December 31, 2018
The last thing we did on our West Texas Adventure was visit three missions on El Paso's El Camino Real (AKA The Royal Road or the Mission Trail). Within less than 10 miles, there are three missions, which makes for a great tourist adventure.
I am used to applying the term "El Camino Real" to the 600-mile-road that connects California's 21 Spanish missions. However, there is a different "Camino Real" that runs from Mexico City through Paso del Norte (now Juarez, Mexico) and the El Paso area, and ending in Santa Fe.
1. Ysleta Mission
Our first stop was at the Ysleta Mission, the oldest continuously operated parish in Texas. It was founded in 1682, but flooding of the Rio Grande destroyed the mission in 1742 and then again in 1829. It was rebuilt for a third time in 1851, and it looked like the third time was the charm (and building it on higher ground didn't hurt either) until a fire wiped out much of the historic mission in 1907. No worries--it was rebuilt the next year.
The last thing we did on our West Texas Adventure was visit three missions on El Paso's El Camino Real (AKA The Royal Road or the Mission Trail). Within less than 10 miles, there are three missions, which makes for a great tourist adventure.
I am used to applying the term "El Camino Real" to the 600-mile-road that connects California's 21 Spanish missions. However, there is a different "Camino Real" that runs from Mexico City through Paso del Norte (now Juarez, Mexico) and the El Paso area, and ending in Santa Fe.
Our first stop was at the Ysleta Mission, the oldest continuously operated parish in Texas. It was founded in 1682, but flooding of the Rio Grande destroyed the mission in 1742 and then again in 1829. It was rebuilt for a third time in 1851, and it looked like the third time was the charm (and building it on higher ground didn't hurt either) until a fire wiped out much of the historic mission in 1907. No worries--it was rebuilt the next year.
Unfortunately, the little chapel was closed on the day we were there, so we could only walk around the outside.
The bell tower was empty but there was a bell on the ground. It's sure easier to ring that way!
