The Mission San Luis Rey grounds feature an area that the friars used to bathe and to wash their clothes.
First, the brothers would descend this expansive stairway.
This would lead them to a aqueduct-fed bathing area. Yes, those are goldfish crackers in the bottom left of the photo (historic/beloved food of kids ministries everywhere).
Water would pour out of the gargoyle’s mouth. Mmm, tasty!
Another view of the area.
Heading back towards the Mission, we saw:
The oldest pepper tree in California.
The pepper tree is through the archway, to the right.
We then walked through the graveyard.
The Franciscan Burial Crypt. Let’s get closer!
Locked and barred to keep Lara Croft from doing any tomb raiding.
Loved the metal work on the crypt gate.
Our trip to Mission San Luis Rey was amazing. I enjoyed how peaceful the Mission and the grounds were. Also love that this is still a working Mission used for theological studies.
King of the Missions, indeed.
