The small town of San Juan Bautista is in San Benito County some 20 km inland from the coast of Monterey Bay.
In 1797 it was the location chosen for one of the Spanish Missions which stretch in a line along the coasts of Mexico and California.
A site was selected on a small ridge overlooking a flat plain. Unknown to the settlers this was the line of the San Andreas Fault.
During construction a number of earthquakes struck causing large cracks to appear.
Undeterred construction continued and a few years later work began on what was designed to become the largest church in the chain. Continuing earthquakes caused these ambitious plans to be scaled back.
The church subsequently suffered damage from a fire and the effects of the 1906 earthquake.
Nowadays the Mission overlooks a square grassy plaza on the edge of town lined with wooden buildings from the 1800s.
Leaving the plaza I set off up the main street ... which is called 3rd Street ... joined Highway 156 ... and headed east towards Hollister.
This is certainly not the best cycle route to Hollister but is the most direct and fortunately the highway has wide shoulders. It heads off dead straight across the agricultural land of the San Juan Valley.
Crops stretch right across the flat valley floor ... and tons of water are used to irrigate them. Incredible mechanical monsters are used to harvest the resulting produce.
After about seven kilometres I turned off to the peace of Union Road.
This climbs up a small hill and then descends back to the valley floor. Other cyclists were also enjoying this quiet backroad.
Approaching Hollister the signs indicated that my chosen route along Riverside was closed. I decided to risk it ... as normally you can pass most obstacles on a bike.
I found that the bridge over the San Benito River was undergoing repairs. But ... as there was no water in it ... I was able to ride across the dusty dried up river bed to the other side.
After dusting myself off I continued along Nash Road to the centre of Hollister.
The town ... which until recently relied heavily on agriculture ... is now expanding rapidly as commuters from the Bay Area seek affordable housing.
The town was established some 60 years after the Mission at San Juan Bautista ... but the founders didn't learn from their predecessor's experience as it was established on the Calaveras Fault which is a branch of the San Andreas Fault system.
The fault displays aseismic creep ... which means that the two sides of the fault slip over each other but generate relatively little seismic activity. Parts of the fault slip 12 millimetres a year.
Student geologists visit the town to trace the line of the fault and to view the offset pavements and distorted houses which it has caused.
After exploring the town I cautiously re-crossed the fault and headed back west towards San Juan.
After a short section back on Highway 156 I turned onto Mitchell Road.
This leads away from the busy Highway back across the quiet agricultural plain.
I cycled past fields of vegetables and fruit, past groves of fruit trees and past dusty fields that were being reploughed and tilled ready for the next crops.
The trail zig-zags along the edges of the rectangular fields ... crabbing its way back towards San Juan.
To the right the flat valley floor ends abruptly at the Flint Hills and to the left the plain ends at the Gablilan Range which extends from horizon to horizon.
I passed a food massive processing plant and then turned along Prescott and the San Juan Highway to return to town.
Back in San Juan I came across a memorial to Jim Jack ... 'the big-hearted Chinaman' ... alongside the simple cabin that he had built in the 1880s.
From the cabin I headed up Third Street to explore the shopping centre.
San Juan has no mall or fast food outlets ... the main street is lined by old wooden buildings from the late 1800s.
Many of the shops had wooden verandas ... but I didn't spot any pensioners in rocking chairs.
San Juan Bautista receives many visitors attracted by its relaxed old-time atmosphere, antique stores and speciality shops.
Back in Mission Plaza I explored the old buildings built in the 1800s.
These include the Plaza Hotel, a settlers cabin, the Mutsun Indian Burial Grounds, the Plaza Hall, a stable which was used to support the stages which ran through San Juan, and the town galabozo (jail).
I was lucky enough to be there on the first Saturday of the month when the local living history or historical re-enactment society meet to reconstruct scenes from the past.
A group of cowboys were camped on the plaza brewing coffee and a soldier and bar girl were hanging around outside the hotel.
After a rather gentle ride ... and a modest amount of culture ... I decided that it was time for an ice cream.
Kirby James
