San Miguel

Introducing San Miguel

A small farming town right off Hwy 101, life here seems almost unchanged in decades. The star attraction is Mission San Miguel Arcángel (805-467-3256; 775 Mission St; donation requested; 9:30am-4pm), which suffered heart-breaking damage from the 2003 earthquake that hit Paso Robles 12 miles to the south. Previously it was one of the most accessible and one of the most authentic of the California missions. Established in 1797 as a stopover between Mission San Antonio de Padua and Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, Mission San Miguel was number 16 in the chain of 21 missions. The current structure dates back to 1818 and, prior to the earthquake, had not been significantly altered.

Repairs are expected to last at least through 2007 and maybe much longer. In the meantime, the museum, living quarters, gardens and other areas are open. It’s hoped the mission will eventually outlive the enormous cactus in front of the mission which was planted about the same time the mission was built.

A quarter-mile south of the mission is the Rios Caledonia Adobe (805-467-3357; 700 S Mission St; donation requested; 10am-4pm Wed-Sun), which stands on mission property that Governor Pio Pico illegally sold to Petronillo Rios in 1846. Using Chumash labor, Rios built the two-story adobe as a ranch headquarters and hacienda for his family, later turning it into a roadhouse on the stagecoach route between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Original adobe bricks are still visible.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009