintage, Antiques or just plain Junk Shopping (3)

A sprawling barn filled with treasures of days gone past. The Old Barn Antiques Mall is a fabulous place to walk around... more travel advice

Transportation (1)
Amtrak Business Class...this is the way...
Off The Beaten Path (1)
Historic Los Rios District
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Comments (22)

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BruceDunning Jun 28, 2010 at 2:35 PM

The old churches and culture here is interesting and you presented that very well, including nice pictures
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amandajayne81 Jun 13, 2008 at 5:33 PM

Great Page. We did a bus trip from Anaheim to S.D Zoo, the driver pulled off and did a 10 min drive around here. My fiance & I would've loved to had a whole day here! I have learnt so much about our 5 pictures taken through the bus window from your page.
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deecat Oct 30, 2006 at 1:48 PM

Articulate, attentive, balanced writing that is great to read because it's helpful, alluring, cohesive, colorful, and, best of all, interesting. Loved the restaurant tips. Now, I'm really sorry I did not visit San Juan Capistrano while in California.
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KimberlyAnn Oct 1, 2006 at 11:47 AM

Thanks for the well written, and imformative tips.
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Sue08080 Aug 17, 2006 at 9:57 AM

Hi Kat. What a great page! I've been to SJC, but only briefly...missed so much!
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jelw Dec 29, 2005 at 9:22 PM

jelw Fri Dec 30, 2005 00:20 EST Wow we can leave comments on our own pages. Cool! Hey Fairey Kat Mother-you teach me something new every time we talk.
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tiger9090a Dec 22, 2005 at 8:58 AM

Very nice page Kat! SJC is one of my fav places in CAL!
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Dabs Dec 15, 2005 at 8:11 AM

Excellent page Kat! As you can imagine, I especially enjoyed the restaurant tips :-)
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BerniShand Nov 30, 2005 at 9:33 AM

lovely page dear, it seems like a lot of eating went on here, but dont worry, calories dont count on holidays
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LoriPori Nov 19, 2005 at 12:05 PM

Awesome updates lil Sis, especially the restaurants. I trust you got some sight-seeing in too right? L'Hirondelle does sound truly sublime & sweet potato french fries ---mmm. Big hugs from Big Sis.