San Fernando Mission

While New England was fighting off Old England, on the other side of the country, the Spanish were enslaving and converting Native Americans. Of the 21 missions that mark the Spanish takeover of California, the San Fernando Mission was built 17th in 1797. The two-story convento not only houses a room devoted entirely to sculptures of the Virgin Mary, but it is the largest adobe building in California. If you don't feel like taking the historical tour of the grounds (about an hour), it's just a lovely place to sit down and breathe. For more about the California missions check here: http://www.californiamissions.com/cahistory/background.html