Point Loma Lighthouse

Point Loma Seafoods

With 5-1/2 weeks under our belt in San Diego, and very close to leaving for home, we decided to go for one more excursion with our extended family, Rob and Carol. We had visited Point Loma Seafoods a couple times and enjoyed picking something fresh from a huge selection of choices, including many smoked varieties. So, we couldn't turn down another invitation to visit it.

Originally, we thought this was a "restaurant", but in reality it is a "fish market" where you choose and purchase what you want to eat and drink, and that is not easy as there are soooo many choices. 

Servers behind the fish counter take your order and put it together on a tray. Then, you take your fresh catch into the "dining room" and find a table of your choosing. Upstairs seating is also available, overlooking the harbor, which we did on one occasion. Fish and crustaceans: well, there is everything from fresh sushi on the far right, made to order, to live crab and lobsters in tanks on the far left. And, fresh scallops so large they won't fit in your mouth. OMG, my mouth is starting to water just thinking about this place ...

We started with a shrimp cocktail, actually large prawns in cocktail dipping sauce, and followed that with a combo plate of fresh, blackened salmon. So good we went back again to try something else. The smoked trout was excellent, too. And, yes, there is a good selection of wines from different countries, mostly Italy. If you go away from this place hungry, it's no fault but your own!

Point Loma Lighthouse

Next, we headed for Point Loma Lighthouse at the end of the peninsula where we walked trails and took-in the incredible views of the harbor. When it's clear, like the day we were there, you can actually see Tijuana, Mexico. Rob used to dive for lobster in the bay, and surf, near here; a beautiful spot. The first pix is of the "new" lighthouse, and the 2nd looking back towards downtown San Diego.

While there, we happened to catch one of the Navy's guided missile cruisers, USS Lake Erie CG-70, leaving its home port of San Diego for open waters.

A few more pictures of our walking tour and sites at Point Loma, and our tour guides for the day, Rob and Carol. We had so much fun and the best visit ever! Rob, like most of the men in his family, are barbeque Masters ... and we did!

Walking trails were well maintained and covered the entire top of the point.

The opposite side of the point overlooks a research facility of some type, run by the University of San Diego. Rob says they were training dolphins here in the past, for military purposes ... Geeeeeez!

In a small museum, the original old lighthouse Fresnel lens is on display with other artifacts. The old lighthouse was closed for repairs the day we were there, so no pictures.

And of course, no trip to the point would be complete without a picture of the man himself, Juan Rodrigues Cabrillo, whose nationality – Portuguese or Spanish – has been hotly debated recently. There is much controversy of what Cabrillo actually accomplished as well, but Wikipedia has this to say about that: 

"On August 1, 1542, Cabrillo anchored within sight of Cedros Island. Before the end of the month he had passed Baja Point (named "Cabo del Engaño" by de Ulloa in 1539) and entered "uncharted waters", where no Spanish ships had been before. Then, on September 28, he landed in what is now San Diego Bay and named it "San Miguel" ... Thus, the statue was erected in his honor (along with a brand of Mexican beer?) ... Check out the size of that sword!

After the trip to the point, we headed home bidding farewell to San Diego, our cherished friends, incredible restaurants, beautiful weather and, fortunately, the most horrible traffic in California ... good bye for now, SD!