Indiginous to San Diego County, the
Kumeyaay Indians, of which there are many bands, the Viejas Indians among them, have developed gaming, retail and hotel centers around the County. Here we see four images representing the
Viejas Casino and Outlet Center in East County near Alpine. Notice in the second image the presence of a waxing daytime moon in the upper left corner; and in the third image the rainbow among the mists of the water display in the retail center. Although black bears are no longer inhabitants of the area, it was not long ago that they could be seen, especially in places like Valley Center east of Escondido, which previously was known as Bear Valley.
The Mission was founded on July 16, 1769 by Franciscan Friar Father Junipero Serra on the site that is now the Presidio. (See preceeding blog entry). It was relocated to its present site in 1774 to be nearer the existing Indian villages and to reliable water sources and farmland. It was the first in a chain of 21 missions along the coast of California and is consequently known as the Mother of the Missions. (Additional images, including historical photos, can be found further down in this blog.) For a complete list see California Missions. 
