Uraling to the San Xavier del Bac Mission

Sunny but cool conditions, chilly while driving at speed in my 2014 Ural Patrol Sidecar Rig, Scarlett!

Soon after lunch, we motored from the BLM Dispersed Camping area and less than 10 miles or so later, were parking near the San Xavier del Bac Mission.  Founded in the late 1600's and finished with additions by 1797, it's the oldest European structure in Arizona.

Sadly, the front exterior archway/facade is being renovated/repaired currently.  So the scaffolding detracted from the visual aesthetics but it was still a good spot for a tour.

We went inside the main church and it was pretty impressive:

No signs, I figure its a representation of San Xavier

The Lion theme appeared frequently

There's exhibits and photos in the adjoining buildings:

A nicely done model of the Mission:

I really like "then" photos, to give you a good feel for the changes and history:

I found the Gulf's name amusing, given

recent events here in the US.

The small hill behind the mission, a portion of which you can see behind Martha, has a small Grotto (not part of the church) and a cross at the top.  Two more lions, one of which is shown below, guard the path:

A short walk nearby, there's a small plaza with some small stores/gift shops and such.  I liked how the gateway to the plaza framed the Mission.

We left to run a couple of shopping chores and were back in the VRRV just before things started cooling down by about one hour.  It'll be in the mid 30s tonight so not too bad, when compared to the single digits back in Colorado!