Oceanside Pier, California – Photographer – unknown

“Last one in…”

Southern California is a breeding ground for extreme athletes.  With endless days of sunshine, where better to log hour after hour (and mile after mile) at a sport you love and  have a determination to master? This weekend, Oceanside will see its share…

The Rohto Ironman 70.3 California is only half the distance of a true Ironman Triathlon, but still packs in an awe-inspiring 70.3 combined miles of competition.  A 1.2 mile swim in Oceanside Harbor, a 56 mile bike ride winding through Camp Pendleton, and a 13.1 mile run make up this year’s challenge.

The Oceanside event on March 27, is the first of seven that will take place across the country this year. Next comes the Ford Ironman Arizona, Ford Ironman Coeur D’Alene, Ford Ironman Lake Placid, Ford Ironman Florida, Ford Ironman Wisconsin, and Rohto Ironman 70.3 Florida.  Over 1,800 athletes are expected to vie for one of only 20 qualifying spots for the Ford Ironman Triathlon World Championship. At the Foster Grant Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Clearwater, Florida (with a $30,000 pro prize purse) there are 100 qualifying spots.

San Diego is full of groups large and small that have training programs & smaller competitive events throughout the year.

San Diego’s Triathlon Club endeavors to to serve triathletes of all abilities by offering support through contact with other athletes and the triathlon community as a whole.  They hold a variety of regular training sessions, monthly meetings, organized competitive events, and training & coaching programs from beginner to Ironman levels.

VAVI’s Triathlon Club.  Initiated as a recreation league for grown-ups, VAVi now has teams of every sort, as well as their own popular Triathlon Club.

Ears Plugged? Now, FIRE!

What’s all that noise coming from Camp Pendleton!?! If you didn’t get a lot of sleep last night as a result of the incessant booms, ka-booms, and bada bang bada booms, you may be a little crotchety today. Smart remarks easily roll off your tongue like…

• Smoke em if you got em
• Boys and their toys…
• FIRE IN THE HOLE!
• Guys just wanna to blow stuff up…

So what’s going on over at Camp Pendleton?

Our Marines are currently engaged in mine-clearing and line-charge exercises. Depending on cloud cover and other weather conditions, the sound can (and does) travel for miles.

These are ‘Noise Generating Events’ (NGEs) if you share the military’s love of acronyms. (We came up with NO GeE’s…) The NGEs will continue through the night again this evening, and will continue round the clock until midnight tomorrow. After a quiet weekend, next week will see  more mine clearing and live fire exercises, however, they’ll be primarily during daylight hours.

Information about this current Noise Advisory is available on Camp Pendleton’s website, or by contacting Range Operations Division Office at 725-0358 during regular business hours, and the Command Duty Officer at 760-725-5061 after hours and during the weekend. If you call, be nice. This is what they do so that we can do what we do. So we lose a little sleep. It may be better than losing a lot of freedom.

Camp Pendletons Blowing Stuff Up Schedule:

Wednesday, Jan. 27

• Artillery 24 Hr Live Fire – Firing High Explosive Munitions into Whiskey & Zulu
• Mortar Live Fire, 6 am -2 pm – Firing High Explosive Munitions into Quebec

Thursday, Jan. 28

• Artillery 24 Hr Live Fire – Firing High Explosive Munitions into Whiskey & Zulu
• Mine Clearing Line Charge Live Fire, 8 am – 4 pm – Firing High Explosive Munitions in Whiskey
• Mortar Live Fire, 6 am – 2 pm – Firing High Explosive Munitions into Quebec & Zulu

Friday, Jan. 29

• Artillery 24 Hr Live Fire – Firing High Explosive Munitions into Whiskey & Zulu
• Mine Clearing Line Charge Live Fire, 8 am – 4 pm – Firing High Explosive Munitions in Whiskey

Monday, Feb. 01

• Mortar Live Fire, 6 am – 8 pm – Firing High Explosive Munitions into Quebec & Zulu

Tuesday, Feb. 02

• Mortar Live Fire, 6 am – 8 pm – Firing High Explosive Munitions into Quebec
• Mine Clearing Line Charge Live Fire, 8 am – 4 pm – Firing High Explosive Munitions in Whiskey

Wednesday, Feb. 03

• Mortar Live Fire, 6 am – 8 pm – Firing High Explosive Munitions into Quebec
• Mine Clearing Line Charge Live Fire, 8 am – 4 pm – Firing High Explosive Munitions in Whiskey

Thursday, Feb. 04

• Mortar Live Fire, 6 am – 8 pm – Firing High Explosive Munitions into Quebec
• Mine Clearing Line Charge Live Fire, 8 am – 4 pm – Firing lbs. High Explosive Munitions in Whiskey

Friday, Feb. 05

• Mortar Live Fire, 6 am – 8 pm – Firing High Explosive Munitions into Quebec & Zulu

Approximate Distance of Impact Areas From the City of Oceanside:
Zulu 17 km (10.5 miles)
Whiskey 23 km (14 miles)
Quebec 26 km (16 miles)

“Privacy guarded with a fervor akin to a Dan Brown novel…”

Many of the Oceanside beaches are sans bluffs (at walk-out level for the beach novice), and blessedly uncrowded. Surprises in architecture abound and variety is welcomed. A “new” Craftsman here, a sleek contemporary showplace there, a cozy bungalow, and…a French seaside village?  You betcha. Perched on rugged boulders and proudly defying the endless rolling surf, if you know where to look…..

“A 76-year-old gate guarded community nestled amid a lagoon, the sea and a halo of mystery…”

South of the Strand, off of Pacific &  Cassidy, an unremarkable path invites you to explore the rocky, narrower coastline.  Far from accessible, after picking your way down some uneven steps created with various layers of blocks and boulders, low tide reveals a narrow beach stretching south to the mouth of the Buena Vista Lagoon.

There sits St. Malo quietly in the sun, a profusion of wood-shingled slanted roofs, red brick chimneys, riotous gardens, and the mandatory animal-shaped weather vanes. Without knowing it, you have been transported back in time…

“The Queen of Hearts never had it so good.”

St Malo, ultra exclusive and remarkably low-profile, is a rare escape from the typical beach mix of variety and vacation rental.  Established in the 1920’s, it has remained enshrouded in mystery, privacy and a profound sense of community. Modeled after a Norman fishing village along the sea, here sits St. Malo, quietly living in Oceanside along the shores of the Pacific Ocean, not France.  Terry Rodgers of the UNION-TRIBUNE wrote one of the few articles we could find on the community. Rarely do resales come on the market, and when they do, they are very pricey. Only a fortunate few can afford a short term rental when they come available. For purchase availability, go to our “Find Your Castle” page, and drop us an email.

Limited on funds or opportunity? You can still take a walk along the beach at St. Malo, but only at low tide.  The beach follows the boulders to the lagoon, where it reaches back into the wetlands area just north of Carlsbad.  Keep an eye on the tide though, or you might end up awaiting the return of the elusive pathway from your perch upon the boulders.

Photography: An unknown mystery.