DAY ONE: SATURDAY: 18 MILES

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Day one starts at the Santa Barbara Mission, whose exquisite beauty has earned it the title "Queen of the Missions." Check in begins at the Mission parking lot at 7:00am with dropping off your camping gear at the U-Haul truck and picking up your pilgrim packet. Mass will be offered at the Mission with the Franciscan Friars at 7:30am and the pilgrimage will begin at 8:45am. We will descend from Santa Barbara's Upper East, walking past the cloistered Monastery of the Poor Clares and Our Lady of Sorrows Church before striking State Street for a promenade to the ocean past the shops and sidewalk cafes. We reach the beach at the foot of the pier and the iconic dolphin fountain. We will turn down coast on the bike and pedestrian trail among the towering palm trees. Our first stop will be at the Chromatic Gate at Cabrillo Park with water and snacks provided. We will continue on the bike path along the Bird Refuge estuary at the foot of the Santa Barbara Zoo, past the Santa Barbara Cemetery, and reconnect with the coast and descend off the scenic bluff top bike trail to the Butterfly Lane Beach. We will continue past the storied Biltmore Hotel and wend our way among quiet neighborhood streets to Santa Ynez Rd. We will cross over the 101 freeway and turn right into quiet and shaded residential streets and parallel equestrian trail.

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We will turn right onto Sheffield Dr. for a brief stretch before turning left at the Ortega Hill bike path. Walkers will have the option of ascending on a relatively short and steep trail to the dramatic Pacific Ocean view at the top or continuing on the short bike path parallel to the 101 freeway. The routes will converge again on the edge of downtown Summerland on Ortega Hill Rd.  We will continue another block to Evans Rd and turn right and pass under the 101 freeway again to Lookout Park on the bluffs above Summerland Beach. Lunch will be provided there as we take an hour long lunch break. The beach can be reached by a short path for those who may want to rest their feet in the surf.

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After lunch we pass through the main commercial district of Summerland on Lillie Ave and turn right onto Padaro Lane and cross back over to the ocean side of the freeway. Padaro Lane is a beautiful shaded lane that passes by many grand gated properties that have direct beach access. This year we will turn right on to Santa Claus Lane, strolling past the popular beach and beachside cafes to the recently opened new bike and pedestrian path that skirts the Carpinteria Estuary and connects directly to Carpinteria Ave. We will pass into the commercial district of downtown Carpinteria and turn left on Linden Avenue for four blocks to our destination at St. Joseph’s Church. Hikers will retrieve their camping gear, which will have been transported, and set up their tents for the night. Dinner will be served and there will be a Holy Hour with Eucharistic Adoration and confession.

DAY TWO: SUNDAY: 17 MILES

We will arise with the morning light, have breakfast, and break camp. Gear will be transported to Ventura for later pick up. We will proceed back over the freeway on Linden Ave and continue through the downtown to the beach. We will turn left on the pedestrian trail at Carpinteria State Beach and follow 4th St through the campgrounds. A Chumash Indian village once occupied this area and the modern city was named for the carpenter shop on the banks of the creek we will cross over. Here the Chumash built their ocean going canoes from which they greeted the early Spanish explorers, including the Catholic missionaries. As we continue down coast we will utilize the Carpinteria Bluff trail and pass by the Tar Pits Park and the Seal Sanctuary and enjoy the beautiful ocean and island views on the way to the Rincon Beach area. We will have a rest stop at the Rincon County Park parking lot with water and snacks.

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We will enter the bike and pedestrian trail that runs right above the ocean and provides sea breezes and island views for 4 miles. We will pass La Conchita and through Mussel Shoals. Conditions permitting, we may get a chance to walk for a stretch on the beach. The trail ends at Pier Shoals Beach where we have a lunch break. We next cross under the 101 freeway and strike the old Pacific Coast Highway, the iconic Highway 1. We will be on the wide shoulder of this beachfront road for most of the way into Ventura, passing Hobson Beach, Faria Beach, Mondo's Beach, Solimar Beach and their corresponding beachfront communities and surf spots. This stretch includes the Rincon Parkway, with prime ocean front RV camping space, providing a high level of exposure for our witness in the footsteps of St. Junipero Serra! When we reach Emma Wood State Beach we will walk up the gentle slope to the bluff top, welcoming the shade of the Monterey Pines. This would be a great place for family and friends to join us for the last few miles to the Mission, bouying us with their fresh energy and encouraging us for the final push. We will utilize the bike and pedestrian trail along the coast and bend under the freeway for the second to the last time. The trail then parallels Main St. and crosses over the Ventura River. We will turn right on Garden St. and left on Santa Clara St. before our final left onto the pedestrian plaza leading to the Mission and enter the doors of the Mission to the joyous tolling of bells and wafts of incense! Mass at the mission at 6pm will be followed by a celebratory dinner. 

NB The route and itinerary are subject to changes. Those will be posted as possible on this website.