Mission Santa Barbara

This year my family and I went to Mission Santa Barbara. We thought that it would be a unique family trip that we haven’t done before. The mission really lit our day up because of all the festivities going on. My brother and I were the ones who brought up the idea of going to the mission because of something we had read in a class in elementary. Mission Santa Barbara is definitely a place that if family oriented and that can hold one’s interest.

Everybody we know goes to Disneyland and other theme parks for their family vacations. While those are nice, they are generic places to go to for a trip and we really wanted to spice things up and go somewhere new. The purpose of a unique family trip is so that we can have the experience trying something new. In a poem by Robert Frost he says “I took the road less traveled by”, and that is exactly how my family and I saw this trip.

The day that we arrived at the mission we wondered why it was so busy. It turns out that they were having some type of festival at the mission! They were selling snow cones and t-shirts but the chalk was by far my favorite.  A kids club was running all of the booths and they had the bright idea to sell squares of chalk to little kids to color in the parking lot with. Then for the adults they had an art competition and beautiful masterpieces that one can only dream of seeing were carefully drawn with intricate detail on the ground. They were beautiful and the thought that they were simply going to wash them away the next day seemed completely absurd. The festivities caught my eye and made the trip one of the most memorable that I have had.

In fourth grade I read a book called Island of the Blue Dolphins and this year my brother read it as well. At the end of the book the main character is taken to a mission and she dies there. The book also says that she is buried in the Mission Santa Barbara cemetery. When my brother told me he had finished the book we immediately went to ask our parents if we could go see her grave. It took a while to get things in order and planned but our parents agreed and that is how we came upon the idea of going to the mission.

I would definitely say that Mission Santa Barbara is a family oriented place because they have so many things to look at it will keep any child or adult’s interest. Everybody at the mission is friendly and willing to help, and as well as having a fun time you gain historical knowledge that you could never truly obtain by reading a book. Experiencing the feeling that the mission gives you is a once in a life-time thing that can never be replaced.

In conclusion, Mission Santa Barbara is a very historical place. It is a unique vacation spot that everyone is sure to love, and they have exhibits that make you stare in amazement. It is host to festivals that will leave a permanent mark in your mind and make you want to come back every year.