A crossroads community of a few hundred souls set around the junction of Hwy-78 and Hwy-79. Large numbers of passing motorists pause in Santa Ysabel just long enough to buy a loaf of bread from Dudley’s Bakery. The spacious bakery shop has many shelves of warm loaves, baked in various styles to traditional recipes, as well as a tempting selection of fresh-baked cakes.

Within sight of the bakery along Hwy-79, the miniscule Mission Santa Ysabel was founded in 1818 as a branch of San Diego’s mission though soon fell to ruin: the current church dates from 1924. Next door to the church, a one-room museum holds many intriguing objects from the original mission.