The beauty of America has never stopped us from dreaming of enjoying one of those fun cities. With 108,000 cities, visiting the United States of America is still a dream for millions of people across the globe. Every metropolis is well-known for one or the other adventurous activity you could dream of, but this little-known city is beyond your thinking.
No, it is not Washington, New York, or Los Angeles. It is a city with wonders that can make you wonder about its beauty and can be an ideal destination for a coastal weekend getaway. Are you pondering which city I’m talking about? Well, it is the city of Oxnard. Do you have any idea about it? It’s okay, if you don’t, here I’m going to tell you what’s there in store for you.
Oxnard is a city in Ventura County, Southern California, USA, popularly called “the city of Oxnard.” Nestled on the south coast of California, Oxnard is the most populous city in Ventura and the 22nd most populous metropolis in California. It is 60 miles from Los Angeles and 35 miles from Santa Barbara. You can check the map above to trace its exact location. You’ll be surprised to know that Oxnard is home to long pristine beaches, nightlife, historic Victorian architecture, and a picturesque harbor. It holds one of the most prevalent Californian festivals, the California strawberry festival. That means you are going to have a great time there. So, let’s find out how can you have your best holidays in Oxnard.
1. Go Boating
You can never enjoy Oxnard without sailing on the long, pristine beaches. The best thing about visiting here is enjoying your picnic lunch in a vast ocean, especially with your dearest ones that can give you a lifetime memory.
And do not take your thumb off the shutter button because as long as you travel, Californian aquatic creatures like dolphins, sea lions, and birds, and sometimes, you can even see whales welcoming you. You can lease a sailboat or a small motorboat depending on your crew length.
2. Go Wine Tasting
Of course, your trip to any American city is never satisfactory if you do not go on tasting wines with different flavors. With four world-famous wineries, Oxnard is exceptional at satisfying you with the best wines. Not only do these wineries help you with the best wine tastings, but they also guide you through the process of how the wine you are drinking came into existence.
Your winery tour should begin with a tasting of the 26 flavors of wine at Herzog Wine Cellars, followed by the award-winning wineries Magnavino Cellars and Rancho Ventavo Cellars, and end with Strey Cellars. Enjoy the local grape flavor with every sip, and walk through the long winery fields to enjoy the moment.
3. Visit Ventura
Ventura can be a great visit from Oxnard if you want to explore the town’s surroundings. North of Oxnard, Ventura is one of the best day trips, with places to relish similar to Oxnard. I’ll tell you a few popular attractions there that you mustn’t skip. So, explore Botanical gardens for a peaceful mind, Mission San Buenaventura to marvel at, and the Museum of Ventura County to dig back into historians make a difference.
4. Explore Channel Islands Harbor
Being the central tourist attraction, the Channel Islands surrounds Ventura with thousands of boats and hundreds of activities to do in a line across the larger water body. If you are crazy about water sports, I recommend you go there and try guided paddling excursions, sport fishing, and parasailing. You’ll also enjoy activities like ayaking, gondola, or ferrying.
Not only this from seaside dining to exclusive shopping, and enjoying whale watching, you’ll have the best time there. The Channel Islands are also known for land-based activities, weekly farmer markets, hotels, and diverse dining options.
5. Spend a Day at Oxnard State Beach
Oxnard State Beach is another must-visit place in Oxnard. You can pursue your dream of surfing the beaches, and your kids can enjoy the sand here while the sparkling waves touch their warm feet. I must say that Oxnard State Beach is an ideal destination for beach and nature lovers because of the amenities it has to offer to its visitors.
While parking lots are standard at every beach, having two large parks connected to two parking lots is unusual to provide an extra dose of entertainment. Oxnard Beach Park, one of the two parks, is a favorite spot among children as they can enjoy kite flying, picnicking, and many other park activities. At the same time, you go enjoying the ocean, swimming, surfing, and other beach sports.
6. Visit the Channel Islands Maritime Museum
The Channel Museum exhibits the history of the Navy and stresses how it shaped the nation. The upper and lower decks of the museum show the seascape paintings and the detailed model ships. What will amaze you most is the vast collection of sea vehicles, from massive ships to small boats in a bottle, with detailed information that includes their history and functionality.
Big windows attract you the most as they overlook the water bodies with ships on and off the harbor. The Maritime Museum can be an effective place for people who are interested in history, geography, and the military.
7. Pay a visit to the Rare Cars at Automotive Museum
Another place to learn more about the evolution of the current world is by taking a two-hour walk in the automotive museum. While the maritime museum focuses on ships, the automotive museum focuses on cars. There are two museums, the Mullin Automotive Museum and the Murphy Auto Museum, separated by 5-minute travel. Each of these museums emphasizes different themes. I believe this is the option for four wheeler lovers to explore.
The Mullin Automotive Museum tells more about the evolution of French cars with terrific artifacts like posters that belong decades back. In contrast, the Murphy Auto Museum tells about the American manufacturing industry. Car enthusiasts can never miss out on visiting the automotive museum. And do not forget to carry the pictures of these masterpieces to your friends and family.
8. Visit the Carnegie Art Museum
This museum has a mission to present and preserve the best arts from the Californian area, and their work so far is just fantastic. They have a vast collection of art, from more traditional pieces to contemporary which can satisfy people from different tastes. This museum is outstanding because it only exhibits masterpieces from local artisans. They also display paintings and sculptures. You can visit them any time of the year as they are permanent.
9. Take a leisurely walk at the Heritage Square
Heritage Square can give you a complete glimpse of how the pioneers once used to live in Oxnard. Sitting in the downtown area of Oxnard, Heritage Square is a group and a collection of historical buildings in one place with beautiful gardens and fountains. So, if you are tired of pushing knowledge in your mind, taking an afternoon tea in the prevalent Rose Garden there, can refresh you completely, setting you up for another activity.
10. Enjoy the Collection at Riverpark
River Park is famous among the locals, and it can also favor tourists with options in one place. It is widely known as the shopping center with vast shopping options, from department stores to local supermarkets to almost everything locals demand.
Also, you can dine at one of the well-known dining areas after a long shopping day, enjoy a salon or spa, and entertain yourself in a movie theater. This place exceptionally can be the best choice for buying souvenirs.
Where to stay in the City of Oxnard?
The place you choose to stay in can make a difference to your planned trip. When your stay is perfect, you can have a joyous journey. So, here is a list of hotels to stay in to enjoy the sightseeing.
- Hampton Inn Channel Islands Harbor: Hampton is affordable, with the best water views and hotel rooms overlooking the massive water bodies. Hampton can be an option for water and ocean lovers.
- Homewood Suites by Hilton: Spacious rooms with fireplaces, balconies, and beautiful landscape views set Homewood apart from other hotel rooms. It is a perfect hotel destination for people with heavy teams.
- Best Western Oxnard Inn: Best Western Inn can be an option to look at as it stays in the middle of Oxnard, letting you explore the entire city effortlessly.
The city of Oxnard is one of the must-visit American cities that promise to provide entertainment. I believe it can be an ideal tourist destination as it does not seem crowded like most other famous cities, which allows you to be deeply involved in your tour moods.
Last Updated on by Pragya Chakrapani
