How to visit all 21 California Missions
How I did it: We plotted out a route and averaged 3-4 missions a day, depending on how far apart they were from the highways and each other. The missions took up our days and we had our evenings free to enjoy the nightlife of the local areas.
Lessons & tips: The missions open early in the morning, but are usually only open until the early afternoon. Make sure that you are at the first mission of the day by the time it opens (the all keep slightly different hours, so check ahead). Not all of the missions are original any longer, many have been rebuilt to "resemble" their former stature. Also be sure to check out the cities the missions are in, we had a great time going to local restaurants, shops, and attractions.
Resources: We used the internet and made some phone calls to the missions to check their hours, but the most valuable product we purchased was the "AAA Greatest Hits Maps: California Missions; Cultural Gems of the Golden State", it's even laminated! :)
