Family vacation destinations can be tough. Sure, a taste-testing tour across Tuscany sounds dreamy to you, but yuck to your kids. And while seeing Elsa from Frozen in the flesh may be perfect for your little princess, Disney lineups aren’t la-la land for adults. Veto! A great family vacation starts with picking the right destination and Oceanside is it. A low-key SoCal beach town just north of San Diego, it has a cool surf-city vibe while keeping its small-town charm—perfect for satisfying both the parent and kid contingent. Here are 10 ways the whole family will fall in love.
1. It’s beachy without bravado No one needs sand with a side of attitude. Thankfully, Oceanside is big on the former (3.5 miles of sandy beaches!) and low on the latter. Don’t get us wrong: O'Side beaches are the bomb, but since they’re not overrun with tourists like, say, LA, you can find space (for a Frisbee game) and solitude (for that beach read).
2. It has a walkable, shopable downtown Strapping kids in car seats and hauling them in and out gets old real fast, but Oceanside has one major built-in bonus: You can park and not think about your car again til the end of the trip. The beach is right there, restaurants are a stone’s throw and downtown is totally walkable. Worth the stroll shopping suggestions: Linksoul Lab (for him), Mr. B’s Necessities (for her), Grandeur (for skater kids).
3. You can walk on water The 1,942 foot long Oceanside Pier seems to go forever. Kids will love the bird’s eye view of the beach and surfers below; parents will love the leisurely stroll and sunsets.
4. Kids have permission to climb (so parents don’t climb the walls) Right next to the Pier is a multi-tiered playground with slides, chin-up bars and poles, or head just south to Tyson Street Park’s grassy playground. For bouldering fun for all ages (that means you too parents!), the brand spanking new Vital Climbing Gym has no-harness climbing and slacklining.
5. It serves up culture with its surf Dubbed a “swell magnet,” Oceanside has legit waves without the crowds completing for them. Sign up for surf school or head over to the California Surf Museum for the history of hang ten.
