Oceanside Travel Guide

 
by Yaqui
 
  •   Oceanside
    by Yaqui
  • Oceanside Pier
      Oceanside Pier
    by chuckj661
  •   Mission San Luis Rey de Francia
    by Yaqui
  •   Mission San Luis Rey de Francia
    by Yaqui
  •   Things to Do
    by Yaqui
 

Pro

Sophie1980 profile photo

  Beach, weather, proximity to San Diego 


Con

BLewJay profile photo

  Traffic and congestion are a pain 


In a nutshell

Yaqui profile photo

  Its is a must see if you are in this area every. Not far from the beach which is cool! 

 

Explore Oceanside

Things to Do  

Mission San Luis Rey de Francia

Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, Oceanside

 24 Reviews  This wonderful statue is located in the north new part of cemetery. It is call the Assumption of Mary: "All powerful God, you raised in the sinless Virgin Mary, mother of your Son, body and soul to the glory of heaven. May we see heaven as our final goal and come to share her glory." Opening... 

Harbor Lighthouse

Harbor Lighthouse, Oceanside

 3 Reviews  This harbor encompasses a 100 acre small craft marina with 900 permanent and 50 visitor slips. There is a lot of wonderful shops, fine restaurants, quaint cafes, picnic tables, and a beautiful lighthouse that houses a neat gift shop. There is ample parking. The harbor has many services such as... 

Oceanside Marina

Oceanside Marina, Oceanside

 2 Reviews  Oceanside's recreational opportunities are geared to fit every lifestyle. The city boasts three golf courses, numerous tennis courts and over six miles of beachfront roadway just perfect for jogging, biking or rollerblading. Known as a mecca for watersports, the 260 slip Harbor has a convenient boat... 

Dog Spa

Dog Spa, Oceanside

 1 Review  Offers low impact, swim exercise for dogs of all ages...if your dog needs to lose weight, requires post surgery or injury rehabilitation or simply needs to improve flexibility and overall muscle tone, then this is the place for you & your dog. 

Hotels  

Aquamarine Villas

 2 Reviews and 18 Opinions  Aquamarine Villas is a smaller timeshare resort that is perfect for a weekend getaway when you just... 

Best Western Oceanside Inn

 1 Review and 70 Opinions  Hmm... I didn't live there but whenever I would look for a comfortable, clean and just nice... 

Restaurants  

Rockin' Baja Lobster

Rockin' Baja Lobster, Oceanside

 13 Reviews  Rockin' Baja Lobster offers guests rare taste treats from the oceans and land. Its signature "buckets" overflow with lobster, shrimp, crab, carne asada, chicken and even more delights (selections are accompanied by all-you-can-eat beans, rice and flour tortillas). The meeting was a success and we... 

Ruby's Diner

Ruby's Diner, Oceanside

 3 Reviews  While deciding on the exact style of restaurant they would build, the pair began extensive research on American diners. Their research confirmed Cavanaugh’s initial idea about creating a 1940’s diner concept because, “that’s when balboa had its heyday!” says Cavanaugh. To make the restaurant feel... 

Nautical Bean Coffee Company

Nautical Bean Coffee Company, Oceanside

 3 Reviews  A nice little coffee house located in the Dock area of Oceanside. The Expresso was very good and they make a very good ice coffee. The price was a bit high but well worth it. The coffee house has many cakes that look great. Look at my other tips for more info on the cakes. 

Nightlife  

Rockin' Baja Lobster Bar & Grill

Rockin' Baja Lobster Bar & Grill, Oceanside

 2 Reviews  The VT meeting started at 5.30 pm outside the restaurant and finished inside at night - what a surprize: it was raining a little that night hehe. It was a very, very special event for me and Ursula - first of all great oportunity to meet and talk with virtual till that time friends in great... 

Transportation  

By Train

By Train, Oceanside

 4 Reviews  As an alternative to driving, you cab enjoy a ride on the Coaster (a clean and modern train that links Coastal North County to San Diego). Brief stops are made at seven stations heading south from Oceanside (Carlsbad Village, Carlsbad Poinsettia, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Sorrento Valley, Old Town... 

By Car

By Car, Oceanside

 7 Reviews  I-5 (= Interstate 5) is a main north-south freeway of the West. It goes from Mexican to Canadian border. There are four exits to Oceanside on mile 51 to 54 (the mile indicates distance to the Mexican border). List of all I-5 exits including 4 to... 

Shopping  

Daliah & Malcolm Rawlins: They didn't sell VT T-shirts, YET!

Daliah & Malcolm Rawlins: They didn't sell VT T-shirts, YET!, Oceanside

 matcrazy1 Says:  Harbor Gift Shop located just by the Oceanside Harbor and Marina among a few other gift stores. They sell T-shirts (for kids and adults), various gifts like boat models, oceanic shells, cards, various pictures etc.Hmm... unfortunately they didn't sell VT T-shirts there, YET!... 

Local Customs  

Car Culture

Car Culture, Oceanside

 3 Reviews  Hmm... I didn't know exactly what the English word YIELD meant when I arrived to the USA - something like to give up, I thought. In American English to yield to traffic coming from another direction is to wait and allow it to go first. So, there were yield writings on the highway surface. Drivind... 

Summers / Beach Activities

Summers / Beach Activities, Oceanside

 4 Reviews  Oceanside is a very popular surf site and since my surfing ability is limited to the few lessons I have taken I must rely on other sources to say whether it is good surfing. I assume it must be good because they arrive before 6am even in the winter, 50 or so bobbing heads waiting for a wave, and... 

Warnings Or Dangers  

About Driving

About Driving, Oceanside

 4 Reviews  The main south-north road in Oceanside is marked S-21 on traffic signs and maps. Hmm... it seems that nobody knows this strange numbers: S-21 but everyone knows the name Highway 101 = Pacific Coastal Highway. So, better do not ask locals for S-21. From my friend David (newyorkerman): Highways are... 

Sealions

Sealions, Oceanside

 Yaqui Says:  Wildlife is special and always be protect, but you have to remember an average male sea lion is from 7 to 8 feet long and can weigh from 700 to 1,200 pounds. It is unique to see them upclose, but feeding them is NOT recommended. Even as big as they are, they can move quick.... 

What to Pack  

My VT meeting Packing List

My VT meeting Packing List, Oceanside

 matcrazy1 Says:  Possibly no bags except for your camera! What you like! Just to feel comfortable and relaxing! The best you have - water and shock - resistant if possible :-))). Do you want the whole list? OK, my top 5:1. Good humour :-)2. Good humour :-)3. Good humour :-)4. Good humour... 

Off The Beaten Path  

Street Views

Street Views, Oceanside

 9 Reviews  Built in 1927 is an excellent example of Mission Revival architecture. It replaced a 1893 church that was once here that was moved from here to 1510 Lemon Street. We came upon it while exploring the downtown area. My Nate liked the little hidden garden it had and wanted to take some pictures, so I... 

Roberts Cottages 1928

Roberts Cottages 1928, Oceanside

 Yaqui Says:  These were built in 1928 for vacationing residents from Los Angeles to escape the city. They exchanged hands many times, until 1941 they were named the Roberts Cottages, but sadley kept exchanged hands till 1990 they were sold as permament residences. They are an important... 

Sports & Outdoors  

Water Sports

Water Sports, Oceanside

 3 Reviews  At the Oceanside Harbor you can make arrangements to go on a Whale Watching boat tour, deep sea fishing adventure or take sailing lessons. Personally I would choose deep sea fishing - I didn't discover it, yet :-). Did you? There are also sailboats, kayaks and Wave Runners available to rent.  

Favorites  

Harbor / Beach

Harbor / Beach, Oceanside

 8 Reviews  There is a really wonderful walkway that takes you safely from the beach area to the downtown area under the railroad tracks. They accented with some lovely art work and decorated the walkway with a nice paint scheme. Along the walkway they have planted some really beautiful garden. It is also... 

 
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The Place

Plan a Oceanside vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Oceanside locals

Experience Oceanside
  •   215 Tips and Reviews
  •  531 Photos
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Map of Oceanside
 

The People

95 Members Live Here
 
Advice from the Locals
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 Sun, Water, Palm Trees and Marines - On July 20, 1769, Father Juan Crespi arrived in the area known today as the San Luis Rey Valley, which was populated by Native Americans. His glowing report of the area as a possible mission site was... 

95 members live in Oceanside

 

Questions and Answers

bsiess profile photo

Q:  how do i get from john wayne airport to oceanside does the train go there 

spartan profile photo

A: Hello, The Irvine Shuttle (http://www.irvineshuttle.net) can take you to/from the airport/Tustin Train station where you can catch the Metrolink... 

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Top Oceanside Writers

1

~Oceanside Revisited~

Yaqui profile photo

 The Shoshonean Indians were the first inhabitants of this area. When the padres established a mission and when the Native People were converted, they were later called San Luiseno or “Luiseno’s” for... 

2

Let's meet in Oceanside again :-)))

matcrazy1 profile photo

 Oceanside is a place never to forget for me :-))). I and my lovely wife Ursula came to the USA for the first time on 10 April 2003 at about 2pm. We were picked up from LAX to San Diego by our great... 

3

Oceanside

Goner profile photo

 Oceanside is a pretty beach town with 3.5 miles of beachfront with a strand the weaves along it's side. There are nice views of the mountains from the long wooden pier. The population of Oceanside is... 

4

A day in Oceanside

annk profile photo

 Oceanside is located in southern California along the coast just north of San Diego. It's probably best known for Camp Pendleton a marine corps base with one of the world's leading amphibious training... 

5

Oceanside

trvlnurse profile photo

 As one can probably tell from the pictures, I love the beach. Lucky for me, in Oceanside I lived steps from the beach so photo ops presented themselves frequently. 

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