Oceanside

Oceanside is the third-largest city in San Diego County, California.  It's known for palm-dotted Harbor Beach and nearby Oceanside Harbor, with its marina and shops. To the south, the long Oceanside Pier juts into the Pacific Ocean. The California Surf Museum traces the sport's history with a surfboard collection and exhibits on famous surfers. Sculptures, paintings and drawings from the region are on display at the Oceanside Museum of Art. Together with Carlsbad and Vista, it forms a tri-city area. Oceanside is located just south of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. Traveling north on Interstate 5, Oceanside is the last city before Orange County. As the crow flies, it is roughly the same distance from Aliso Viejo as it is to downtown San Diego.

Attractions

• The Oceanside Pier, first built in 1888 (and now in its sixth incarnation), is one of the longest wooden piers on the western United States coastline at 1,942 feet.
• The historic district of Mount Ecclesia, home to the Rosicrucian Fellowship, is noted for its singular architecture and the preservation of nature grounds and gardens, offering a unique meditative walking experience.
• The California Surf Museum is located in downtown Oceanside.
• The Oceanside Transit Center provides train services on Amtrak, Metrolink, Coaster, and Sprinter.
• Founded in 2006, the Frontwave Credit Union O'side Turkey Trot hosts approximately 9,000 runners and walkers from 46 states and 8 countries. The O'Side Turkey Trot has been voted one of the top trots in the country 3 times in the past 5 years.
• Since 2006, Oceanside has played host to the official start of the annual 3000 mile bicycle race, Race Across America, which is usually held during the second week of June. It is considered the world's toughest sporting event by many experts.
• Oceanside hosts The Beach Soccer Championships since 2007. The festival is the largest on the west coast and takes place the third weekend in May. The event has a PRO side to the event called The Beach Soccer USA Cup and it is considered to host the toughest competition of its kind in the USA.
• The famous house in the film Top Gun, where Kelly McGillis and Tom Cruise shot a romantic scene. In 2019 the house was moved from its original site and extensively restored; it will become a free-standing attraction as part of a $180 million beachfront hotel project scheduled to open in Spring 2021.