Goofy Father Junipero Serra Statue
Hillsborough, California
Junipero Serra (1713-1784) the Founder of California, is celebrated elsewhere, but this giant cartoonish priest is our favorite.
It's a 26 ft. tall concrete version of the Spanish missionary, kneeling on one knee on a grassy hillside. He points west across the interstate towards Crystal Springs Reservoir, at wooded hills surprisingly untouched by builders and tech company HQs.
The sculpture sits on a 9-sided base, each face naming an 18th century mission he helped establish. The giant priest was designed and funded by Louis DuBois, in conjunction with the CA Dept. of Transportation and San Mateo County Historical Association.
Visitors park in an interstate rest area, and walk up a path to the statue, where you can examine his giant toenails up close. A sign along the path warns to watch for rattlesnakes skulking in the brush.
