Place: Pretty Mission San Diego.....flowers, fruits and statues....

Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala (Mother of all 21 Franciscan missions) is the very first Franciscan church in entire California state...

It has a violent history...but now beautified with gardens and dotted with fruit trees, it  is a quiet, serene, inviting place..taking advantage of its vicinity to my house, I visit it quite often...an that's situated barely quarter mile from my apartment...hence, its my morning and evening walk destination, day after day...ever since I got to know this place, been visiting frequently....

Not being a Christian, I had never got the opportunity to sneak a peek into the sanctum sanctorum of the church...yesterday, as I was hanging out in the premises, saw the door open and had a glimpse of the inside..

The facade of the Mission...I have noticed from my visit to this Mission as well as Mission San Juan Capistrano, Old Town and Presidio Park that, California pepper trees are indispensable component of their yards..

The tile-roofed long corridor of the Mission building...here, you feel like  transported to 250 years back in time-line...

A clay terracota pottery adorns the church entrance...

The manger scene on the roof, during Christmas...

 Jesus statue illuminated in the dim light...

Also, the Missions are renowned for their beautiful gardens...and bougainvillea constitute a must-have..I love gazing at and taking photographs of these opulent plants...

Is not this plant stunning? An amalgamation of pink, yellow, orange...its a sensory delight for me...

Also this bush by the Mary's grotto against the distant mesa makes for a spectacular sight... 

It holds myriad attractions in the form of...

Spectacular blossoms.............................................
..........purple orchid and pink India hawthorn...

Indian Hawthorn shrubs are bursting with zillion flowers...

.........hibiscus............

.....pomegranate....

Fruits galore.............................................

Quince.......

Catalina cherry...

Citrus...

Apple......

Fig..........

Peach........

Pomegranate....

Mulberry...

No wonder, why so many birds, squirrels and rabbits call it home!

Celebratory decors...this time St Patrick's day clover baubles...

and serene statues.........

The shrine of the Mother Mary...a great place to relax and reflect...

Observation: Sand sculptures...........

In Ocean beach........

In a county fair.........

In Coronado beach.......

Joy: Spring break national park trip beacons....

As I have gushed many times before, nothing about this nation interests me more than its wonderful national parks. In the past 4 years of stay here, I have been fortunate to soak in the beauty of 6 of them...

Lassen...........

Grand Canyon............

Glacier.....

Yellowstone...........

Yosemite...........

and Sequoia.........

I thoroughly enjoyed the diversity of each of them...and can't wait for the trips to Zion, Bryce and Horseshoe bend national parks in the upcoming spring break.......

The past half dozen trips have taught me some precious lessons for a hassle-free and happier outdoor adventure experiences ..

*No more new food tasting, if you know your hypersensitivity to  many of them....no one wants an anaphylaxis or even allergies to mar the supposed-to-be fun days...I could not enjoy my Glacier trip to the hilt just because I developed severe allergy after eating some blueberry-yoghurt..It caused physical discomfort, leave only the weird photographs with swollen lips and puffy face.

*No more pointy foot wares and enough warm clothes...I hated the whipping chilly wind of Yaki Point in Grand Canyon...

*No more jeans......... soft trousers and yoga pants are perfect for the challenging treks...

*Some dry foods in the backpack for emergencies....

Well, that's the blunders I had done in the past and need to rectify in the ensuing road trip:)