2025 Road Trip #3: El Camino Real
Follow in the footsteps of Junipero Serra and watch baseball
It’s January, that lonely spot on the calendar between the World Series and Opening Day. Our swim from shore to shore is halfway done, and you can look back and see how far we’ve come, and then turn around and see how far we have to go. But! The 2025 baseball schedule is assembled, so why not cheer ourselves up with some vacation planning?
This is part 3 of 5 different road trip options for your planning pleasure.
Believe it or not, the Giants and Dodgers weren’t the first to lay claim to California. The Spanish Empire established 21 Catholic missions throughout the state between 1769 and 1833. The sites have survived to the present day in various condition, having seen 250 years of revolution, evolution, earthquakes and fires.
It’s important to remember that these missions weren’t some summer camp on the Pacific Coast. The purpose was to convert the Indigenous population to Christianity, and that process involved malnourishment, abuse, inhumane work conditions and other atrocities. Much like American history sites on the East Coast, there’s plenty to study and learn from with the California missions.
That being said, I still find the missions fascinating. They’re uniquely Californian (well plus Baja California, we didn’t have borders then). They’re beautifully constructed and still stand prominently in their communities today. While United States history in California doesn’t really begin until the 1850s with the Mexican-American War and the Gold Rush, we have over a hundred years of our own colonial history that we get to learn about. And thanks to preservation efforts and the designated El Camino Real trail, you can see any and all of the missions whenever you like.
So here’s a road trip that tours both California’s history and rich baseball landscape. The Pacific Coast League has been in operation since 1903, only two years younger than the American League. The California League has been a staple of farm systems since 1941. Today, California has 5 MLB teams (for now), a triple-A team and the 8 teams of the single-A California League
This trip starts at the most beautiful stadium in baseball, Oracle Park in San Francisco. From there, each stop on this trip is a baseball game in a city with or near a mission. It’s a quick trip, 5 days, but there’s 6 games from May 14th to May 18th. There’s other ways to do a “Tour de California”, and we don’t get all the MLB teams (sadly no Angels on this religious trip, but definitely the Padres!), but this one is a unique way to see California that doesn’t involve amusement parks in LA or wine country.
We shall follow in the footsteps of Father Serra. Bring a passport.
Stop 1: San Francisco
Mission San Francisco de Asís, founded 6/29/1776 (3321 16th St, San Francisco, CA)
Game 1: Wed, May 14, 12:45- San Francisco Giants vs Arizona Diamondbacks at Oracle Park
This is the original mission in San Francisco, opened in 1776. Mission Dolores was built in 1876 and is bigger and fancier, dwarfing the old church it stands next to. This original building survived the 1906 earthquake that destroyed San Francisco; it’s an impressive landmark.
As for the game, you get to see a day game in San Francisco. Get there early and walk around the perimeter to see McCovey Cove, Willie Mays Plaza and hopefully a sunny afternoon. I’d get an upper deck seat behind home plate and enjoy the view of the finest stadium in baseball. Oracle Park is a must for any baseball fan.
The mission and the ballpark are 3 miles apart. After this stop, it’s a drive to San Luis Obispo. You can do this tonight or day of, whichever you prefer.
Stop 2: San Luis Obispo
Drive: San Francisco to San Luis Obispo (236 miles, 3.5 hours)
Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, founded 9/1/1772 (782 Monterey St, San Luis Obispo, CA)
Game 2: Thur, May 15, 6:00 - Cal Poly Mustangs vs UC Riverside Highlanders at Baggett Stadium
We pass by 8 missions before getting to the next stop, but we’re on a 5 day trip and there’s 21 of them, so you could do drive-bys if you really must. Next stop is the 5th mission founded in the chain, Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, built in 1772. It sits right in the heart of downtown, a perfect excuse to park the car and walk up and down Higuera Street. My dad always recommends Bubblegum Alley, just don’t touch the walls.
Now enjoy some college baseball by watching the team that has produced MLB stars like hall of famer Ozzie Smith, Mike Krukow and current top prospect Brooks Lee. And if the wind blows just right, you get to smell all the cattle and sheep that makes Cal Poly a fantastic agriculture school.
The mission and ballpark are 3 miles apart. You can stay the night in one of the “unique” guest rooms at the Madonna Inn before heading down the coast to Santa Barbara in the morning.
Stop 3: Santa Barbara
Drive: San Luis Obispo to Santa Barbara (93 miles, 1.5 hours)
Mission Santa Barbara, founded 12/4/1786 (2201 Laguna St, Santa Barbara, CA)
Game 3: Fri, May 16, 6:35- UCSB Gauchos vs Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium
Ninety miles down the 101 is the coastal town of Santa Barbara, home to the most impressive of the missions in my opinion. It’s the only mission with two towers, each housing six bells that you’ll hear all over the region. It’s also been restored after earthquakes in the 1810s and 1925.
You’ll be watching another college game on the campus of UC Santa Barbara. Which means you also get to take in a walk on the gorgeous campus featuring ocean views. The Gauchos don’t have quite the MLB pedigree that Cal Poly has, but do count Shane Bieber, Barry Zito and Kyle Nelson among their alumni.
The mission and ballpark are 10 miles apart. Stay in town, have some fish tacos and head off to southern California in the AM.
Stop 4: Los Angeles
Drive: Santa Barbara to Los Angeles (107 miles, 2 hours)
Mission San Gabriel Arcangel, founded 9/8/1771 (428 S Mission Dr, San Gabriel, CA)
Game 4: Sat, May 17, 6:10- Los Angeles Dodgers vs Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium
Mission San Gabriel Arcangel is a fun stop. It’s always wild to see paintings and pictures of Los Angeles and the valley before the city grew into the sprawling urban empire it is today. It’s also a unique looking mission among all the others, and apparently was the most productive in terms of agriculture and yields, so there’s that.
And then it’s off to Chavez Ravine for a game at, would you believe it, the third oldest park in Major League Baseball. Opened in 1962, Dodger Stadium is “only” 63 years old, so it’s got a couple centuries to go before it gets into mission territory. And no, I checked, the team will not allow you to pay 5% of your ticket cost now and defer the rest until 2042. And also no, I am not and will not be the only person to make that joke this year. Plus you get to see the Angels, so we do get our religious fill here.
The mission and ballpark are 12 miles apart. You can stay in LA for the night before the doubleheader finale to the south.
Stop 5a: San Diego
Drive: Los Angeles to San Diego (120 miles, 2 hours)
Mission San Diego de Alcala, founded 7/16/1769 (10818 San Diego Mission Rd, San Diego, CA)
Game 5: Sun, May 18, 1:10- San Diego Padres vs Seattle Mariners at PETCO Park
The mission tour reaches the first and possibly most famous of the bunch, Mission San Diego de Alcala. This one also served as a fort, as there was a little more resistance from the local population than planned. It’s also got the most beautiful of the bell towers, or campanarios, with 5 large bells prominently featured atop the church.
After enjoying the church bells, it’s off to the Gaslamp Quarter in America’s Finest City for a game at Petco Park. I know I called Oracle Park the best, but Petco is definitely right there at #2, and knocking on the door of #1 should the Giants slip up.
The mission and ballpark are 9 miles apart.
Now for the fun part, and this is only possible thanks to the pitch clock. We’re going to Tijuana for a night cap!
Stop 5b: Tijuana
Drive: San Diego to Tijuana (22 miles, 0.5 hours *plus border crossing)
Game 6: Sun, May 18, 5:00 - Toros de Tijuana vs Caliente de Durango at Estadio Chevron
The Padres play at 1pm on Sunday, and since the average game time is down to 2.5 hours, there’s a very good chance you’ll be able to get back into your car before 4pm. It’s 25 miles from Petco Park to Estadio Chevron, where the Tijuana team plays.
The surest way to make sure you get there on time is to drive. It’s Sunday afternoon, so getting into Mexico shouldn’t take too long, and the stadium has plenty of parking around it. You’ll also need a Mexico auto policy, which is about $40 per day.
The other option is to walk. Depending on how much time you have between games, you could park at the San Ysidro Border Crossing, cross via the pedestrian bridge and from there take a cab or Uber to the stadium.
I would probably just drive. You’d be crossing back into the US after 8pm on a Sunday night, so it shouldn’t be too long a line. This leg of the trip is optional, but I’ve never seen a Mexican League game and they are passionate about it down there, so it’s worth the detour.
Summary
The 21 missions in California are laid out to be about a day’s horse ride apart. But thanks to the marvels of automobile travel, you get to run the length from north to south in 5 days with the comfort of A/C and drive-thru burgers.
You get to see the 4 California MLB teams in action (excluding the A’s, who are exiling themselves), two beautiful college campuses and a bit of California history.
If you take one of these trips, send a postcard!