Oceanside Walking Tour

I was super excited today when I found this Oceanside Walking Tour on visitoceanside.org.

Just what we needed to fill some of our time.  

You can walk down any alley in Downtown and find neat historic buildings, but the map turns our walks into scavenger hunts.

Definitely not all of the buildings that have a story to tell are on the map, but it is better than nothing!

This is the Bunker house.  Built in 1886, it is the oldest brick structure in Oceanside.

Initially it was a family residence/boarding house but later was turned into a hotel/brothel. 

The location of Kilowatt Brewery is in a 114 year old building.

What is now the Fin Hotel used to be the Hotel DeWitt, but before that was the Keisker Hotel.  

The Keisker Hotel was the first hotel in Oceanside that had both hot and cold running water.

During World War II the hotel became the headquarters for Pacific Telephone Company.

Roberts Cottages were built in 1928 and were a very popular getaway for tourists. 

Now some are lived in full time, while others are rented out as short term rentals.  

Two were recently sold for over $700,000.  

That decimal point appears to be floating in the wrong position...

One hundred summers sure changes a city.

Miracle in Oceanside, CA

As you walk around Oceanside you can't help but notice that so many sidewalks have an interesting stamp from the early 1900s.  The stamps from 1927 say Miracle Construction Company, but the 1928 stamps change to OUMiracle.  

Come to find out the O stands for Orville and the U for Ullman.  

Orville Ullman Miracle was the winning bidder for a construction project to improve the streets throughout downtown. 

Legend has it that his name was so unique that a letter addressed to "O.U. Miracle, USA" was delivered to him, a letter that was sent from South Africa.

The time stamp along with beautiful, ornate houses and gigantic trees are all reminders that Oceanside has quite the story to tell.  

And I have the time to tell it...

Even though this stamp doesn't include the date, it is one of my favorites.  

From Miracle Construction Company to Miracle Contractor.  

O.U. Miracle made quite a name for himself.

Oceanside Harbor

Well these flowers seemed to have sprung up over night!

Spring is so pretty.

Although the circumstances are not ideal by any means, we are really enjoying the solitude in Oceanside.  

Today we walked the harbor, and only had to endure overhearing one conversation about the Coronavirus.  "Do you even know anyone or know anyone who knows someone with the Coronavirus?"  I am sure there is lots of such talk on flat earth websites...

Wait a minute, this water does look flat!

Just kidding.

The sea lions were putting on a show for us.  

Who needs a Sea World when we have a sea world?

This is a million times better than watching a nature show on television, and it is right in our backyard.

Oceanside Pier

I love the Oceanside pier.

I also love getting out of the house in the midst of a pandemic, and not only avoiding the rain, but getting some impromptu sunshine! 🌞

The plaque on the pier says 1925, but I cannot figure out what this date corresponds to.  

According to the Oceanside City of Commerce, the first pier was built in 1888, the second in 1894, the third in 1903, the fourth in 1947, and, finally, the fifth and final pier was built in 1987.  

Fierce storms, fires, and relentless waves are the root of the different pier revisions.

Why do I want to go back in time and hang out with these guys on the pier? 

Wait a minute, do they have a 'no girls allowed!' sign up a the base of the pier? 

 I guess the women are all at home barefoot and pregnant and caring for their other children, waiting patiently for some fish to cook for dinner.  

Of course.

The current 1987 pier is three feet higher than the 1947 pier, but still was only built to last for 50 years.

This means that we can enjoy the current pier for another 17 years, so take your pictures while you can...

Oceanside Harbor Dredge

What does one do during a pandemic but walk around the neighborhood and enjoy the isolation? 

Who knows if the lack of crowds is due to the yearly dredging of Oceanside harbor, the small waves or the virus. Either way, we will enjoy it while it lasts. 

At this point 60 feet of social distancing is manageable. 

You have to love the monstrous dredging equipment. 

Stay calm and harbor on. 

A1 won’t be picking up any anxious vibes from her parents!

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood. 🎶 

Three Happy Traveler, Palm Springs

We are three VERY happy travelers.

Although there was so much we wanted to do and see, in light of everything, we decided to head back home and face the reality of the current situation.

But before doing that, we had a baby photo shoot.

One scamp photo shoot followed by another!

Like a meteorite hitting Earth, may all of this end quickly.

Two Happy Traveler, Palm Springs

Happy Traveler RV Park pros:

-clean restrooms

-reasonably priced

-hedges surrounding each lot for privacy

-great location

Happy Traveler RV Park cons:

-no unisex bathrooms (making showering babies difficult)

-no grassy area for a babies to run around

-itty bitty living space

Look at this!  

So tiny! 

Most lots don't have space for a trailer and a car so people park in the road in front of their spot, narrowing the road and making maneuvering in RVs very difficult. 

FYI.

We are loving being in the desert, especially since there is nothing but rain in the forecast closer to the coast.

Today we are off to Joshua Tree National Park.  

This is the 7th National Park that A1's little feet have touched. 

Lucky baby!

We had to stop at the Cottonwood Visitor Center for the stamp, which is when it was completely obvious that if people are supposed to stay home, it really should be a mandate and not a suggestion.  It was busy.  

Out on the trails was another story.  We found a parking spot right away, and didn't pass too many people on the trail.

We only walked about a mile on the Lost Palms Oasis Trail before heading back.  

Ice scream was calling.

We all scream for ice cream.

You just have to love Palm Springs.  

There are wonderful architectural details everywhere you look, and probably thousands where you don't. 

It has been a busy day.  

But after all of this we went to Ruth Hardy Park to let A1 get her last bit of energy out before bedtime.  What a great, very green park so close to downtown.