Planning Your Weekend Getaway in Oceanside

By Jenna Gabrial Gallagher

Romans say that a lifetime is not enough to unlock the magic of their eternal city. In all humility, we think the same can be said about beautiful Oceanside, California. They may be the City of the Seven Hills, but we are a city of seven beaches. They have the gods of Mount Olympus; we have some of the gods of surfing. They have the Sistine Chapel frescoes; we have murals… al fresco. While we may not have racked up thousands of years of history, art and culture like they have, we do think we’ve nailed a certain SoCal version of la dolce vita.

With our stunning Pacific views, world-class dining, diverse art and architecture and endless opportunities for outdoor adventures, Oceanside always has new things to discover. Here are a few ways to turn your relaxing weekend getaway at Mission Pacific Hotel into memories that will last a lifetime. 

HIT THE FARMERS’ MARKET

Just a five-minute stroll from Mission Pacific Hotel, Oceanside’s two Thursday farmers’ markets are a vibrant year-round weekly party… and everyone’s invited. The Morning Market, held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., celebrates the San Luis Rey Valley’s rich rural-coastal heritage with farm-fresh produce, flowers and locally made baked goods, salsas, olive oils and more. The Sunset Market, which runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., is San Diego County’s top weekly street fair and includes live music and performance art, shopping, family-friendly entertainment, and gourmet foods and treats.

DIVE DEEP INTO SURF CULTURE

In Oceanside, surfing is part of our DNA and, whether you’re a grom, a pro, or anything in between, Mission Pacific has set ways to immerse yourself in local surfing culture. From an on-land class with our Surf Concierge (starting this May) to a 90-minute lesson with second-generation pro-surfer Duran Barr at our partner, North County Surf Academy, to spending a skill-building Saturday morning with the Whitlock Surf Experience Surf Club. For a more academic approach,visit the California Surf Museum, one of the world’s richest troves of surfing memorabilia, with collections dating back to the earliest days of surf history.

SCHEDULE SOME SELF-CARE

Take rest and relaxation to the next level with the rejuvenating options at Sunny’s Spa & Beauty Lounge at our sister resort, The Seabird, right next door to Mission Pacific. At luxurious Sunny’s, you can enjoy single or tandem treatment rooms, The Cove, an active relaxation space with dry warming marble benches, cool misting showers, a dry sauna and an aromatherapy sanarium, and a full range of beauty services by an experienced team of professionals.

HANG OUT ON THE STRAND AND THE PIER

Beachcombers can happily wile away hours people-and-puppy watching on Oceanside’s Strand, or surfer and harbor-seal-pup-spotting from Oceanside Pier. If you’d like to be a bit more active, you can rent e-bikes from the Pedego right here at Mission Pacific, or an old-fashioned surrey. At Oceanside Pier & Bait on the pier, you can get everything you need for a little quality time casting a line.

DINE AT A CALIFORNIA MICHELIN GUIDE RESTAURANT

When you book a table at Mission Pacific’s own Valle — a California Michelin Guide restaurant overseen by Chef Roberto Alcocer — you’ll experience a destination dining trifecta of modern Mexican cuisine (with both Baja and SoCal terroir), local produce and flavors, and eternal Pacific Ocean views. Chef Alcocer recommends timing your reservation to just before sunset so that you can enjoy a magic hour cocktail before tucking into his legendary ceviche and ultra-fresh, farm-ranch-orchard-and-sea-to-table seasonal menu.

TOUR A HISTORIC MISSION

Completed in 1815, the San Luis Rey Mission Church is one of the best examples of Spanish Colonial architecture that remains in California and one of only two cruciform churches ever built by the Spanish in this region. Visitors can take docent-guided or self-guided tours of the church and the mission itself (established in 1798), which includes hand-carved wooden doors, carefully maintained paintings and murals, an original baptismal font crafted of hand-hammered copper by Native Americans, Baroque reredos (ornamental screens), a museum and a gift shop.

GO ON AN ART WALK

Oceanside is a city of murals, which the town celebrates the first Friday of every month with a guided art walk, but visitors can always take in the colorful and diverse public art that enhances the vibrance and energy of our community and has earned us a place as one of 14 state-recognized cultural districts from the California Arts Council. For a more structured appreciation of the visual arts, the Oceanside Museum of Art (OMA) centers the work of Southern California artists and has a satellite gallery, OMA West, right next door at The Seabird!