Cabrillo National Monument, Fort Rosencrans National Cemetery

If you could take just one photo: Most southwestern point in the US

You can go farther south and you can go farther west, but you can't get any more southwesterly than at the tip of Point Loma. It is a unique spit of land that extends off the mainland to form the San Diego bay. One senses the history of Juan Cabrillo sailing into the calm waters more than 400 years ago. A great spot for watching whales or enjoying a spectacular sunset.

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It’s easy to understand why Point Loma was a strategic honeypot for the military. As a hilly peninsula that sweeps between the Pacific Ocean and the San Diego Bay, the eastside offers bird’s-eye views of downtown, and the west-side cliffs crumble down to tidepools protecting an amazing variety of marine life. Miles of trail are begging to be hiked; time your trip carefully, and you can watch the re-enactment of Spaniard Juan Cabrillo’s epic west coast landing. With lungs full of fresh air, boots salty-damp, and a heart enamored by the city skyline, I stopped to pay respects at Fort Rosencrans National Cemetery. White tombstones lined up like perfect little soldiers, I couldn’t help but think that every fallen military member deserved such a view—the relentless crash of waves singing to their spirits, the soaring of jets overhead.

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