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THINGS
TO DO IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA |
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Oxnard
California Day Trip
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By Matthew Martz |
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Oxnard attracts
many visitors with it sweeping agricultural pastures,
majestic ocean views, and cool Pacific breezes. It’s
a unique blend of maritime adventure and natural resources
are nestled together in a 36 square mile ecological tapestry
know as much as for being the strawberry and lima bean
capital of California, as it the gateway to the Channel
Islands that are located just 11 miles off its sandy shoreline.
Although Oxnard retains the charm of a small rural
town, the city has plenty of activities for visitors.
Centennial Plaza, on B Street beside Plaza Park is
at the center of Oxnard’s vibrant downtown area,
ands is always bursting with activity. The area boasts
its own arts district, high-tech cinema, and over 40
intercontinental dining options including the best seafood
around.
Plaza Park, located on 5th Street and B Streets, is
a large lawn with scattered pines and palm trees, and
a nostalgic Pagoda style bandstand from the early 1900s.
It is frequently used by locals to hang out and relax
as well as being a centerpiece for various year round
family-friendly events with summer concerts, outdoor
festivals, art shows, live theatre, and holiday parades.
The annual Salsa Festival is held at the site every
July and brings together salsa vendors from all over
the country to compete in the Great Oxnard Salsa Challenge.
Patrons can sample dozens of different salsas –
from mild to wild –in the Salsa Tasting Tent,
or browse the more than 75 booths that line the festivals
market place, featuring gourmet salsas and sauces, boutique
clothing, hand crafted jewelry, cultural crafts, and
much more. There is also plenty of music to set the
overall ambience, as some of the area’s hottest
salsa and Latin Jazz bands take stage.
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Fisherman’s Wharf Oxnard |
Neighboring the park is
the Carnegie Art museum; a Neoclassical building that was
originally built as a library back in the early 1900s and
later turned into a museum. Inside visitors are treated
to an assortment of paintings and photography from several
California artists.
This gallery also has traveling exhibits, so it’s
probably worth checking out every couple of months to see
what new an interesting art they are displaying.
Two additional cogs to Oxnard’s cultural core, is
the Oxnard Performing Arts and Convention Center, which
offers musicals, plays, concerts and seasonal events, and
Heritage Square with its lush gardens and walk ways that
meander through the 15 restored Victorian structures. These
homes and other structures such as a church, water tower,
and storehouse were saved from demolition and moved to the
site 1991.
The area is also home to the Elite Theatre, and a visitor
center. In the summertime on Friday evenings there is a
concert series held in the central square.
Besides its artsy and cultural side, Oxnard is best known
for its maritime history and sandy beaches.
The Channel
Islands Harbor and Fisherman’s Wharf is an excellent
place to take the family and spend an afternoon. The harbor
is split into three areas. The area furthest to the east
off Victoria Street has a complex with a small maritime
museum surrounded nautical-style buildings.
The Ventura County Maritime Museum is comprised mostly
of model ships, but there is also an interesting collection
of old photos of Port Hueneme, as well as great exhibit
about a sunken ship that was found off the coast. Outside
there are plenty of picnic tables that on the weekends
fill up fast as many line up outside the fish fryer place
on the northern end of the complex to sample the “catch
of the day.”
Further down from the museum is a calm little cove known
as Kiddy Beach, and at the end is Silver Strand Beach,
named for its sandy shore.
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Oxnard Strawberry Fields |
Heritage Square Oxnard |
The harbor's middle section
or peninsula, is a sheltered haven to large numbers of pleasure
and working vessels, and is also home to many locals who
line its inner canals with multi-million dollar residences
and condominiums featuring their own private docks.
Many can be seen from shoreline vantage points along the
harbor walkway, but for a more up close look, visitors can
rent electric boats to get that unique "on the water"
view. Towards the end of the walkway is Peninsula Park,
where kids can watch the boats in the harbor and parents
can enjoy plenty of shady trees.
The west side of the harbor is comprised primarily of commercial
fishing docks and supply stores where you can rent Segways
and bikes. A great local spot here is Lookout Bar and Grill
with its balcony overlooking the harbor. The west side also
serves as one of two locations in Ventura County for Island
Packers, the only company licensed by the park service to
take tourists out to the islands.
They will also handle the booking of a ride on the Tall
Ship “Bill of Rights”, a 137-foot double-masted
sailing schooner. Sails are approximately three hours, departing
at 1:00 p.m. most Saturdays and Sundays. If you happen to
visit the area on a Sunday, don’t forget to check
out the Farmers Market with its hot food stands, fresh bread,
fruits, veggies, and cheese.
Finally, if you’re looking for some
fun in the sun, or a romantic evening interlude, then
Hollywood Beach with its abundance of white sand can provide
the perfect landscape. There is so much sand that it covers
the neighboring streets with their beach houses that all
have their own unique charm.
Travel northward up the beach to the Mandalay
Bay Resort where there's a nice walkway that leads to
Oxnard Beach Park. Here your kids will have a blast on
the huge pirate playground while you take in the soft
cool breeze of the ocean and its serenity.
Oxnard is about 65 miles north of downtown
Los Angeles and about 95 miles from the heart of Orange
County. To get to Oxnard, exit Highway 101 at Highway
1 / Oxnard Blvd, and then go three miles. Oxnard
Strawberry Festival.
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Oxnard
a unique blend of maritime adventure and
natural resources. |
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