Cabrillo National Monument, San Diego

Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo led the first European expedition to explore what is now the west coast of the United States

Historians believe he anchored his flagship, the San Salvador, on Point Loma's east shore near Cabrillo National Monument

This was the first landing by a European in present-day California, Point Loma has been described "where California began".

Cabrillo later died during the expedition, but his crew pushed on, possibly as far north as Oregon

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Built in 1855, The Old Point Loma Lighthouse was abandoned 36 years later cause fog and clouds often obscured the light

Today, the Old Point Loma Lighthouse still stands watch over San Diego, sentinel to a vanished past.

Thu, Sep 29, 2016 at 16:35:04 PDT