From a Beggar's Bowl: Oceanside California

My husband and I stayed in Oceanside, California February 15th-29th. Oceanside is about 40 miles north of San Diego, and the city has several features and events that enhanced our stay.

A train (The Coaster) that starts in Oceanside and stops in several coastal cities south and terminates at the Santa Fe Depot in San Diego costs only $7.50 round-trip for a senior regional day pass. Amtrak and Metrolink also have trains at the Oceanside transportation center but I did not price any of their offerings. Those trains go north and south of Oceanside.

Every Thursday near the Civic Center there is a Sunrise Market which has produce, pastries, general goods, and in the library plaza area a used book sale. On Thursday evening a few blocks south on Pier View the Sunset Market sets up booths of food (mostly with an international flavor) and miscellaneous goods. There are at least two spots where music (a band; a guitarist who sang) is played.

Northcoast Village, the large condo complex where we stayed is conveniently located next to the beach and within walking distance of the pier to the south and the harbor/marina to the north. It was a short drive to the train station and also to the California Information Center which has brochures and maps for things locally but also throughout California. In 'N Out Burgers next door.

The view from our third-floor balcony looking west toward the Pacific Ocean.

The complex has a heated pool and a small spa pool. North Coast Village is gated and requires use of a gate pass to enter the underground parking garages, a key to enter the gated pool or the gates leading out to the neighborhood.
It is beautifully landscaped. Brooks run throughout with a koi pond near the Home Owners Association Office.

We saw this heron when we returned from lunch at the marina. It was next to the walkway to our building stairs.

The pier was about 1/2 a mile from our condo. We ate breakfast there our first Sunday at Ruby's Diner out on the end.

There is pay parking in a lot and street meters. The walk to eat there was more than 1/2 a mile because we had to walk the very long pier to arrive at Ruby's.

We parked once (lots of coins needed) and walked The Strand (the paved street with sidewalks that parallel the beach) on our second visit to eat a mini Sundae; then we walked the street above the beach (Pacific) to go "home".

A somewhat shorter walk was to go north to the marina. We made several ice cream cone visits and ate at Joe's Crab Shack for the $9.99 fish and chips lunch special. Joe's sits up a story with glass window walls, and we enjoyed watching 2 sea lions frolic in the harbor. The San Luis Rey river flows into the Pacific just north of our condo complex next to the breakwater. We had to use the sidewalk on the road that bridges over the river.

There was a sort of breezeway that connected our building and the next building on all the levels. Every time we went to the elevator located in this breezeway we would look out at the beach and see surfers. Surfers next to the pier, too.

Then as we rode the Coaster we saw surfers at the beach cities we passed.

February is a good month to visit San Diego County as you can pick up a free "passport" at the public libraries that give 50% discount for many museums and historical sites. We used it at the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla and at the San Luis Rey mission in Oceanside, but it includes many of the large museums at Balboa Park (though not the zoo).