We've spent a tremendous amount of time in San Juan Capistrano over the years, Margaret especially since her horse activities, clear back to the mid-80's have taken place in that town. Still, neither of us had crossed over the Amtrak tracks into the Los Rios Historical District until today. A "quick lunch" at the Hummingbird House Cafe was just the prelude to another hour or more exploring this unique area. (We would have stayed longer if we hadn't needed to get to the barn!)
About 40 homes (varying in age from 50 to 204 years old) can be found on the few blocks of Los Rios, a street that was not even paved all that many years ago. The area has become declared a Historical site by the State of California and the federal government, and is known as the oldest neighborhood in the state. Some of the homes have been converted to the area's four restaurants, others to shops. All of the buildings are a joy to look at, some quite rustic, others brightly colored, and a few traditionally charming bungalows. And, every yard is filled with plants. "Natives, such as cactus, succulents and grasses stand shoulder to shoulder with brightly colored flowering plants and some beautiful roses! Ancient California Pepper Trees, with their enormous gnarled trunks, anchor the corners of many of the properties.
In a shop that had every imaginable kind of garden ornamentation we bought a large mosaic covered ball to replace our faded old gazing ball in the patio. It's a shop we'll want to return to, as is the whole area. We were told by one of the store owners that during the Christmas season the street is gloriously decorated. A return in December has just gone on our to-do list, though I suspect we'll return sooner. There were a couple of other restaurants that looked awfully interesting!
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