On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
Good Morning All,
This weekday feature is for Juicers who are are on the road, traveling, or just want to share a little bit of their world via stories and pictures. So many of us rise each morning, eager for something beautiful, inspiring, amazing, subtle, of note, and our community delivers – a view into their world, whether they’re far away or close to home – pictures with a story, with context, with meaning, sometimes just beauty. By concentrating travel updates and tips here, it’s easier for all of us to keep up or find them later.
So please, speak up and share some of your adventures and travel news here, and submit your pictures using our speedy, secure form. You can submit up to 7 pictures at a time, with an overall description and one for each picture.
You can, of course, send an email with pictures if the form gives you trouble, or if you are trying to submit something special, like a zipped archive or a movie. If your pictures are already hosted online, then please email the links with your descriptions.
For each picture, it’s best to provide your commenter screenname, description, where it was taken, and date. It’s tough to keep everyone’s email address and screenname straight, so don’t assume that I remember it “from last time”. More and more, the first photo before the fold will be from a commenter, so making it easy to locate the screenname when I’ve found a compelling photo is crucial.
Have a wonderful day, and enjoy the pictures!
Tomorrow begins Eclipse-a-palooza! There are so many photos and sets that it will be a two-day extravaganza – some will publish Tuesday, some Thursday.
Thanks to all who submitted!
Today, pictures from valued commenter ?BillinGlendaleCA.
The Spanish established a chain of 21 missions in California in the late 18th and early 19th century, stretching from San Diego to Sonoma. The mission properties were rather wealthy and included industrial operations, by some accounts owning 1/6 of Alta California. They were secularized after Mexican independence and fell into various states of disrepair. Many have been restored to their original(but smaller) state. They are now owned by the Catholic Church and are both museums and active churches.
Mission San Gabriel Arcángel
Mission San Gabriel is in the center of the City of San Gabriel(how’d that happen), about 8 miles east of Downtown Los Angeles. It was the 4th of the 21 missions founded in 1771. It was originally located on the banks of Rio Hondo in an area now called Whittier Narrows that is currently in the City of Montebello. In 1776 this location was destroyed by flooding and the mission was moved to the west and higher ground at it’s current location.
In 1781, 44 people left the mission and traveled west to the Tongva(the name of the indigenous people)village called Yangna. Nearby they founded at town on September 4, 1781 that they called “El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de Porciúncula” that we currently know as simply Los Angeles.
Mission San Gabriel chapel
Taken on 2016-09-19
San Gabriel, CA
The chapel of Mission San Gabriel from Mission Road(how’d that happen). There was originally a bell tower that was on the right hand side of the chapel, a bit more about that later.
Mission San Gabriel chapel in infrared.
Taken on 2016-09-19
San Gabriel, CA
Same picture as above, but captured with an infrared camera. I’ve included more infrared shots in this series because it was cloudy and infrared really captures the contrast of the blue sky and clouds really well and, of course, cause it’s just so cool.
Taken on 2016-09-19
San Gabriel, CA
Mission San Gabriel chapel
Small fountain in infrared
Taken on 2016-09-19
San Gabriel, CA
Small fountain in infrared in the mission courtyard, this is right by the entrance(where the take your admission fee) and coincidentally the also the gift shop.
Bell tower from mission courtyard.
Taken on 2016-09-19
San Gabriel, CA
This is the bell tower, probably the most famous view of Mission San Gabriel. The bells were originally housed in a bell tower that was attached to the right of the chapel entrance. That tower was destroyed in the Wrightwood earthquake of 1812 and the bells were moved to this bell tower attached to the western side of the chapel.
Bell tower and chapel.
Taken on 2016-09-19
San Gabriel, CA
The bell tower from outside the mission. Here you can also see the unique architecture of Mission San Gabriel with it’s capped buttresses.
Technical Note: I’ve cheated a bit on the sky in this photo. It was really cloudy and raining a bit when I took this picture. I’ve manipulated the color and brightness to the sky to make it look partly cloudy.
Bell tower and chapel(infrared).
Taken on 2016-09-19
San Gabriel, CA
Bell tower and chapel in infrared. You can see in this picture how cloudy it was.
Thank you so much ?BillinGlendaleCA, do send us more when you can.
Travel safely everybody, and do share some stories in the comments, even if you’re joining the conversation late. Many folks confide that they go back and read old threads, one reason these are available on the Quick Links menu.
One again, to submit pictures: Use the Form or Send an Email
Pangloss
That is nice. We could all use some zen type photos and contemplation while we’re dealing with a lunatic administration in the midst of climate change disasters and nuclear threats.
rikyrah
Bill,
Another set of wonderful pictures ???
satby
I’m really liking the infrared ones this time, they really expand the view of these places when contrasted with the regular light pictures! Nice, Bill!
raven
Nice. I really like Our Lady art. I have several really cool framed pieces including one that they eyes follow you when you move (what of you call that?) I also have several Our Lady gearshift knobs, one on my truck and one that I use as a door knob on a closet!
Baud
Doesn’t look like 110 degrees.
OzarkHillbilly
@Baud: No humidity.
Barbara
I am going to be in LA in a few weeks and will have exactly one afternoon to kill and I am considering what to do if I can rent a car or is within reasonable cab distance. I love visiting the missions so I am putting this on the list. Thanks. And the pictures are great too!
raven
@Barbara: Metrolink Train Station – San Juan Capistrano
JPL
The contrast between the two pictures is interesting especially when you view the palm trees. My favorite picture is the interior shot of the chapel. Thanks!
debbie
I love old interiors. Great shots — again!
Neldob
Yes, nice pics, cool to see the infrared effects. And to see and remember how beautiful these buildings are (while also knowing the hideous history). Thanks!
J R in WV
Bill,
Good job, again! Thanks, I love old buildings still in use after years, decades, or (esp.) a few centuries. We have talked about driving all of California from one end to the other, partly on the coast highway, but also inland to see the Sequoia forests, hit Yosemite, gold rush ghost towns, and, of course, the first missions.
Maybe some nice fall start up north, and work slowly down to the south as the season changes. Some year without a fire crisis? HA HAA.
?BillinGlendaleCA
I usually try to stay up for for the OTR’s, but I crashed early. Thanks for everyone’s kind comments. I’m glad Alain ran this set today, did anybody notice why?
?BillinGlendaleCA
@raven: You can take Metrolink, the problem is that Metrolink is a commuter line so most trains run into LA in the morning and out of LA in the evening. So, if you’re going in the opposite direction(which I was), it doesn’t work. That’s why I used Amtrak.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: Actually, though I took the pics last September, yesterday was cooler. We had the remnants of a tropical storm move though the area and even got a bit of rain.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Barbara: It depends on where you are in LA; if you’re near downtown, Mission San Gabriel is the closest but not really accessible via public transportation, Mission San Fernando is in the northeastern part of the Valley. If I could only see one, I’d go to San Juan Capistrano; but it’s in southern Orange County.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@JPL:
@debbie: I always try to put up at least one pic of the mission chapels.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@J R in WV: Don’t expect the change of season to be quite as dramatic as the east coast color wise.