Oxnard, CA - A Suite Place

Embassy Suite Pool
Mandalay Beach at Embassy Suite

Channel Island Harbor

Maritime Museum

Heritage Square

CArnegie Art Museum

Island Packers Whale Watch

Sun-lovin' seas

Sunset from our Embassy Suite room

One the joys of traveling is discovering new places. John and I are familiar with many places in California but we had never head of Oxnard and when we hear the word Mandalay we think of Myanmar. Mandalay is in Myanmar but there is a Mandalay Bay in Oxnard, CA. Located on the famed California Highway One, about 90 minutes north of LAX airport, Embassy Suites Mandalay Bay became our home for three days. Located right on the beach it was a wonderful choice. The hotel has bikes and tandem vehicles for exploring the paved paths that hug Oxnard’s seven miles of beaches. The free-form swimming pool is heated and beautiful. Each evening the hotel offers a two-hour Manager’s Reception with complimentary drinks and snacks. Many nights there is musical entertainment in lounge and often a pianist during dinner.

Embassy Suites proved to be the perfect base for exploring Oxnard. The best place to learn about a new destination is at local museums. The Ventura County Maritime Museum is home to a permanent collection of extensive marine art, featuring works by the Dutch, Flemish painters, along with modern artists. The museum also houses a collection of antique ship models that depict three thousand years of maritime history. Exhibits on whaling, sailors' artwork, the history of the Channel Islands Harbor and Port Hueneme round out the collection. See the remains of a shipwreck that took place April 13, 1970 when a northwester struck the Channel Island Harbor. The connection to the sea continues as is evidenced by the many man-made canals allowing homeowners to be just steps away from their boats.

We were in Oxnard during the time of the year when the Pacific Gray Whales pass by on their migratory path between the Alaska and Mexico. Our Island Packers tour started with information about baleen whales and their 10.000-mile migratory trip. In the Channel Islands area cold and warm currents come together creating a buffet of food for the behemoths. On the way to waters around Anacapa Island we passed seals basking in the warm sun on a buoy and a working oilrig. I didn’t realize there were so many oilrigs off the coast of California, but as the guide explained, "There has never been an accident with one of these rigs." And, then we were instructed, "Everyone keep on the lookout for water spouts. If you see one, shout ‘Thar she blows.’" It wasn’t long before the call went out, "Off the port, or left side for you land lubbers." We spent the next 45 minute watching the whales surface and dive again. On the way back we were treated to a brilliant sunset with the dolphins surfing in our wake. The fresh air created a hunger that was duly satisfied by a new restaurant located right next to the dock. The new Brazilian restaurant, Moqueca, was irresistible and so were their caprinias – the signature cocktail of Brazil.

One day might be called "Heritage Day" as we drove through the Oxnard Historical district named for the area’s founding father, Henry T. Oxnard. The beautifully maintained homes, many from the Arts and Craft era, on the tree-lined streets offer a glimpse into a more relaxed time.

In nearby Heritage Square 11 historic homes, a church, water tower, pump house and a storehouse have been moved to a single block, restored to their original condition, and now serve a variety of functions. The church, a popular place for weddings, is across from the Queen Anne Justin Petit Ranch House that is now home to an intimate theater, and between is one of the area’s popular restaurants, La Dolce Vita, in the Colonial Revival Laurent/McGrath House. We were sorry we were not there on the weekend when tour guides dressed in 19th century style give walking tours of the area.

Sitting proudly across from Plaza Park is a vision of ancient Greece, the Carnegie Art Museum. Founded in 1907 by Andrew Carnegie, the museum houses rotating exhibits from their permanent collection and from guest artists. New to their permanent collection is the thought provoking "Quiet Steps Approaching Thunder," Alexey Steele’s pastel on paper.

Oxnard is the place where Rudolph Valentino and Clark Gable played, and where so many films were shot that one area is now called Hollywood Beach. We will have to visit Oxnard again because we did not have time to see and do everything. We will visit the Herzog Wine Cellars, the largest Kosher winery on the West Coast, with tasting rooms, a visitor’s center, cooking classes, and a restaurant. We will hop aboard the Channel Islands Harbor Water Taxi for a Progressive Dining adventure and visit the Murphy Automotive Museum with its eclectic 50-car collection that includes Packard’s from 1927-1958, and the Children’s Gull Museum. There is even a small museum dedicated to the F. W. Woolworth stores.

Channel Island’s National Park, called the American Galapagos is only 11 miles off shore, and Packer Tours offers daily excursions. It is a top scuba diving area with naturalist led hikes, plus camping and wildlife viewing. The eight Channel Islands span 160 miles along the coast of California and are home to more than 2000 species of plant and animals, 145 are found nowhere else on earth.

And, of course, the Oxnard area offers golfing, ice skating, birding, biking, sailing, surfing, kayaking, diving, fishing, and shopping. It is even possible to rent a Segway and take it all the way to Ventura. So much to do, so little time. Truly an exciting time to visit would be during the California Strawberry Festival held the third weekend in May featuring their most famous produce.

The Mediterranean climate makes it a perfect destination any time of year. When Portuguese explorer discovered Oxnard in 1542, he found the area dotted with round, grass-covered huts of the Chumash Indians, and declared it "the land of endless summers."