By Mark Goodkin
San Diego Coast Life
See photo gallery
Cabrillo National Monument is a historic landmark and park near the tip of Point Loma in San Diego, CA. The monument commemorates explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo’s first landing at San Diego Bay on September 28, 1542. This Spanish explorer was the first European to visit what is now the west coast of the United States.
Cabrillo National Monument Park
The center piece of the national park is the tall monument of Cabrillo himself looking toward the San Diego Bay, considered a natural harbor at the time. The statute with bay is a popular backdrop for photo opportunities of families and friends.
Nearby the monument is the visitors center, which includes a large gift store, along with a theatre for viewing movies about the park and local history. Outside the visitors center are decks which face the bay. The decks have large stationary binoculars and educational pictorial displays about the bay, the park and the areas history.
These decks offer a panoramic view of San Diego Bay with Coronado and North Island in the foreground and the downtown San Diego skyline and Coronado Bay Bridge in the background. Farther south is Mexico.
Another feature of Cabrillo National Monument is the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, just a short distance along a trail, up the hill. The lighthouse, now a historic landmark, once guided sailing vessels into the harbor during the second half of the 1800s. The living quarters of the Keeper of the Lighthouse appear much as they did during the 1880s.
Tags: "Old Point Loma Lighthouse", Cabrillo National Monument, Point Loma, San Diego, San Diego Bay, San Diego landmarks
Old Point Loma Lighthouse
By Mark Goodkin
San Diego Coast Life
See Photo Gallery
Old Point Loma Lighthouse stands proudly near the tip of Point Loma in San Diego, CA. The lighthouse is part of Cabrillo National Monument Park.
The keeper kept the flame lit in the lighthouse for 36 years – from November 15, 1855 to March 23, 1891. From this vantage point, ships could see the lighthouse from afar – at least when it wasn’t foggy.
The lighthouse was replaced by the “New” Point Loma Lighthouse, which still operates today, located at the foot of the Point Loma bluffs. Although the old lighthouse was high up, fog made it hard for ships to see the light. The new lighthouse could be seen during foggy times.
It costs $5 to get into the national park, but you can use the entry ticket for 5 days. Once you pass through the entry gate, you go up a windy road to a large parking lot near the visitors center. Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: "California Lighthouses", "Lighthouses", "Old Point Loma Lighthouse", "Point Loma Lighthouse", "San Diego History"
By Mark Goodkin
See Photo Gallery
Sunset Cliffs Overlooking Secluded Beach
Located along the entire ocean side of Point Loma, Sunset Cliffs is named after its breathtaking ocean views especially at sunset. Sunset Cliffs Park is that section of the cliffs accessible to the public, along Sunset Cliffs Blvd, from Point Loma Ave (see map) to Ladera Street (see map). Parking is free. There are several places to park along the street and at a few parking areas beside the cliffs. Sunset Cliffs is an ideal place to park the car, get out and stretch the limbs, and walk around.
When I was there, it was a hot, sunny, summer day. I parked my car along Sunset Cliffs Blvd, on the Point Loma Ave side. The first thing I did was take in the sweeping view. To the north, expensive homes lined up along the cliff tops with Ocean Beach and the OB Pier beyond. To the south, a dirt walking path ran along the entire cliff top, as far as the eye could see. Nearby, I noticed people descending a steep trail. On closer look, I saw a secluded sandy beach below filled with beachcombers and colorful umbrellas
Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: "Sunset Cliffs", Beaches, Point Loma, San Diego