Evoking the rich beauty of California's mission heritage in lush watercolours and insightful prose, this beautifully illustrated exploration follows the gorgeous path of El Camino Real, stretching from the San Joaquin and Salinas Valleys, through the rugged coastlines of Monterey and San Francisco, and inland to Sonoma. Delving into the enduring architectural, artistic, and cultural history of the Golden State, this study reveals founding hero Father Junipero Serra's pioneering labours, the conquest of the land's agricultural wealth, and California's painful transfers from the Indians to Spain, Mexico, and the United States. Remembering the labours of the early Spanish priests and Native Americans, this treasury of captivating artistry celebrates and preserves the masterworks of the state's founding era.

The missions and presidios of California are among the state’s oldest structures and are the most visited historical monuments. These notable buildings are an integral part of California’s history. The state’s recorded history essentially began with the Spanish missions along the ambitious chain of 21 missions on El Camino Reál (The Royal Highway) and the men who founded them. California Missions and Presidios is a gorgeous book that presents the history of these intriguing sanctuaries of peace and beauty. The eye-popping photography of Alastair Worden and Randy Leffingwell captures their unique character, while Leffingwell’s accessible text brings to life the overall history of California’s conquest by the Spanish; the construction and operation of the missions, presidios, ranchos, and adobes; and the background of the mission architecture and style. Seemingly unchanged, these missions and presidios have survived the centuries remarkably well—still welcoming visitors as a refuge of serenity and splendor while providing a glimpse into the lives of the spirited pioneers who built these structures and lived and worked there.

- Table of contents, index, and glossary- Additional resources, maps, important dates, and facts- Primary source documents and illustrations- Maps and timelines- Resources for more information

Complemented by full-color photographs, this updated handbook recounts the story of the California missions and offers detailed profiles of all twenty-one historic missions, offering a unique tour of each site's architecture, artistry, and historical significance.

Numerous photographs complement a history of California's twenty-one Spanish missions, historic relics of the industrious colonists.

Designed for California fourth grade teachers, Remembering the California Missions: A Curriculum Guide is a secondary supplement to the fourth grade social studies text that supports the Common Core Standards. This curriculum guide includes vocabulary and comprehension lessons, pre-post activities, review guides, and a number of additional activities which have been added to help diversify the learning process. This curriculum guide, which partners with the illustrated historical literature book Remembering the California Missions, by Pat Hunter and Janice Stevens, helps deepen students' understanding and appreciation of the California missions and their history, while building skills in Common Core Standards including reading standards, writing standards, language standards, and social studies standards. Each chapter in Remembering the California Missions: A Curriculum Guide covers one of California's 22 missions, presenting essential facts for students to know, vocabulary to master, and reading comprehension questions to gauge student progress. Additional resources offer instructional strategies for using mission-related material to boost students' vocabulary and understanding of the meanings of new words, plus a wide variety of class activities using mission-related material for reading and writing assignments. All the material in the curriculum guide can be easily adjusted to meet students' different skill levels.

Twenty-six historical and architectural features shared by the famous California missions are detailed in an alphabetic format in this perfect learning tool. Using color photographs, an introductory rhyme, and a factual paragraph, each letter thoroughly covers a mission topic, such as A for arches, B for bells, and C for crosses. Comprehensive and easy to understand, the book is ideal for students, teachers, California history buffs, and mission visitors.