Is Oceanside, CA worth traveling half the country in a Greyhound Bus for? I Must Know Soon

So far on my list of possible things to do...
-Savor CaliMex morsels
-Stalk Mike Landucci from Blackbean and Placenta
-Visit the California Museum of Surf
-Catch a Joan Jett show
-Bathe in the Pacific

EDIT: I LOVE YOU NED! I knew you'd come through!!!
I just...didn't want to seem a bother...

More seriously, someone up in LA might be your better connection there, not least because Mike lives up on the other side of LA. Also, I'll be away on various vacations soon. Just drop me a mail and I'll let you know what I think.

See, I'm going going back back to Te-xas to solve some unfinished business for 2 weeks...but it won't take me long, I don't think...so I figured, it's summer...why not dive headfirst into chance? Thing is, Greyhound would be my only option, and it is hella expensive for me alone to pay. The ideal situation would be for a friend to accompany me so we can halve the cost of travel. But...all my friends in TX seem to be taking summer school.

or., drive up the Pacific Coast Highway from L.A. to San Francisco. Stop in Big Sur for a day or two. Then you'll have scenery. Oh, my, yes, you'll have scenery. Villefranche-sur-Mer, eat your heart out.

Gygax (xpost): I definitely had Encinitas in mind! I'll have to check that out.

If you're going to be lingering in San Diego more -- and there are indeed many reasons to go -- the crew down that direction will be of more help when it comes to accomodation, including Matt Maxwell and the estimable Vahid. Commuting from my section of OC would be time-consuming and sorta pointless.

I think L.A. is pretty great, but I completely understand wanting to avoid it. It's huge, sprawling, and tends to hide its charms pretty effectively. But if you do spend some time here (L.A.), you don't have to give up on quiet beach towns. Hermosa Beach, not too far south of the airport, is a nice place to hang out, try your hand at surfing, etc.

You may have had experience with the Pacific, but I was shocked the first time I stuck my toe in the water --having had more time with the Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico, even the Mediterrean-- at how COLD it was/is. Even in the summer. You'll notice most surfers wear wet suits.

Buon viaggio!

Skottie: Never been to the Pacific!!! Never seen it! That's kinda the whole point. I'm a beach bum at heart, and as such, it is the spiritual gist of the trip.

DEAN STOP HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING CAPS LOCK STOP DISCOVERED IMPORTANT FORMULA STOP REPORT TO FOLLOW STOP NOT DRINKING ENOUGH STOP BAD HAIR DAYS STOP CAR GOT A FLAT STOP MADE A LAMB CHOP STOP DID NOT GO TO DISNEYLAND STOP NOBODY LOVES ME SOB SOB STOP WATCHED DORIS DAY MOVIES STOP DID SOME WORK STOP CONTEMPLATED MEANINGLESSNESS OF HUMAN INTERACTION STOP RETURNED TO ILX STOP

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"I offer Long Beach as a crash pad if you don't mind a futon."

YES, MA'AM!!! And hell no, I don't mind!

But I must solve my shipping ordeal first. I'll keep you all posted as to my plans. Well, wish me luck...my plane leaves tomorrow morn. I'ma go pack so more before going to bed. Holla!

ps-ah, finally...Willie the dog fell asleep after pulling on my pantlegs all day long...gonna take a shower and read some later on...i hear we're having White Russians and whatever I want to eat tonite, which usually results in me compromising to eat Thai or Tex-Mex cuz they won't dare try anything else

ts: san juan capistrano vs. encinitas/cardiff/solana area

looking at a job in san diego (kearney mesa) and thinking of commuting in from parts north

Oceanside just sounds, from what I've heard, like the kind of quiet beach town I would like to retire to in my OLD age, all of 21 years. I'm hoping to visit a nice, clean, scenic beach that isn't completely inundated by wankers tanning and clogging up my view.

haha i hope he didn't go to oceanside then!

I'd say SJC but I have a fondness for the place.

me too

i've never been to encinitas but it looked really cute on huell howser

don't move to solana beach / encinitas, it sucks ass

trust me, you don't want to be there

The Leucadia neighborhood in Encinitas is really really nice. That's about it for North San Diego Co., though. :/

GB, is there a reason you don't want to live in San Diego proper? Or has it really become that expensive? I though maybe the quieter neighborhoods like the DMZ between Hillcrest and downtown might be really nice, or Kenzington or something like that. Then again, maybe all those places have skyrocketed in price.

To answer the original question, HELL NO

Other SJC advantages -- regular Amtrak/Metrolink stop in the center of town, great small station.

Oceanside is where you go to get that certain je ne sais quoi that Twentynine Palms just can't give a person.

quieter neighborhoods like the DMZ between Hillcrest and downtown

...that's directly underneath the flightpath for Lindbergh field?

SJC seems like way to far to commute to San Diego.

GB, is there a reason you don't want to live in San Diego proper?

boyfriend is in l.a. :-(

quieter neighborhoods like the DMZ between Hillcrest and downtown

is this around bankers hill? i stayed there on my last trip... it was a little too quiet. hillcrest is pretty cool.

SJC seems like way to far to commute to San Diego

I know people with longer commutes, and again, Amtrak/Metrolink makes it all go way faster. Rush hours, who needs 'em!

encinitas/cardiff/solana area

i can't imagine living there but it's nice to visit. lou's records was cool and i always make sure i go to besta wan's when i'm out there. leucadia is nice but it seems like everything out that way is so suburban. i suppose that's because they're all suburbs of san diego.

Oceanside is where you go to get that certain je ne sais quoi that Twentynine Palms just can't give a person.

I want to go to Twentynine Palms

please don't even visit solana beach or encinitas

I loved living in encinitas/cardiff/solana but this was a very long time ago (in my late teens). I haven't returned in about a decade, but I understand that traffic is an even worse now then it was back then (very bad - horrible).

I think i am the only one here who has actually lived there?

i've only ever visited, towga and our dog live in north county now.

http://images.townnews.com/nctimes.com/content/articles/2007/07/21/news/top_stories/23_09_527_20_07.jpg

"Everything I see reminds me of her."

GO AWAY OFF MY EARTH

>:-(

I think i am the only one here who has actually lived there?

-- Steve Shasta

ok the big reveal is that we got an apartment about two blocks from la paloma and will be moving there in june ... suffice to say i am not stoked about the changes in traffic over the last 10 years ...

i grew up in solana beach and i'm sorry to say there's not a whole lot of the old town left. if i had to pick i would probably pick san juan capistrano myself.

the bike lanes may still be pretty good...?

If I had to rank northern San Diego County I'd go: Encinitas, Leucadia, Solana. Oceanside would not be an option and Carlsbad appears to have some of the worst property rights NIMBYism outside of South Pasadena.

Any reason why San Clemente is off the table? (other than it sucks it)

(other than it sucks it)

^^^that

But..but... Mission Viejo! Vista!

Oh for the thrilling old world joys of Aliso Viejo.

mmmm dana point!

Anyway, the correct answer is:

* whatever doesn't suck in South OC
* whatever is closest to an Amtrak station

SJC is a stop on Amtrak?

honestly i am loving the idea of sjc -- the commute either way (up to l.a. or down to s.d.) isn't that bad.

sjc is on amtrak! it's a great station.

x-post -- AS I KEEP SAYING.

Sorry. (Mackro, Remy dropped me a line and sez he was going to give you a call.)

Yeah, fuck it. San Juan Capistrano.

If Leucadia or Encinitas had an Amtrak stop nearby Hwy 101, I would give that the top spot, but there isn't one. SJC wins.

lock thread!

sjc is on amtrak! it's a great station.

It's indeed fantastic (and remarkably unchanged since it was built)

1899

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d5/CHS.J3074.jpg

2005

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/fd/100_6597.JPG/800px-100_6597.JPG

that cafe always looks so inviting.

SJC also wins for...

- Ramos House Cafe
- One of the most haunted streets in California
- El Adobe - one of the oldest of the old school fancy Mexican restaurants
- Mountain Lion attacks!

Seconding Ramos House, was just there in November. Should there ever be a south OC FAP, that would be perfect.

Encinitas had an Amtrak stop nearby Hwy 101, I would give that the top spot, but there isn't one. SJC wins.

-- Mackro Mackro

uhhhh encinitas has a stop a block from hwy 101

oh but it's only for the san diego commute, i gotcha

i still don't get it

Get Bent wants Amtrak southbound (for job) and northbound (for boyf)

oh. well, kearney mesa is nowhere near the amtrak anyway.

yeah, but there's bus service to within walking distance of the office. i'll figure it out i'm sure (and i may not be carless for long, depending on a number of factors).