In 1542, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo led the first European expedition to explore what is now the west coast of the United States. The Gulf of California had recently been explored, proving that California was not an island! In search of the Seven Cities of Cibola he found San Diego instead! That point out there is called Pt. Loma (the entrance to San Diego Bay). There is a monument there commemorating this. This view is from Coronado Island.