Readers' Choice Winner: Mission Church

After a week of voting, the results are in and Reader chose the St. Rafael Mission Church as the best tourist location for a visiting friend. 

The church was named for St. Raphael, the patron saint of healing, and was built in 1817 as "a Spanish defense against Russion trade encroachment in California," according a Marin History Museum blog. The blog says:

It was 20th in a string of 21 missions. After trials of Indian attack and a takeover by the Mexican government, the mission died. But, in 1884, St. Rafael's church was built, and a few years later, a school was added by Father Hugh Lagan. The church burned in 1921 and was rebuilt in 1922. 

Coming in second place was , which offers 1640 acres of exceptional biological diversity, including a paved winding road that offers spectacular views of San Pablo Bay. Other sights include salty marshlands, California native grasses, wildflowers, towering oaks, manazanita and madrone trees. Visitors can enjoy a variety of activities, including kayaking, windsurfing, hiking, cycling and camping. Picnic sites with tables and barbecue grills are also available.

And third place is for the Marin Civic Center, designed by Frank Lyyod Wright. To read more about this building, which serves as the county's location for politics and the courts, read our series about and its construction.