If you head for the narrow strip of land at the mouth of San Diego Bay, you’ll reach Point Loma. This 422-foot-tall cliff has long been home to the most highly elevated lighthouse anywhere in the United States at the time it was built in the mid 19th century. This lighthouse is famously known as the “Old Point Loma Lighthouse” and is a beloved icon of San Diego. Although the location seemed ideal at the time, it became clear over the ensuing decades that it was a rather terrible idea. Precisely because of its defining height above the sea, the lighthouse was often shrouded in fog at night, making it practically impossible to see the light while out at sea.

The lighthouse was active for a little under four decades before it fell into disuse and a new lighthouse was built at the bottom of the hill. When you visit today, you can imagine what it must have been like to be the lightkeeper here. Captain Robert Israel and his wife kept watch, with their growing family and the animals who lived in the yard. To get to school as a young boy, he had to row a boat across the bay to reach his school! It is certainly something intriguing to ponder as you explore the lighthouse that now serves as a museum. The living quarters of the Israels have been carefully restored and you can take a step back in time, uninterrupted. This is a journey you won't regret!