Santa Ines Mission Bell tower - Solvang California
Posted by: 
teeoff2
N 34° 35.692 W 120° 08.170
10S E 762650 N 3831845
A beautiful Bell tower in this historic California mission
Waymark Code: WM66M6
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 04/13/2009
Views: 11
From the mission website:
The Mission was founded on September 17, 1804 by Father Estevan Tapis, and was named in honor of Saint Agnes, an early Christian martyr of the fourth century. The Spanish for Agnes is Inés, hence the name of the church; the American Yankees anglicized the spelling of the Spanish pronunciation and named the town Santa Ynez.
The Mission, which commands a superb view of the Santa Ynez River Valley and the Santa Ynez and San Rafael mountain ranges, continues its central role in the spiritual and social life of the Santa Ynez Valley as an active parish church of approximately 1,000 families, and is administered by the Capuchin Franciscan order. We hold regular religious services as well as special services for baptisms, confirmations, weddings, and funerals. The Mission staff conducts religious education classes, youth groups, and various programs for adults.
Community groups are allowed to use Mission facilities for public functions such as the annual Story Telling Festival and the yearly Rancheros Vistadores horse-riding event, and the Mission grounds are used as the staging area for parades and cycling events. The popular annual Fiesta benefits restoration work at the historic Mission.
Today the process continues to restore, preserve, and return the "Mission of the Passes" to its former grandeur of the early Mission era. Mission Santa Inés is the proud and fortunate possessor of a rich collection of paintings, statuary, vestments, manuscripts, and artifacts.
Visitors are always welcome. A taped audio tour is available in our gift shop to guide visitors through the Museum rooms, church, and garden. As you tour this picturesque Mission, may you be enriched spiritually by the drama, history, and tradition contained within the walls and grounds of Mission Santa Inés, called "The Hidden Gem" of the Missions.
Address of Tower:
1760 Mission Drive
Solvang, Ca United States
93464
Still Operational: yes
Number of bells in tower?: 3
Relevant website?: [Web Link]
Rate tower: 
Tours or visits allowed in tower?: Unknown
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Visit Instructions:
Please post an original picture of the tower taken while you were there. Please also record how you came to be at this tower and any other interesting information you learned about it while there.