Some of my extended family moved to Oceanside, California, just about an hour north of San Diego and an hour south of Orange County, about 25 years ago. My folks followed about 10 years ago, so I have been hanging out in this area of California for a long time. On my most recent trip, I was looking for something to do that I’ve never done before in O’side, and stumbled across the fact that Oceanside is one of 14 state recognized cultural districts in California.

There are a ton of murals all around the downtown Oceanside area, and you can check out Visit Oceanside for a handy Google map to see where all of the murals are.

My brother and I decided to walk down the Coast Highway beginning near the Public Library on Pier View Way and started at the Artists Alley.

We walked about a mile down the Coast Highway to Wisconsin Avenue and then turned towards the Ocean.

We then walked back up to Pier View Way along the Ocean, and even though there are no murals here, there are some cool homes and apartment buildings along the way, plus the Ocean View!

Along the Coast Highway, there are a ton of restaurants and coffee shops and breweries, so depending on the time of day, you can really take a nice leisurely stroll to see some cool, free street art, and have a nice coffee or cocktail.