Back from Oceanside, CA

[dfmacliam]

In 1980 I spent time in Oceanside.. While going through Infantry Training School at Pendleton. It was fun then too... But the Marines made me go to Hawaii.. Pearl Harbor..man that was tough.....'lol

[GDub]

Well, we just returned from our family vacation in Oceanside ...

I waded shoulder deep in freezing water--that's how much I love the ocean....

I grew up in San Diego. Started surfing regurlarly at about 10 years old. Got in the water several days a week most weeks until my early 20s. Surfed at most of the known (and quite a few not so known) spots from the Pismo Beach pier all the way down to Cabo San Lucas at the tip of the Baja Peninsula. Then I moved to the SF Bay Area where the water temp NEVER gets above 60 degrees!! Oceanside water in June is NOT cold. Trust me. The reason you were shoulder deep is because your body could adjust to the water temp. In my neck of the woods... in the summer... ice cream headaches happen!

Glad you had a good trip! The pacific is great and Oceanside is a cool town (my fave guitar shop is there)--but it's quite different from what it was back in the early 70s when I cruising the hot surf spots.

[ali8780]

Just moved to San Clemente Ca just north of where you were great little town.

We have family in San Clemente-- I love it there too!

What?! Was I not paying attention when you said you were coming out to the area? I'm glad to hear you enjoyed yourself. It sounds like the natives were behaving themselves.

I don't think I mentioned it. I almost did though to see if anyone wanted to get together, but I was on extended family time--My parents paid for the trip.

OH man - I live in Oceanside! I could have shown you where all the skeletons are buried!!!

Skeletons? Do tell!

Oceanside water in June is NOT cold. Trust me. The reason you were shoulder deep is because your body could adjust to the water temp. In my neck of the woods... in the summer... ice cream headaches happen!

Bummer--and I thought I was being hardcore. It was cloudy though

[Piper]

Oceanside is a cool town (my fave guitar shop is there)--but it's quite different from what it was back in the early 70s when I cruising the hot surf spots.

I'll second that observation. My in-laws live in Oceanside (father-in-law is a retired Master Gunnery Sgt, you could probably walk through Pendleton's back gate from his front door in under an hour) so I've made annual trips out there since 1970. Have seen some real changes over the years. My son, is stationed in Pendleton, and he and his family live in San Clemente, so we're getting to see a bit of that town as well. Nice little Irish pub in San Clemente, unfortunately, the name escapes me.

[ali8780]

I'll second that observation. My in-laws live in Oceanside (father-in-law is a retired Master Gunnery Sgt, you could probably walk through Pendleton's back gate from his front door in under an hour) so I've made annual trips out there since 1970. Have seen some real changes over the years. My son, is stationed in Pendleton, and he and his family live in San Clemente, so we're getting to see a bit of that town as well. Nice little Irish pub in San Clemente, unfortunately, the name escapes me.

So what was it like in the 70's?

[kiltedinUSMC]

You were in Oceanside?!? We could of got together. Oh well glad you enjoyed our city.

[bikeolounger]

Shoot, Ali! You missed the excitement happening in Oceanside as we type!

RAAM (Race Across America) is starting there this week. The solo folks left yesterday or day before, and the teams leave this weekend.

My fiance` is on one of the crews, supporting Team Type 2, an eight-man team doing the relay thing to get across country in seven or eight days, straight through.

The solo dudes are doing it in one stage--sleeping is time lost against the clock.

[Piper]

So what was it like in the 70's?

Much smaller, for starters. Back then when you stepped out of my in-laws back door, all you could see was scrub brush and hillsides to the horizon. Now all you see are houses. The neighborhood was almost exclusively military, now there are a couple of old retirees, like my father-in-law. The rest are younger couples with little kids, largely Mexican immigrants. There are quite a few higher end developments on the other (east?) side of El Camino Real.
The downtown area was typical of any small town that grows up around a military base. It hasn't changed all that much, but it does seem to be timeworn. Retail development in general in the surrounding area has exploded. With all the shopping centers now in the region, there's an embarassment of riches compared to 30 some years ago
Another change, that our family notices anyway, is there is a much smaller Japanese presence in the area. My mother-in-law is now jealous of my wife's access to Japanese grocery staples out here on the east coast.
Of course, the same can be said of any area. We live in the same small town that I grew up in, the changes here have been just as great, if not greater over the same period.