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Oceanside
community is no longer just a long stereotyped military town due to its close
proximity to the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Reserve;
Oceanside
has developed into a flourishing private sector community and a famous beach
destination in its own right. This is just the answer of
North
County
to the
Mission
Beach
that too without the
Belmont
Park
carnival scene and associated boardwalk freaks show.
The reason of
Oceanside
's ravishing development is due to the healthy supply of sand beach
with relatively small crowd demands. So, you can enjoy an easy access with
fewer parking hassles, and plenty of room to spread out your beach towel. You
can even head toward
Buccaneer
Beach
on the south end. Is fast lane your obsession? Cruise the “The Strand” by the
pier at the foot of
Mission
Boulevard
.
Oceanside
is one of those places where there is something according to the need of
everybody. You can come here on a lunch break or for a quick jog, or idle a
long summer day away in the sun. Also family-friendly restaurants in the area
(most notably, Ruby's Diner on the end of the pier and the fish & chips
seafood joints in the Harbor) and fun '50s style motor lodges (some with
pirates and other themes) are the highlights of
Oceanside
.
Oceanside
Harbor
, popularly known as The Jetties, is a famous surfing area,
especially in summer south swell season. Here parking is the right mixture of
free, paid, metered and private (for slip holders in the marina). Much of it is
time-limited, so you got to check the signs carefully before choosing a spot.
The first-c0me-first parking strategy doesn't necessarily applicable here at
The Jetties. Surfers typically fill the lots at dawn and vacate them by
noon
when the onshore wind kicks in and blows out the surf. Lifeguards, bathrooms,
showers and places to eat are all in the close proximity. Fishermen can also go
ahead and try their luck off the end of a jetty but at the same time they
should be beware of high surf and high tides, or they can even surf cast on the
south side by the San Luis Rey river mouth. You can also book boat charters out
of
Oceanside
Harbor
, launch your own at the boat ramp, or ride a new commuter ferry to
and from downtown
San
Diego
.
The City of Oceanside Beach, or
“The Strand”, is the classic West Coast North County beach which comes with
boardwalk, pier and wide open sand. The coastline is razor-straight here with a
shallow sand shelf that slows and mellows the surf as it rolls in and laps
gently on the shore. Oceanside is thus an ideal spot for children to swim or
ride the inside whitewater on boogie boards and kelp and reef dive of the
shore. The outside has a decent beachbreak for board surfing in the offering,
but it's usually bigger and better up by the harbor. Also number of small parks
along the boardwalk with restrooms, picnic tables, barbecues, and an excellent
playground by the pier adds to the further glamour. Among the other
beach-related highlights, you will find the nearby California Surf Museum and
seasonal surf and volleyball competitions.
Buccaneer Beach is a couple miles
south of the pier where the beach narrows and the road dips down to sea level.
It is very popular with kids who practice their surfing with easy access and
lifeguard supervision close at hand.
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