During a recent visit to Carmel, CA my husband and I stumbled upon the Carmel Mission Basilica, which as I heard is the first mission to be established in California. (Don't quote me on that!  I was too busy taking photographs to confirm! :o) This place has become one of my favorite places of all time. Standing on the mission grounds, one can't help but feel a powerful, yet gentle and calming energy emitting from the old stucco walls and serene corridors. I could have stayed ten times as long as we did and still continued to find things to look at and photograph. It was a beautiful place to visit!