A Swallowful of History

Want to know what we learned by watching this film with our kids? Here are our buttery bits of wisdom:

• Kids and adults alike cozied up for Zorro. Our baseball loving boys were swinging their bats at imaginary opponents and the girls were dreamy-eyed from the stylish romance and period costumes. It's a pleasure to watch a film that doesn't try to be more than it is - this one is a throw back to films of old with wonderful sword fights, a sweeping historical setting and big screen heroism. It works for anyone over seven, as long as they don't mind a few gory swordfights.
  
• Last summer's sequel, The Legend of Zorro, paired Banderas and Zeta-Jones for a second time, which our kids also liked. We recommend starting with the first film -- Catherine Zeta Jones' breakout role.
• COOL FACT: Zorro means fox in Spanish.
  

• Zorro is a hero who combines populist Robin Hood with the cool factor of Batman; however, he carves out his own place in hero history with his justice wielding sword. Ask the kids what qualities this particular superhero uses to accomplish his mission: Superman can fly, James Bond has the gadgets, but what does Zorro use that is unique?
  
• Johnston McCulley invented the character of Zorro in 1919, in a magazine serial called "The Curse of Capistrano." Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. quickly snatched up the film rights and made the first Zorro film, The Mark of Zorro, in 1920. There have been at least 35 English language Zorro films since, and dozens of others made in Spanish language countries. Ask the kids why they think this particular story has endured?
• COOL FACT: Bob Kane, the creator of Batman, credits Zorro as his inspiration.
  

Want to know what we learned from doing this adventure with our kids? Here are our buttery bits of wisdom:

• We'd heard of San Juan Capistrano for years, but never bothered to visit until the kids insisted. It's a case of the kids knowing best, and we all enjoyed letting them be our guides! Capistrano is truly the jewel of the California mission chain, and worthy of a family trip. It's especially a winner for grandparents because there is something for everyone to appreciate. Stroller babes will enjoy the visit, as well.
  
• The chapel in the mission is thought to be the oldest church in California. The mission also contains the ruins of a magnificent cathedral which collapsed during mass in 1812, only six years after it was built. The community was devastated by the loss. Our kids recounted this tragic story while we stood in the ruins, proving they had listened during their visit!
  
• We loved a room set up as a soldiers' barracks, with helmets and muskets from the early days. The rope mattress was an eye opener for the kids, helping them to understand the austerity of the time. We also visited a ceramics studio and rolled stencil-like designs on clay that we were able to take home.
• Consider taking the train to San Juan Capistrano. You'll board at Union Station downtown and travel for just over an hour. Once you arrive, walk two blocks to the mission. No freeway traffic, no gas prices. www.amtrack.com
  
• Admission is $7, seniors are $6 and kids from 4-11 are $5 (children under three are free). Taking a self-guided tour is the best option, but docent led tours are available for groups of fifteen or more.
  
• School kids take note: The Mission's website offers special information for California school children whose curriculum includes a mission unit. Click here for additional materials for school projects.
• Joaquin Murieta and Three-Fingered Jack, Banderas and his brother in the film, are based on real bandits from the 1849 Gold Rush.
  

• A history of the missions is the history of how California began. King Charles III of Spain created the mission network as a means of establishing permanent commercial and social communities in "Alta California." The Spanish also wanted to convert the natives to Christianity, and the missions were built a day's walk from each other stringing from San Diego north beyond Santa Barbara. The Native Amerians who lived in the Capistrano area were a peaceful people called Acjachemen. While much of the farming businesses created by missions were successful, the history of early colonization is fraught with disease and strife. When Mexico won its independence from Spain, they decided to sell the missions. Most fell into disrepair until 1863, when Abraham Lincoln decreed that they should revert to the Catholic Church.
  
• Father Junipero Serra, the Father of the California Missions, led the Spanish efforts to spread Christianity to Alta California. He founded 9 of the 21 California missions and lived at San Juan Capitstrano, which has long been considered the "Jewel of the California missions" for its beautiful gardens and rich heritage.
  
• Even if you didn't know Zorro came from Capistrano, you probably have heard about the famous swallows. Every October, the swallows leave California for their winter homes in Argentina. They return anually in March and are celebrated in an annual festival at the Mission (3/18-3/19). For a quick history of the birds, click here.
  

• We brought a picnic during our visit and ate in in a nice spot in the courtyards. There are coffee and sandwich shops around the scenic town of Capistrano, so if you arrive without food, you'll find plenty of nourishment.
  

• www.geocities.com/thezorrolegend A history of the legend, beginning with its literary antecedent, The Scarlet Pimpernel.
• www.missions.bgmm.com This resourceful site offers a map of California that lets you click on each mission location and read a brief description of the mission's particular history.
• www.missionsofcalifornia.org Offering a comprehensive listing of all the missions in California, this site is dedicated to preservation.
• www.library.thinkquest.org A link for more about mission life.