There’s a Lot to Swallow in San Juan Capistrano

In a previous post, I informed Easin’ Along readers about the two-week vacation Helen and I enjoyed on the beach in San Onofre, CA. We had been busy driving across the country and spending quality time with our son’s family, including our precious grandchildren. We took advantage of the opportunity to do what we do best: sit in a beach chair while reading and watching dozens of surfers.

Near the end of the second week, I suggested we “do something.” There are many attractions, restaurants, and shopping venues to visit, but I had no interest in that. We drove to nearby San Clemente occasionally for propane and diesel fuel, where I observed several signs pointing to Mission San Juan Capistrano, a short 14 miles from the campground. We made plans to go the next day.

The town of San Jan Capistrano is small and charming, and it reeks of history. We found parking near the Mission and walked to the ticket station, just inside the front door. Tickets were $30, but thanks to 1) being old and 2) being Veterans with ID cards, we managed to whittle the price of admission down to $15. Sometimes, “old” has its advantages.

Before this visit, the only thing I knew about San Juan Capistrano was its reputation for the swallows that returned there around the same time every year. There was much more to swallow than birds.

Founded in 1776 by Padre Junípero Serra, the Mission is the seventh in a chain of 21 missions established in Alta, California, to Christianize and civilize the Indians. The Acjachemen (Ah-HAWSH-eh-men) were the Native Americans who lived in the area of Mission San Juan Capistrano before the Spanish arrived in 1776. The Acjachemen are also known as the Juaneno people. 

Helen and I walked into the Mission Courtyard, a green and elegantly landscaped space surrounded by the Serra Chapel, gathering rooms, and the quarters of the property owners who arrived in the mid-19th century.

Serra Chapel is a grand structure and the only place Father Serra, the Mission founder, said mass and performed baptisms. On the left wall of Serra Chapel was a portrait of Saint John Capistrano, the Mission’s namesake, who lived in Italy during the 13th century. In the front pews, many visitors sat while offering silent prayer.

Shortly after the Mission’s founding, construction began on the Great Stone Church. Construction finished in 1806, but during the earthquake of 1812, the Great Stone Church fell to the ground and was never rebuilt. Two original bells from the Great Stone Church remain on the property and ring daily. Two of the oldest bells are also on display but no longer used due to cracking.

In 1845, the Mission, valued at over $54,000, was auctioned to John Forster, Governor Pio Pico’s brother-in-law, for $710. For the next 20 years, the Mission was a private ranch property of the Forster family. Eventually, Mr. Forster would own 250,000 acres across three counties. Rooms, including the dining room Mr. Forster and his family used, were open to visitors.

Several ladies were engaged in a demonstration of ancient tribal basket weaving along the inside wall of the courtyard. One lady spent several minutes with us explaining the techniques for producing various sizes of baskets.

San Juan Capistrano achieved nationwide attention in 1939 when NBC Radio played the song “When the Swallows Return to Capistrano” to a live national audience. Interest in the birds attracted attention to the area.

The famous cliff swallows of San Juan Capistrano leave town every year in a swirling mass near the Day of San Juan (October 23). They head for their winter vacation spot 6,000 miles south in Goya, Corrientes, Argentina. Each year, they return on or about March 19 – St. Joseph Day.

Now, the swallows are nesting farther from the center of town, and visitors no longer see clouds of swallows descending on the Mission as they once did. Still, the swallows are Capistrano’s most famous citizens. The birds are well-known, well-loved, and protected here. The city is, by law, a bird sanctuary. A volunteer guide at the Mission pointed out some nests in the eaves and overhangs of some buildings around the Courtyard.

We enjoyed our visit to the Mission immensely and spent some time driving through the historic area of the town before returning to the campground at San Onofre Beach. Our beach chairs were where we left them.

We’re Easin’ Along.