Cabrillo National Monument San Diego, Southern California

Located at the tip of Point Loma, the Cabrillo National Monument honors Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, the Spanish explorer who landed at San Diego Bay in 1542, thus becoming the first European to set foot on the West Coast of what is now the United States. The Cabrillo National Monument offers plenty of activities for visitors who enjoy the great outdoors. Activities range from watching for Pacific Gray whales that swim by during the winter months to hiking the two-mile Bayside Trail with its stunning views of the city and bay. Other trails lead to tidal pools and the restored Old Point Loma Lighthouse, one of the first lighthouses on the West Coast.