In 1771, Spanish padres founded the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, the fourth in the chain of 21 missions in California and one of the prettiest and best preserved. Its church boasts Spanish Moorish flourishes, a copper baptismal font, carved statues of saints and a 1790 altar made in Mexico City. Ten years later, settlers embarked from here to found a village called El Pueblo de Los Ángeles, which we now call LA.
About 3 miles southeast of Pasadena in San Gabriel, the mission surroundings are also well worth a quick stroll. Following Mission Dr takes you past the 1927 Civic Auditorium, the Civic Center, a historical museum and galleries.
