I am currently on my way to San Diego, California to attend TwitchCon, a convention run by the same company that runs Twitch, taking place in the San Diego Convention Center. Instead of flying straight there from Las Vegas like I’ve done before, I decided to stop by Los Angeles and make a ~120 mile (~195 kilometer) drive down south so that I can make some stops along the way and be a tourist.

Earlier today, I arrived in Oceanside, California in the northern part of San Diego County. I thought this was very inconvenient timing for the drive because it was raining this morning and afternoon, which is relatively rare in Southern California. However, fortunately, once I arrived in Oceanside, the rain stopped and it actually ended up being a benefit to me because the inclement weather caused other people to stay indoors, which meant I was able to walk around the beach without too many other sightseers around.

After checking into my hotel and parking my truck in the underground structure, I walked out and started my adventure near the Oceanside Pier.

After doing an out-and-back on the pier, I took the pedestrian walkway over the beach and connected onto North Pacific Street.

After continuing northbound for a while, I reached the San Luis Rey River.

I crossed the bridge and connected onto Harbor Drive, which allowed me to walk first into the parking lot and then down into the harbor once I found an opening.

After a pleasant stroll down and back up the harbor, I decided to grab some food before returning to my hotel. There was a restaurant in the distance with colorful holiday lights strung up on the exterior, harbor-facing facade of the building. I thought it looked nice, so I walked my way over there and went inside to find Joe’s Crab Shack.

I had a pleasant waitress who was excited to hear that I had come all the way from Las Vegas. After a friendly chat, I put in my order for a cup of clam chowder and a plate of fish and chips.

The fish and chips were greasy, heavy, and very filling. Halfway through my meal, I was already feeling pretty full, so I stripped the breading off the fish before consuming it, which made it much more palatable.

After paying for my dinner and bidding my waitress farewell, I walked back outdoors. It was dark already, which made for a good nighttime photo opportunity of North Coast Village in the distance.

I used to post a lot more hotel room photos back when I was on my road trip across the United States, but stopped doing so because it became redundant for me. With that being said, I’ve gotten a few requests to keep sharing hotel pictures, so of course, I have to deliver. For this segment of my trip, I’m staying at the SpringHill Suites by Marriott Oceanside Beach at the intersection of North Myers Street and Mission Avenue.

I’ve leaned towards staying in nicer hotels under the Marriott family during my recent travels, but during my multi-year road trip when I just wanted something simple, clean, straightforward, and peaceful, I stayed in a lot of SpringHill Suites (along with some newer-generation Fairfield Inns and Courtyards). I actually haven’t stayed in a SpringHill Suites since mid-2022, so seeing this layout again is quite nostalgic for me.

I was fortunate to receive an upgraded room thanks to my Bonvoy elite status, so I had a nice ocean view from my balcony.

Oceanside so far has been pretty nice. It’s been cool and cloudy, which is fantastic for going on a walk, and it’s been unexpectedly serene and soothing. I did encounter some homeless people on the beach, including a fairly sizeable camp set up inside the Oceanside Pier Amphitheater with a literal campfire going, but it seems like everyone generally just minds their own business and maintains the peace.

I’m checking out of my hotel tomorrow in the late morning to visit a museum and then go to a tasting menu reservation, so I will have at least two more activities prior to arriving in San Diego to talk about and share on my blog in the coming days.