California Missions Interactive Home Page

C a l i f o r n i a

M i s s i o n s

I n t e r a c t i v e

An Internet Field Trip

The California Missions

California's twenty-one Spanish missions make up some of this state's richest historical landmarks. The missions provide a rare insight into California's Spanish heritage. These missions, which Spanish Franciscans founded roughly one day's journey apart, extend from San Diego to Sonoma, California. Aside from promoting Christianity, one of the functions of the mission chain was to provide safe havens for people traveling through untamed California in the early nineteenth century.

California Missions Interactive

On May 4th, 1995 two bicyclists embarked on a self-contained tour of twelve of the California missions (Mission Buenaventura (Ventura, CA) to Mission Dolores (San Francisco, CA)). The idea of this tour was to contrast travels in the early 1800s with a mod ern day journey between the missions. During their trip the two cyclists used e-mail to remain in constant contact with twelve fourth grade classes in Palo Alto, California who have been studying the California Missions.

We hope that you enjoy this website and that the materials contained herein will shed some light on early California.

*Find out more about the project
*Meet the CMI cyclists and organizers
*Read exciting reports and view pictures from the bicycle tour in chronological order
*Read our question and answer dialogue with participating fourth graders
*Read the CMI press release of March 25, 1995
*Look at our prospective interdisciplinary curriculum
*Learn about the Peninsula Community Fund's educational grants
*Read our thanks to people and companies (like Apple Computer) who helped to make CMI possible

Brian Wood maintains this website. Chris Ernest Hall did much of the original design. Have comments, criticism or questions? Write to:
briwood@igc.apc.org or CHall88432@ aol.com