California’s Mexican past

Two modern-day visitors stroll past the Pacific House Museum in Monterey State Historic Park, which features painted figures on its second-floor veranda. Exhibits inside tell the fascinating history of when Monterey was the capital of Spanish and Mexican California.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Papel picado banners, or traditional Mexican paper cutouts, decorate a walkway at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. Dancers, guitarists, margaritas and merchandise — all move fast at the historic park, which is surrounded by a neighborhood full of more food, drink and goods.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Visitors with good imaginations can wander around San Juan Bautista State Historic Park and put themselves back in the days when the Plaza Hotel was newly constructed and teeming with customers.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Fourth-grader Vincent Xiong is dressed in character for a reenactment at Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park in Sacramento. To help make California’s past come to life, Vincent and his classmates each had a historic personage to portray.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

A low sun throws rays across the 1827 Custom House in Monterey State Historic Park. In Old California, the Monterey waterfront was key to everything, and the Custom House is where California met the world.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

An old bell hangs on the grounds of Sutter’s Fort, which has been outfitted with 1846 in mind — just a few short years before gold was discovered in nearby Colona and the Gold Rush was on.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Quaint shops line 3rd Street in San Juan Bautista, Calif. The community is also home to a mission that gave San Juan Bautista its name.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

With its beautiful roses and statue, the garden at Mission San Juan Bautista is a peaceful place to contemplate the state’s colorful past. The mission near Monterey was founded in 1797.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Take a break from exploring the state’s Mexican past with a visit to downtown Sonoma. The old plaza is lined with upscale restaurants and shops. It’s also where, in 1823, Spanish Franciscans founded San Francisco Solano, their last California mission.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

Key points in 19th century state history are told in tile work at Monterey State Historic Park. Many of the town’s old adobes have survived, and the state runs nearly a dozen of them as the historic park.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)

A gaggle of fourth-graders learns a thing or two about the California Gold Rush by dressing the part at Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park in Sacramento.  (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)