From 1492 until the late 1800s, Spanish culture dominated North America, particularly the area which is now the Western United States and all parts South. “God, Glory and Gold,” the foreign policy of the Spanish empire, is a group dedicated to exploring the traces of the Spanish settlement still left in today’s America. Our sister group – Desert Rats – is dedicated to all things desert, but not all of our Spanish heritage is in the desert, and not everybody who loves the “mission period” loves cactus. No, I don’t understand that either, but a separate group seemed like a good idea. Might even get some cross-over. A lot of our Spanish history is in costal towns, and some is in the mountains. There are 21 missions left in California, and a fair few in Arizona, and New Mexico. A lot of the old Spanish trail remains, adobe buildings, and some old ranchos. Let’s find ‘em! Post your photos, maps travelogs - whatever you've got that says "Francisco Vázquez de Coronado had breakfast here!" And folks, this is a historical interest/travel group, not a political forum or religious encounter group.