Mission San Xavier del Bac

Mission San Xavier del Bac is located on the Tohono O'odham reservation about 10 miles south of downtown Tucson. I visited the mission during the winter and arrived just before sunrise. As I drove up, it was immediately obvious why the mission is called the “white dove of the desert” due to the gleaming white plaster.

The mission is often described as the finest example of Spanish colonial architecture in the United States. I’ve been to many missions in the US and San Xavier certainly competes for being the most beautiful.