Spring 2026

126 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 6 Marking the Path of the Spanish Past B Y M I CHA E L CHAT F I E LD Photo: Courtesy of CaliforniaBell.com NYONE WHO HAS DRIVEN U.S. H IGHWAY 101 HAS CERTAINLY NOTICED THE WEATHERED METAL BELLS , SUSPENDED ON SHEPHERD ’ S HOOK - SHAPED STANCHIONS , SPACED ROUGHLY A MILE APART IN MANY AREAS . T HEY ’ VE BEEN A FIXTURE OF THE ROAD FOR GENERATIONS AND MARK WHAT IS KNOWN AS C ALIFORNIA ’ S E L C AMINO R EAL ( MEANING T HE K ING ’ S H IGHWAY OR T HE R OYAL R OAD ), STRETCHING NORTHWARD FROM M ISSION S AN D IEGO DE A LCALA TO M ISSION S AN F RANCISCO S OLANO IN WHAT IS NOW S ONOMA . The iconic Mission Bells placed throughout the western spine of California were designed by preservationist Harrye Rebecca Piper Forbes to draw public awareness to the state’s decaying Spanish mission buildings.