"Abalone dive anyone?" Fort Ross State Historic Park by jakesanderson

Fort Ross is pretty much the closest sheltered dive spot near Santa Rosa, where I live. Some friends introduced me to a little cover just to the north where we can almost always get in the water and pick up a few abalone and maybe spear a fish or two. This is what I love to do on a friday afternoon after work, weather permitting.

The main cove has a sunken ship, and an even more protected entrance, with a fairly easy access trail. You can also launch kayaks here, and can paddle around the harbor, or, as we have done in the past, make a one-way shuttle journey south to Jenner at the mouth of the Russian River, a trip of about 10 miles.

There is also an old Russian fort here, as this was the Russian Empire's southernmost holding in North America before the US bought Alaska and any other claims they had on the continent.

• In a nutshell:Get your fix of history and the ocean.