Old Point Loma Lighthouse a bastion of San Diego history | The Honolulu Advertiser

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Old Point Loma Lighthouse a bastion of San Diego history | The Honolulu Advertiser | Hawaii's Newspaper

Posted on: Sunday, March 23, 2008

Old Point Loma Lighthouse a bastion of San Diego history

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

The Old Point Loma Light tower was first lit in 1855, one of the Pacific Coast's first eight lighthouses. Adjoining it is a small visitor center that pays homage to Portuguese conquistador Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo.

Photos courtesy Wikipedia

A fine network of tidepools surrounds the headland. Watch for gray whales and sea lions.

WHAT: Lighthouse fans know that to be within 20 miles or so of a light means that however gusty, wet or hot the headland, you have to go visit. Invariably, the payoff is a cool edifice, stunning views, a whiff of history, and — if you're lucky — a glimpse of coastal wildlife.

WHERE: Point Loma on the long neck of land enclosing North San Diego Bay.

WHAT'S THERE: Old Point Loma Lighthouse and the Cabrillo National Monument that commemorates Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, a young and daring Portuguese conquistador who led the first European expedition into San Diego Bay in 1542. At the monument, a statue of the navigator faces out to his landing site at Ballast Point. At the tiny museum/visitor center, you can see a model of his ship, the San Salvador, and Cabrillo's early maps. There also are photos and journals from past lighthouse keepers and their families.

Adjoining the visitor center is the Old Point Loma Light tower, first lit in 1855. The tower was among the first eight lighthouses erected on the Pacific Coast to guide ships into the harbor. But at more than 450 feet above the ocean (the highest tower in the U.S.), the light was more often than not obscured by high fog and clouds.

In 1891, the iron skeleton tower of the present Point Loma Light was built nearby on a rocky point at 88 feet above sea level; the old tower was set aside in 1913 as a national monument and is now cared for by the U.S. Park Service.

Around the headland, the one-mile Bayside trail is a wonderful walk, if a little steep in places. On the ocean-facing side is Whale Watch Lookout Point where you can look for the southward migration of California gray whales during winter months (and hear barking sea lions all year round). Nearby is a fine network of tidepools. On clear days, the view extends north to La Jolla and south down to Mexico. Looking inland are the mass of gray warships moored at naval facilities on Coronado Island.

Stop for lunch at nearby Humphrey's By The Bay, for salads, burgers and delicious sandwiches, $10-$15; the view is free. 2241 Shelter Island Drive, 619-224-3577, www.humphreysbythebay.com. Or, even better, head to Point Loma Seafoods, where you can sit outside with your plate of fresh fish and watch the boats come into the little harbor; seafood plates $10. 2805 Emerson St., 619-223-1109. www.pointlomaseafoods.com.

GETTING THERE: From Sunset Cliffs Boulevard in the Point Loma residential district, take Catalina Boulevard and enter the Cabrillo National Monument through the U.S. Navy's Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. www.nps.gov/cabr.

Reach Chris Oliver at coliver@honoluluadvertiser.com.

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