Richard Henry Dana called this the most romantic harbor and from this video, you'll gain a slight glimpse into what Dana may have seen when he climbed off his ship up into the hills of Dana Point.

When you stand on the hill at the lookout next to Blue Lantern Inn, 34343 Street of the Blue Lantern, Dana Point, CA, there's a park bench, a couple plaques and a gazebo with an overlook of the harbor. It is one of the first stops to make when visiting Dana Point. From here you'll gain a perspective on the harbor that lets you see the layout below, and the mountain ranges in the distance.

On one historical plaque on this hill states that in 1835 Richard Henry Dana, for which the harbor was named, used the cove below, El Embarcadero, to anchor their ships to trade hides with Mission San Juan Capistrano, now five miles inland from the harbor, but not so far during away at that time. Trade flourished between 1830 and 1840. Previous to that, the Argentine flag flew for a short time in 1810 when Hipolito Bouchard and his sailors anchored and raided the mission.

Today Dana Point is one of the most popular places to enjoy whale watching tours that are held daily January through April, and features many ship and ocean themed festivals throughout the seasons.  Harbor dining, boat excursions and Baby Beach, plus Doheny State Beach are activities visitors can enjoy each day of the year.

To the south is San Clemente and to the north is Laguna Beach. Dana Point offers easy access to beaches for South Orange County residents residing in Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, San Juan Capistrano and Laguna Niguel.  The Interstate 5 Freeway passes near the beach, offering the first views of the ocean along a 1200 mile stretch from Bellingham, Washington, through Oregon, then California till your reach Southern California.

While a coveted view home in Dana Point may be your heart's desire, a new project at the Headlands, located on the large cliff and plateau on which this view above sits, comes at a price. Don't bother looking for such views unless you have a couple million dollars to spend.

For us poor folks, the middle class travelers and vacations seeking the life of luxury, you can book a hotel room for an affordable price or just drop by this overlook with gazebo and take in the sights. That pleasure is free.