I have to admit I’ve been skipping over this particular episode for awhile, assuming it was a duplicate, part of Huell’s series on all the California missions. You may recall that I featured the episode including Mission San Juan Bautista back in March of this year. Well, I finally decided to confirm my suspicion — and discovered I was wrong. Although Huell is wearing the exact same clothes and again speaking with Father Edward Fitz-Henry, this California’s Gold Classic was filmed during an entirely different, earlier visit which originally aired in October 1996. Since the entire 30-minute segment is devoted to a single mission, we are able to see the historic church buildings as well as the wider town of San Juan Bautista in a bit more detail this time, and to meet a few of the people who help make the place so special.

A century ago, it was the hub of Northern California — a crossroads where over the years you would have encountered gentle Mutsune Indians, hard-working Franciscan padres, fierce outlaws and a host of other fascinating characters. Located just three miles off busy Highway 101 in San Benito County, today the town has somehow managed to maintain the look and feel of “old California.” Mission San Juan Bautista dominates the landscape. The largest of the old Spanish mission churches in our state, it sits on a huge grassy area — the only remaining Spanish plaza in California. Founded in 1787, it is still the functioning parish church in the San Juan Valley. During his stay, Huell is given a tour of the Mission and the State Historic Park which includes numerous grand old buildings surrounding the plaza. He also takes a personal tour of the town given by Leonard Caetano who has spent his entire 72 years there and is one of its leading citizens – and historians.

(Click on the linked image below to see the video.)