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Hiking and Cycling the California Missions Trail
From Sonoma to San Diego
Guidebook to walking and cycling the 800 mile (1289km) California Missions Trail between San Francisco Bay and San Diego. The pilgrimage trail takes in 21 historic Spanish missions and can be completed in 50-60 walking days or 2-3 weeks cycling. With 1:100,000 mapping, route description and details of accommodation and facilities for each stage.
Seasons
California's moderate coastal weather allows virtually a 12-month season, with no freezing temperatures or snow on the route. Watch for high summer heat in inland valleys and fog near the coast.Centres
Metropolitan San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego; the seaside towns of Santa Cruz, Monterey, Carmel, Santa Barbara, Carlsbad and Solana BeachDifficulty
This route is suitable for all levels of walkers, with no special gear necessary. Cyclists can cover 95% of the route on conventional or electric-assist street bikes, but mountain bikes are advised for a few specific mountain paths.Must See
The trail visits 21 California missions, historic landmarks along this epic adventure that crosses the Golden Gate Bridge, traverses coastal mountain ranges, hugs the Pacific coast through charming beach towns like Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara and Carlsbad, and crosses vast farmlands in the Salinas Valley, the 'Salad Bowl of America'.ISBN
9781786311139
Availability
Published
Published
16 Jan 2023
Reprinted
15 Mar 2023
Edition
First
Pages
320
Size
17.20 x 11.60 x 1.80cm
Weight
350g
Delivery & Returns
Free Royal Mail 48 postage on UK orders. European postage is £3.50 per item. Worldwide postage is £5.50 per item. If you're not happy with your purchase for any reason, we'll give you a full refund.
More information...
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Overview
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A guidebook to walking or cycling the California Missions Trail. The 802 mile (1291km) pilgrimage route from Sonoma to San Diego links 21 Christian missions founded by the Spanish over 200 years ago. It can be enjoyed by walkers of all abilities, or alternatively, 95% of the route is also suitable for road bikes.
The Missions Trail is described in 20 stages of between 16 and 60 miles (26–97km), with alternative options for cyclists. It can be walked in 50–60 days or cycled in 12–20 days.
- GPX files available to download
- 1:100,000 mapping plus larger-scale town maps for key locations
- Handy route summary tables and pilgrim lodging listings help you plan your itinerary
- Detailed information about refreshments and facilities along the route
- Advice on planning and preparation
- The history of the missions, as well as the story of the Native Americans who originally shaped the landscape
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Table of Contents
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Updates
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Downloads
By The Reverend Sandy Brown
Sanford 'Sandy' Brown is a community activist, long-distance walker and ordained minister from Seattle, Washington. Inspired by The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho, he trekked the Camino de Santiago in 2008 and since then has walked or biked over 18,000km on pilgrim trails in Spain, France, Switzerland, Italy and the United States. He leads group pilgrimage treks through his travel company, www.pilgrimpaths.com.Sandy earned his undergraduate degree in medieval history at the University of Washington in Seattle, his MDiv at Garrett Theological Seminary, which honored him in 2006 as a Distinguished Alumnus, and in 1997 earned a doctorate from Princeton Theological Seminary in gender, sexuality and spirituality. In 2023 the European Association of Via Francigena Ways bestowed its Honor Award on Sandy for his contributions to the development of the route. He has two grown sons and lives with his wife, Theresa Elliott, in Lucca, Italy.
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