June 2, 2023
“It is your road, and yours alone. Others may walk with you, but no one can walk it for you.” – Rumi
The El Camino Real (The Royal Road) was the name given to the route connecting the 21 Spanish missions in California. Today, roads and highways have taken the place of the old missionary path. We had already hiked on the El Camino Real on streets in Orange and Los Angeles Counties and on highway walks along the US 101 shoulder.
Our 800-mile route has also taken us on long roads as we walked from mission to mission. Using these streets minimized turns and made it easy to stay on course. While we enjoyed miles of peaceful rambles in beautiful rural areas, we also encountered sections of narrow shoulders, winding roads, blind curves, and busy traffic that kept us alert as we continued north.
A Winding Climb and Series of Busy Roads toward San Luis Obispo
After a rest day in the city of Lompoc, we set off on a four-day hiking section to reach San Luis Obispo and our tenth mission visit. The stage began with a climb over the Harris Grade on a five-mile steep and winding road. The blind curves kept us on our toes during the 700-foot climb to the top. Fortunately, there wasn’t too much traffic.
A long set of switchbacks on the other side took us down to CA Route 135 and the Los Alamos Valley. Now on a flatter road with a wider shoulder, the rest of the 15.3-mile stage routed us through farmland to the city of Orcutt.
Wide shoulder through the farmland on our way to Orcutt
A short 8.8-mile stage took us from Orcutt to Santa Maria the next day. I created a route using bike paths to complete the first part of the day before entering Santa Maria.
Passing a strawberry field as we hike to Santa Maria
Turning in a westerly direction toward the coast, we began the next stage by hiking on a bike path next to US Highway 101. It was nice to not be walking on the actual freeway for a change.
Two miles into the stage we crossed over the highway and joined Thompson Avenue. We would walk on this road for the next 12 miles to the city of Arroyo Grande in San Luis Obispo County. Almost immediately we could tell that the combination of a narrow shoulder and frequent and fast traffic was going to make it challenging for us.
We generally preferred to walk against the traffic so that we could see what was coming toward us. It also gave us the opportunity to adjust if the vehicle didn’t give us a wide enough berth. That meant we needed to step off the road into the bushes if the shoulder was limited. It took a lot of concentration, but most cars showed courtesy and moved toward the center of the road to pass us.
Another challenge in these sections were breaks. It was difficult to find a place to sit. For lunch on this day, we crossed the street and sat under a palm tree to get some shade and distance from the road while we ate. Going to the bathroom had its own set of challenges as well, but we got creative to make it work.
On the upside, we walked for miles along lightly populated areas with beautiful farms and vineyards. The weather was sunny and cool. Overall, we found it great to be in such a rural area.
Continuing our walk in the afternoon
As we got closer to Arroyo Grande and the end of our 17.3-mile stage, the road became narrow and winding and the traffic increased. We needed to carefully switch sides of the street to walk with the traffic at times. This was done to avoid blind curves on our normal “against the traffic” side. It was tense, but luckily we had just a short section to contend with.
We had a short break from the road traffic when we walked through a gas station dirt parking lot. Darren went through first, and I followed about a minute later. A man sitting in the passenger seat of a pickup truck rolled down his window as I passed by and asked where we were walking. I quickly explained that we had started in San Diego and were walking to Sonoma, which is north of San Francisco.
The man smiled, let out a big sigh, and slowly said “Daaamn…”
I smiled back at him and kept going on my way.
A Coastal Dunes Respite and Some New Shoes
After spending the night in Arroyo Grande, we woke up ready to complete our four-day section to San Luis Obispo. We hiked a short distance to the coast to arrive at Oceano Dunes Natural Preserve State Park, just south of Pismo Beach. We were pleasantly surprised at the beauty of the area. So, we spent quite a bit of time exploring the dunes and walking on the beach.
Never passing up the chance, we took the opportunity to walk along the beach. While walking we found many sand dollars – something that Darren and I remember seeing on Southern California beaches during our childhood. As this was a protected area, we didn’t take any for souvenirs.
Walking on the beach and picking up a sand dollar
When we reached Pismo Beach, we turned off the sand and walked through the town.
Staying on the streets, we left Pismo Beach and walked to Shell Beach, where we stopped at a coffee shop for a drink and snack. We very much enjoyed the morning, but now we needed to pick up the pace to finish our 16.9-mile hike to San Luis Obispo, as we had an important errand to do.
After almost five weeks of trekking, my shoes were beginning to wear out. I had actually been slipping more in the dirt and mud and knew it was time for some new shoes. On our rest day in Lompoc I called a few places in San Luis Obispo to determine if they had my current trekking shoe to make it easier for me to replace.
Luckily, there was a Running Warehouse outlet (one of only two in the country) with my exact shoe in stock. And it was just a half-mile from our route on the southern outskirts of the city. I walked out of the store with my new pair of shoes on as we finished the last few miles of the stage.
Old shoes at the coffee shop; new pair after purchase
Our hotel was on the northern end of San Luis Obispo, so we had the opportunity to walk through the beautiful tree-lined streets before calling it a day.
A Mission Visit in the Valley of the Bears
We took a rest day in San Luis Obispo to relax and visit the mission. Our arrival was timed for early Sunday afternoon after the last mass had ended.
Located in its original site in the middle of the city, the mission was established as the fifth in the network in 1772. The location was chosen because it was in the previously explored La Canada de los Osos or “Valley of the Bears.” The valley was home to the grizzly bears who were once prevalent, but are now extinct in California. At the time, the Spanish felt that the bears could provide meat to the other four missions that had a shortage of food.
A sculpture in the mission plaza pays tribute to the native Chumash and grizzlies who inhabited the area.
The church is characterized by a long secondary nave that forms an “L” shape. It is the only mission to have this configuration.
Visiting this mission marked a milestone for us, as it signified the halfway point of our 800-mile California Missions Trek. To mark the occasion, we posed for a picture in the courtyard.
That evening we had dinner at a restaurant near our hotel to celebrate.
Trekking through Central Coast towns and along the Salinas River
Now firmly in the Central Coast region of California, we headed north from San Luis Obispo on a 16.7-mile stage. We again had a walking section on the shoulder of US Highway 101 for 2.5 miles. This time we walked with the traffic because of where we needed to enter and exit the divided highway.
I was actually pretty nervous about this walk, because I wouldn’t be able to see the cars until they were past me. Fortunately, the shoulder was wide and we made quick work of the highway. Along the way we passed one of the El Camino Real bells that have been placed along the US 101 to signify the old path.
Walking with the traffic on US Highway 101; nearing our turnoff with an El Camino bell
We left the highway and turned to the unpaved Old Stagecoach Road for three miles. It was built in 1876 and later replaced by the train and US Highway 101 to the right of us. As we climbed to the Cuesta Pass, we met a day hiking couple from San Luis Obispo and walked with them for a couple of miles.
Once we reached the pass, we said goodbye to the couple and walked another two miles on US Highway 101 (this time against the traffic). Leaving the highway, we joined the El Camino Real Road to begin an eight-mile walk. Soon, we came to the town of Santa Margarita. It was Memorial Day and the main street was decorated to mark the occasion.
We found a community park to take a break and eat our lunch before continuing on the same road to the city of Atascadero, where we spent the night.
Heading north from Atascadero to Paso Robles, we completed a 14.9-mile stage, walking mainly on the quiet Templeton Road.
We hiked for five miles through rolling hills with many horse stables and vineyards.
Horse stables along the road; miniature pony who came to greet us next to a fence
Similar to the previous stage, the route took us through another community – this time the town of Templeton. We also ate our lunch at a park there before walking down the town’s main street.
Our hotel was on the northern end of Paso Robles, so we walked through the city at the end of the stage. Paso Robles is historically known for its hot springs and as a rest stop for those traveling the El Camino Real trail.
The next day we had warm, sunny weather (80 F). Fortunately, we only had a short 10.6-mile stage to walk to the community of San Miguel. The route took us again on another long back road for 10 miles. It was aptly named River Road, as it was adjacent to the Salinas River. The river runs for 175 miles and is the longest in the Central Coast region.
Views from River Road
As we got closer to the village of San Miguel, we crossed the Salinas River on a bridge.
Supplying for a Remote Section and a Mission Visit
Our arrival in San Miguel in the early afternoon marked the beginning of the most remote section of the California Missions Trail, with long stage distances, sparse accommodations, and limited food options. For example, we planned to stay in the same Airbnb for the next two nights, busing to it later in the afternoon and busing back to San Miguel in the morning to complete the next stage.
The bus to our Airbnb didn’t leave until 5:45 pm, so we used our time in San Miguel to determine which of its three small stores would best provide the food that we needed for the next three days. With our purchased food in hand, we boarded the bus to the community of Bradley (population: 99), just over the Monterey County line.
After our overnight in Bradley, we arrived back in San Miguel by bus just as the mission opened the next morning. It was founded as the 16th mission in 1797.
The excellent museum had a display of an original tree section with a cross carved into it as an El Camino Real trail marking. We also viewed a 16th-century Spanish woodcarving of Michael the Archangel victorious over Lucifer.
Viewing the original tree cross trail marking and Michael the Archangel woodcarving at the museum
The church, which was completed in 1818, has one of the best preserved interiors of any of the 21 missions, having never been repainted. When we entered inside, we were immediately drawn to the colorful walls and altar.
Each of the missions we have visited displays the 14 Stations of the Cross (a series of images depicting Jesus on the day of his crucifixion) on their church walls. San Miguel was unique with each station depicted in wood.
Close-up of the altar; one of the wooden 14 Stages of the Cross with the original wall paint
We found the mission’s garden and fountain to be cool and tranquil after our hot stage of hiking.
We also walked through the cemetery. The names of 2,249 Native peoples were recorded in church burial records, dating from 1798. A monument to their memory was on one side of the cemetery. We also saw a bell tower that stood unchanged from the early 1800s.
At the edge of the mission property we came across a more modern bell tower. It was erected in the memory of a priest who served at the mission and was killed in action as a navy chaplain during World War II.
During this 100-mile section, characterized by a series of long and winding roads, we faced narrow thoroughfares with busy traffic, blind curves, and challenging break opportunities. But we never tired of seeing the beauty of California’s Central Coast, learning the history of the El Camino Real, and experiencing the cultural significance of the two missions that we visited.
Leaving San Miguel, we began our hike north again that would take us through the Santa Lucia Mountains to the most remote of the 21 missions – Mission San Antonio.
We filmed a short video, providing our impressions and highlights from this latest section.