July 2003 - More Strolling Around San Francisco

Saint Junipero Serra, the "Apostle of California," in Golden Gate Park. Serra joined the military commander Gaspar de Portolá on a mission into "Upper California" to secure Spanish claims and found missions - maybe that's only one thing. On July 16, 1769, he founded Mission San Diego, the first in California. From 1770 to 1782 he founded eight more missions: Carmel, at Monterey, in 1770; San Antonio and San Gabriel (near Los Angeles), 1771; San Luis Obispo, 1772; San Francisco (Mission Dolores) and San Juan Capistrano, 1776; Santa Clara, 1777; and San Buenaventura, 1782.