Oxnard, California

On our recent trip to Southern California we decided that we wanted to spend a night at the beach. We love the coast and the sunsets are great on the west coast in Winston Salem North Carolina we are about 4 hours from the coast. 

On previous visits we have visited La Jolla (wonderful by the way), Laguna beach and Malibu. I enjoyed each of these but they were quite crowded, we live in a small city with very little traffic and if you have known me for a while you may know I am now a new farmer and have a small farm in Yadkin county NC, ladybird farm. So I am hooked to the beauty and quiet of the countryside. After googling maps and beaches north of Los Angeles, Oxnard caught my eye its about a 1 1/2 - 2 hours drive north and you can take the famous pacific coast highway. It only seems to have one hotel on the beach the Embassy Suites by Hilton Mandalay Beach Resort. Its a nice resort with modern rooms and it sits right on the beach. 

The evening we checked in there was a group of Amish folks in the lobby also checking in, we chatted with a young couple on the beach that evening very friendly, they had traveled by train from Indiana and were excited to see the ocean. I knew then that we had chosen a lovely spot. The beach is long and wide with cool sand dunes apparently it has been used in Movies in the past. I loved how quiet it was and the width for walking along. There was also a nice public park and walkway along the beach. 

The city of Oxnard is fairly compact and largely agricultural with vast strawberry fields on the outskirts of the city. We stopped at a local farmers market the next day, It was like being in Mexico, although I haven't yet been but it had a buzzing atmosphere, with folks hanging out talking in Spanish sitting on the lawn, music playing and wonderful Mexican food trucks we had amazing Tamales. 

The city had a nice small town vibe to it and a slower pace than LA, I wanted to highlight it as to me its well worth a visit.

This was a little neighborhood near the hotel it reminded me a lot of Fort Lauderdale in Florida with the boats and waterways.

 

Beautiful.

 The kids loved the sand dunes. 

Strawberry field if you look closely you can see the pickers in the field. These folks are amazing they work long hours, back breaking work for often very low pay. Many come from other countries to do jobs many wouldn't do and seriously we owe so much to them. 

Authentic Tamales.

 The local farmers market.

Local crabs at a cute little fisherman's wharf, there were a few historic buildings and a glimpse into Oxnard's maritime past.

Here you can see the location, also as you look out on the beach you can see the Channel Islands, these are a National park and you can take a boat to them. They look wild and beautiful. 

Early morning on the beach, magic.

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