Staycation in Oxnard

IMG_2490For a short trip to a nice, affordable beachside town, consider Oxnard.

I know. It was a surprise to me too. But when Aunt Kathy and Aunt “Zoo” came from out of town and booked a suite at the Residence Inn there, I shrugged my shoulders and said “Why not?”

There really isn’t a reason why not. But there are plenty of reasons why.

The Beach – the beaches in Oxnard are rimmed with miles of white sand. The waves crash big and cold. There are two harbors to stroll along – Channel Islands and Ventura. On this trip with the kids, the evenings and days were a bit windy, so we favored Oxnard Beach Park with its imaginative play structures, vast stretches of grass, tumbling dunes, and endless beach.

mom and kyle on teeter totter

brady at oxnard beach park

sue and kathy at oxnard beach

boys at oxnard beach sunset

The Residence Inn is on the edge of the River Ridge golf course (which is not at all the same property so if you are tempted to take a shortcut by walking on the golf course, don’t). Arranged in a condo village pattern, this property has tennis courts, several pools, and a vast ballroom for conferences and events. One penthouse suite was enough to house three adults and two kids. There is a loft with a double bed, a bedroom with a king bed, a sofa with a pullout double bed, and two bathrooms. There is a sitting area for a “living room” and a kitchenette. Our room was pretty close to a small hot tub, but there were also several pools with more hot tubs just short walks away.

residence inn oxnard

It’s pretty tough to get a room there in the summertime, though, because the Dallas Cowboys take over the entire property for summer training. The sales rep who walked around with me dropped this casually into our conversation, but I kept stopping her to get more information about this. I mean, what?! A professional football team takes over…a Residence Inn, in Oxnard? Apparently it’s true, and also I am one of the last people on Earth to learn about it.

Points of interest, aside from the beach, include every major street around there because of all the fruit stands because of all the farms. We bought the last flat of strawberries off a truck by the side of the road that tasted like they jumped right off the plants. We also found a historic old Woolworth Building that now houses a little museum and a cafe right at Woolworth’s old lunch counter called Fresh and Fabulous.

woolworth building

This is a good spot if you are a golfer, (and if you like football and golf, try footgolf) but I also enjoyed it as a person who likes to walk. The days we spent there were balmy and gorgeous, and I strolled to a local park that was deserted except for one old lady who was doing laps around me.

green spaces near oxnard residence innBetween the hotel pool, the beach, and some driving around, we were tired enough each night to go to bed early, rising again early the next day eager to plunder the complimentary buffet breakfast.

Oxnard, everybody. Now you know!