A Recession Proof Getaway in Oceanside, Calif

Oceanside.... where San Diego begins. Visitors can now experience the vacation of a lifetime at a value of a lifetime. Quintessential Southern California, Oceanside is home to miles of beautiful beaches, the longest pier on the Pacific Coast and a charming Cape Cod-style harbor, offering charming shops and unlimited water recreation and tours. Oceanside is literally central to major attractions and provides the perfect launching point for your getaway, complete with special discounted hotel prices. The following hotel prices are based upon availability and some restrictions may apply.

Oceanside Marina Suites-offers two ways to save:
Ultimate Regift Promotion- Visitors can treat themselves to a well-deserved holiday and receive a great present to “regift” to that someone special for the holidays. Visitors just have to buy one night stay (Sun.-Thurs.) at the Oceanside Marina Suites and receive a gift certificate of equal value.

Ultimate Grinch Promotion-It’s been a tuff year, so guests are invited to spoil themselves; stay one night and receive an additional night’s stay at no extra charge (Sun.-Thurs.) For more information and reservations, call 888.252.2033.

Best Western Marty’s Valley Inn-offers 20% off hotel rack rates across all room types. For more information and reservations, call 760.757.7700.

Guest House Inn-offers one queen bed, starting from $55.00 (Sun.-Thurs.) and two queen beds, starting from $65.00 (Sun.-Thurs.) Please note: ocean view rooms are an additional $25.00 and rates are available through Jan. 15, 2009.

Marina Del Mar-offers visitors a third night free when staying two consecutive nights. For more information and reservations, call 800.700.0407.

Motel 6 Downtown Oceanside-offers 15% off hotel rooms with a free upgrade. For more information and reservations, call 760.721.1543.

Quality Inn & Suites-offers a special rate of $64.99 for a single or two double beds. For more information and reservations, call 760.721.6663.

Residence Inn Marriott-offers special rates starting from $139.00 for a Studio Suite and $149.00 for a One Bedroom Suite. For more information and reservations, call 760.722.9600.

Wyndham Oceanside Pier Resort-offers 20% off of their rack rates. This special rate is available through January 15, 2009. For more information and reservations, call 800.438.6493.

Crystal clear blue skies and amazing year-round temperatures, Oceanside provides the perfect backdrop for a winter holiday. Popular winter events include the Oceanside Turkey Trot, Oceanside Harbor Parade of Lights and the Historic Tall Ship Festival as well year-round activities like the Sunset Markets, an ocean-view event that takes place every Thursday night. For more information on winter events and a free visitor’s guide, please call the California Welcome Center Oceanside at 800.350.7873 or visit www.visitoceanside.org. The CWC Oceanside is one of the official state welcome centers, providing visitor information, maps and discounts on attractions and tours.

Oceanside was recently named by the “League of American Bicyclist” as a Bicycle Friendly Community. Oceanside was the only community in San Diego County to receive this designation. Inn addition, “Best Life” magazine named Oceanside in their lists of top 100 best places to raise a family in the United States. Oceanside was honored with the 27th best place. In good company, other cities included San Diego (4), Stamford, CT (15) and Honolulu at the top.

Felix's BBQ with Soul

When you walk into Felix’s, you know it has class. What a fabulous restaurant...it's a great addition to Oceanside! Felix's BBQ with Soul has the most delicious, mouth-watering food. It reminds me of down home southern cooking. Subtle flavors, authentic soul food...and the collard greens are the best I have ever had. The sweet potatoes are excellent. It easily could replace desert. The tri tip was outstanding. The owner is a very pleasant man who will come out and greet you. The food is wonderful. The price is reasonable. You will love this place.

Another GREAT Food Find - Pyramid Egyptian Restaurant

Pyramid Egyptian Restaurant serves Mediterranean, Greek and Egyptian food. The quality of food is wonderful, the prices are reasonable and the owners are warm and sweet. They offer food options that are on the healthier side. They also try to appeal to vegetarians as well as the meat eaters. You have to try their Tabouli from the salad bar. The "Kofta" is to die for as is the Macaroni Béchamel. They serve yellow rice, which is fantastic. They have more than 20 items of home-made style delicious food. I strongly recommend their Baklava for dessert with an order of their minted tea.
You can call in advance and order "Falafel" as an appetizer. They serve them with fresh pita bread (which they make themselves) and Tehini salad. While you have them on the phone you may also request the "Moulokhia" an Egyptian soup that tastes like heaven and must also be requested in advance.
On Saturday they have a Belly-dancing show.
You will consider yourself lucky to find this place.

If you are starting from the beach, you will take 76 east to Douglas Dr. Turn left on Douglas Dr. It is only 10 minutes from the beach.

Harbor Days 2008

Oceanside’s Harbor Days is an annual two-day celebration that is free to the public. It is a family-friendly event which attracts an estimated 40,000 people each year and seems to get better and better every year.

This year’s Sat. and Sun. event started on Thursday with the Thespian students from El Camino High School decked out in pirate costumes storming the Sprinter Train from Oceanside to Escondido. On Friday, professional pirates from various local pirate guilds created fun and mayhem at the Coaster Station.

I myself started early on Saturday morning, with a Civitan pancake breakfast. After this I strolled past the kids fishing from the pier, each child hoping to win first place in the Harbor Days fishing derby. Trophies were awarded to first, second and third prize winners with everyone receiving a fishing pole. Everyone was a winner!
Next I went to Pirate’s Cove and as I approached it I could see the magnificent Spirit of Dana Point.. The Spirit of Dana Point is a traditionally built replica of a 1770s privateer employed during the American Revolution. She is classified as a 118-foot’ topsail schooner, with a sparred length of 118 feet and 5,000 square feet of sail. Her design, known for speed, precedes the Baltimore Clipper, enabling these vessels to be used for smuggling, the slave trade, and privateering. I was as excited as the eight year old boy running next to me to explore this ship.
And just when I thought this was going to be the highlight of my day, the British showed up. After some taunts back and forth, the real battle began. The pirates, led by Captain Jack Sparrow (Orange County actor Vince Bartolone, aka Captain Jack) came out the victor of this battle. Captain Jack captured the attention of many festival attendees, including me and stole the show.
I walked past the belly dancers and watched for awhile in hopes of bumping into Captain Jack Sparrow. I did find him at the main stage where he was posing for pictures. I watched the pirates pillage for awhile then headed for the venders and food. I was hoping to not eat too much and partake in the buffet dinner at the Jolly Rogers which offers the opportunity to eat dinner with the pirates. Not eating too much turned out to be harder than I initially thought when there were so many wonderful vendors offering such an array of dishes.
Next I meandered down to the beach and caught some of the participants building their boats for the Nail N Snail race. I wanted to make sure I was back in time to watch these sail when they were done building. Of course many of them sink and it was all fun.
After this, I went to see the Marine Corps Static Display, Navy Static Display, Oceanside Fire Department Display, and Oceanside Police Department Display. Wow! What a wonderful group of people who strive to protect us and keep us all safe. I felt a great deal of admiration and appreciation for these young men and women.
After walking all day I worked up an appetite and did mange to feast the buffet dinner at the Jolly Roger which brought laughs and fun for everyone, as the pirates took over the Jolly Roger restaurant for a dinner show.

Two New Restaurants in Oceanside

I love to eat and try new things, so when a new place comes to town I am frequently one of the first in line to check it out. Harney Sushi officially opened to the public on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at the corner of Mission Avenue and Cleveland Street Downtown Oceanside. This is an award-winning place where experimentation mixes with celebration, where fine dining service and knowledge fuse with beaming personality and style. Harney Sushi Oceanside conveys the same ultra-hip vibe of Harney's popular San Diego restaurant but with all new elegance and a modern "green" design. The new Oceanside restaurant features clean contemporary lines paired with a palette of select reusable and recycled materials. Its 3,500-square-foot interior and 425-square-foot patio offer seating for 185 and include both sake and sushi bars, a VIP room, built in DJ booth, 600-gallon fish tank, waterfall backdrop, and an ethanol fireplace all which set the tone for amazing food and great service. Harney calls this their “funk shui.” It is always as fresh as it gets and imaginative as you want. Check out there web site and you'll see this is not you traditional sushi place. Harney Sushi

The Breakwater Brewery at Coast Highway and Seagaze is scheduled to open this weekend, July 19. The head brewer is Kirk McHale, former head brewer of Pizza Port Carlsbad. He's won numerous awards for his brews. I've also heard he's going to have some mead available as well as yarrow, dandelion, and hibiscus ales! I'm really looking forward to visiting the place when it opens. Their website is not up yet, but look for it soon.

California Welcome Center

The California Welcome Center helps visitors get the most out of their vacation by offering local, regional and statewide visitor information. We have more than 100,000 visitors each year from all around the world that come into our center in Oceanside, California for information to assist with their vacation plans. We have complimentary brochures and maps available for attractions and events throughout the state of California. Stop by and shop for unique souvenirs and gifts. Check your e-mails or print driving directions from our courtesy computer. Receive information on accommodations, dining, shopping and attractions. We have an outstanding group of volunteers, and could not keep our doors open without them. They have a wealth of knowledge from living in the area for many years and can provide information on many of the fun things to do in the area. We are open from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm seven days a week. Clean restrooms available. We hope to see you soon!

History of Oceanside

HISTORY OF Oceanside's first inhabitants were the Luiseno Indians who were part of the large Shoshonean tribe. They inhabited the San Luis Rey river valley area, originally named, "Rio San Luis Rey de Francia," after St. Louis King of France by the Franciscan friars who passed through the valley in 1769. The Mission San Luis Rey de Francia was established in 1798, four miles up river from the coast. The Indians who were gathered at the Mission were called "San Luisenos" by the Franciscans, later shortened to "Luisenos". The Luisenos were hunters and food gatherers until the friars taught them farming and other trades. The Indians were instrumental in building the Mission compound as they provided the labor. The Indians soon adopted the Spanish language and customs. Among these padres was Father Antonio Peyri who planned and oversaw the construction of the Mission's many buildings which included three churches, the last of which still stands and was finished in 0ctober of 1815. Mission San Luis Rey was the largest building in California when completed and was the most prosperous of the missions In 1834, formal secularization took place. All the Mission properties were confiscated by Pio Pico, governor of California, and sold for $2,437.50. During this period, the Mission buildings fell into disrepair. In 1893, Father Joseph Jeremiah 0'Keefe arrived to restore the Mission. By 1912, when he retired, restoration in great part was complete, but, still continues today. A township, known as San Luis Rey, which was west of the Mission, was established in the early 1870's and was largely inhabited by a group of English settlers, by 1884, San Luis Rey had a post office, stores, a hotel, and a weekly newspaper, The San Luis Rey Star, which later moved to Oceanside. In 1881 the United States Government conducted a survey of the Southern Pacific slope and in 1882 a railroad was laid from Los Angeles to San Diego through Colton, Temecula, Fallbrook and down the coast. Andrew Jackson Myers relocated to the San Luis Rey township in 1881. In 1883, he applied for a Homestead Grant on the Oceanside mesa and he was allotted 160 acres. Cave J. Couts, Jr. surveyed the town site and J. Chauncey Hayes sold the town lots. Myers is known as the founder of Oceanside as he owned the first land and was said to built the first house. J. Chauncey Hayes was not only the real estate agent but Justice of Peace and the editor of his own newspaper, The South Oceanside Diamond. When he drew the petition for the first post office the name "Ocean Side" was used, but later changed to "Oceanside." By 1887, the Bank of Oceanside was built on the comer of Second (Mission Avenue) and Hill Streets and also a grand hotel, the South Pacific, located on Third and Pacific Streets, near the present pier. A wharf company was formed and soundings were made at the location of what is now known as Wisconsin street. The wharf was made entirely of wooden pilings, the first pile being driven May 12, 1888. On July 3, 1888, Oceanside was incorporated with a vote of 74 to 53. The founder of the city, A. J. Myers, was the first to vote. The population was about l000. In the winter of 1890-91, the wharf was destroyed by a storm and Melchoir Pieper, the proprietor of the South Pacific Hotel, salvaged most of the lumber. He took the pilings to his hotel on Third Street where he kept it until the city appropriated funds for a new pier in 1893. Not only donating the lumber, through his efforts, Pieper was responsible for the pier being located at Third Street. This second pier was the first of five built at the Third street location, including the one recently completed in 1987. In the 1890's Oceanside had three hotels; the South Pacific, the St. Cloud and the Tremont, two drug stores, two livery stables, two blacksmiths, a hardware store, a bakery, a harness shop, a lumber yard, a barber shop, a newspaper, a school and the Oceanside Bank along with many other businesses. There were six churches: Christian, Congregational, Baptist, Episcopal, Holiness and Methodist. Like many towns, Oceanside's prosperity relied much on real estate booms and busts. The railroads played an important role in the continuing development of our city. During the boom years the trains brought thousands of prospective buyers. This continued until a highway was paved between San Diego and Los Angeles through 0ceansidc before 1920. In the 1920's the city prospered. Tent City was established, street lights were installed, a new golf course was laid out and a grand new theater, "The Palomar', was built. Our slogan for the time was, "Oceanside, California’s Pride." Many noteworthy visitors enjoyed our shore, including Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. A number of movies were filmed here during this decade. This prosperity soon changed and we felt the grip of the "Great Depression." A dramatic change occurred with the purchase of the Santa Margarita y Los Flores by the U. S. Government for a military base. The building of Camp Joseph H. Pendleton created a boom to end all booms in our sleepy little town. In no time workers flocked to downtown for food and lodging. It was common to see thirty or forty people waiting outside restaurants to eat. The community geared up for war in a big way by supporting the workers and troops, We continued to urbanize into the 1950's bringing us to a population of 20,000 in 1953. Our growth has continued steadily ever since and is the topic of much controversy today as we have almost 150,000 people. Written by:KRISTI HAWTHORNEPresidentOCEANSIDE HISTORICAL SOCIETYhttp://oceansidehistoricalsociety.org/

Amazons Moving to Oceanside?

I was walking my dogs early one morning, something I do most every day. This particular day we were walking along Pacific St, along the beach. I kept hearing a soft voice, “Pretty Baby”…. It echoed. I thought my imagination was working overtime.

There, I heard it again. I looked up to find six beautiful Amazon Parrots sitting on a telephone wire. One obviously had been someone’s pet at some point in time. He was quite a talker. Anyone passing by probably thought I was crazy as my excitement showed. Standing there, leashes in one hand, gesturing for one of the birds to come a little closer. “Step up”, I gave the command.

The bird had tasted freedom and wanted nothing to do with me. He squawked a long squeal and off he flew. The others followed. However, they did not go far. Daily, after that I could hear the birds. You cannot mistake the sound of the Amazon Parrott. Once you recognize their sound, you will easily see the birds.

Speaking with a resident I was told that several years before a few birds had escaped the confines of a pet store. They have actually been multiplying in the wild. The full flock is up to twelve. They have split the flock and six remain in Oceanside and six have located to Carlsbad. They can all be seen flying together from time to time.

Our morning walks soon became a routine in my day. Nearly every morning around 7:00 am and every evening before the sun sets, I make it a point to walk the dogs. I have not failed to see the birds. They flew so low one evening that I could almost reach up and touch them as they flew past my upstairs balcony.

Next time you are out walking along Pacific St., be sure to look up. And if you hear a sweet soft voice “Pretty Baby”…. It most likely will not be your imagination.

Azafran Cuban Cuisine, Oceanside CA

It’s always nice to find a new place to eat. I love ethnic food, and in Oceanside you can find many interesting places to dine. Azafran, Cuban food is a great place to eat. The food is wonderful and the servings are enormous. You can share the dishes or count on bringing home leftovers. There are delicious meat entrees, and plenty of chicken, fish and vegetarian dishes can also be found… try the sampler plate and you may want to share. And don’t forget to sip on an oh, so delicious Mojitos… yum!

For those of you who would like to have a little Cuba at home, here is a recipe for the Mojitos.

Hint: The trick to getting the flavor right, is to crush the mint so the scent and flavor will be released…This recipe was found on tasteofcuba.com

Mojito (this is an original authentic recipe from Havana Cuba)
1 teaspoon powdered sugar
Juice from 1 lime (2 ounces)
4 mint leaves
1 sprig of mintHavana Club white Rum (2 ounces)
2 ounces club soda

There are countless recipes for the Mojito (pronounced moh-HEE-toh), but this version is for the one Hemingway himself enjoyed at the Mojito’s place of birth: La Bodeguita del Medio in Havana, Cuba. If you are throwing a Cuban theme party (Havana night themed party), plan on serving mojitos. Place the mint leaves into a long mojito glass (often called a “collins” glass) and squeeze the juice from a cut lime over it. You’ll want about two ounces of lime juice, so it may not require all of the juice from a single lime. Add the powdered sugar, then gently smash the mint into the lime juice and sugar. Add crushed ice, rum and stir. Top off with the club soda. Garnish with a mint sprig.