This historical site is located on the coast in San Diego California. It was established to honor Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo who explored the state's Coastline.
Cabrillo National Monument is located on the coast in San Diego California. This monument was established to honor Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo who explored the California Coastline. The monument is right near the Old Point Loma Lighthouse and the beach with lots to see and do; tidepools, whale watching, picnic lunches, hiking trails and more.
On September 28, 1542 Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo landed in San Diego Bay in his two ships, the San Salvador and the Victoria. This event marked the first time that Europeans had set foot on what later became the west coast of the United States. He described the bay as a closed
and very good port, which he named "San Miguel". When he departed San Diego Bay he sailed northward and explored the uncharted coast line of California.
Juan Cabrillo was born in Portugal. As a young man Cabrillo was a shipbuilder, horseman, and soldier. Cabrillo began exploring for Spain and first appears in record books in 1520, when it was recorded that he was a soldier in Cuba, engaged to help fight Hernan Cortez. He helped Cortez build a fleet of 13 ships. Later, he built ships for Spain to explore the Pacific, and became the Admiral of the two ships, San Salvador and The Victoria. Spain wanted to explore California because they believed it was an island and they wanted more land for the Crown.
According to journals and log books Cabrillo spent six days exploring the area around San Diego, and claiming land for Spain. When he left the bay, he continued north exploring and mapping the rest of California and the Channel Islands. While exploring, Cabrillo fell and was
seriously injured. However, Cabrillo continued exploring northward, almost to the mouth of San Francisco Bay, but never discovered it because stormy weather forced the ships back south. When they reached the Channel Islands Cabrillo died, apparently from gangrene, as a result of his injury. Cabrillo was then largely forgotten. His men continued to explore the coast, northward as far as Oregon or Washington. Cabrillo himself made the first contact with Native Americans, in San Diego Bay. He was the first to map the west coast, and add a huge area to Spain's land holdings.
Cabrillo National Monument is part of the National Park System and offers programs and a small museum about Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo.
There is also The Old Point Loma Lighthouse to tour which is very interesting. The old lighthouse was built in 1854 and has been restored into an interesting museum. In 1854 a family lived in it while there father was the light keeper. It is hard to imagine a family of four people living in it, and doing the job of keeping the light going, but they did. All the rooms are tiny, and there was very little privacy, but is cute and cozy.
The lighthouse was first lit in November, 1855. A typical day in the life of a keeper consisted of cleaning and polishing the lens, cleaning and filling the lamp with oil, dusting the entire light, and fitting wicks, if the
lamps needed new ones. They also trimmed the wicks, and made sure the lamp was entirely ready to be turned on at dusk. Keepers kept a log book of all the expenditures for oil and wicks, and a watch book of what happened during the day. Keepers (if there was more than one) took turns watching the lens at night, making sure it didn't go out.
The Old Point Loma Lighthouse was taken out of service in 1891, and replaced by a newer and larger lighthouse on Ballast Point, right on the very edge of the coastline of Point Loma. Point Loma is one of the first lights to be built in California and has stood for nearly 150 years.
The Light House, being situated on the cliffs of the beach, is a quick hike down to some very interesting tidepools. You can see and touch starfish, anemones, and spiny sea urchins in these pools. Sometimes there are Park Rangers standing by the pools educating visitors about the
sea life found in them. There are signs that remind visitors not to remove any sea life from the tidepools, because all animals will die when removed.
If you can make your trip to Cabrillo National Monument in February or June it is possible you will get a glimpse of the migrating Gray Whales. There is plenty of hiking trails and beach to wander on near the monument that will give you a good view, but on top off the cliffs is best for the views. Bring a picnic lunch and some binoculars to see the whales; sometimes the whales are so close binoculars are not needed to see them.
There are a ton of things to do in nearby San Diego. Visiting the Zoo, Balboa Park, Sea World, and Mission Bay, The Wild Animal Park, excellent hotels and restaurants, more beaches and Legoland just to name a few. Cabrillo National Monument is educational both historically and scientifically, as well as fun!
