JaneVentures: Oxnard Daycation
Over Labor Day, we (and by we, I mean he but I was with him throughout the journey for moral support) drove to Oxnard for a day of exploration. My siblings have visited Oxnard once before and they regaled me with stories of its beauty so I had to experience it for myself.
We got dinner at Money Pancho, a Mexican restaurant with marvelous reviews on yelp. We were greeted with a smile and were immediately shown our table. Only one other couple was there but it definitely got busier as the night went on. We ordered the Camaron Bilbaina (Black Tiger shrimp, delicately sauteed with dry red chilies, garlic, butter, and mushroom sauce and then flambe in white wine before serving) and the Filet of Sole Veracruzana (filet of Sole cooked in Salsa Veracruz made with garlic, peppers, onions, olives, tomato Ranchera sauce & white wine). We both thought they were delicious though I preferred the Camaron better than the Sole. By the end of the meal, we had debated on getting desserts because we were both full but decided to get the flan. It was delicious, and I'm really happy we got it. We walked back to our hotel with happy stomachs and happier hearts.
Come the morning, we grabbed breakfast from Hollywood Beach Cafe. Boyfriend ordered their Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict with spinach & hash browns while I got Avocado & Toast with two eggs, griddled tomatoes and fresh fruit. My boyfriend's choice tasted better but we enjoyed the fresh fruits a lot. They had the best strawberries & raspberries I've had in a very long time. No photograph of the food because, you guessed it, I got too distracted by the adorable dog.
The restaurant was close to the beach and we had initially planned on taking a walk there after eating but we forgot to bring towels, and didn't want to risk getting sand all over our shoes and my boyfriend's car. We decided to skip the beach and headed to the Channel Island Harbor Marina instead - it's where the Oxnard Farmers' Market is held every first Sunday of the month.
It was a such a good day to be in such a beautiful and calming place, and we had a lot of fun exploring the different pop up shops in the Farmers' Market. It was surprisingly bigger than I expected it to be - even bigger than Echo Park & Silver Lake Farmers' Market. We ended up buying a Chocolate Chocolate Thunder cupcake from a local baker and a small container of raspberries, which were definitely not as good as the ones we've had at Hollywood Beach Cafe but they were fresh and delicious nonetheless.
The epitome of political paradoxes
Before heading home, we swung by the Carnegie Art Museum, which is one of the reasons why I wanted to go to Oxnard in the first place. However, it was closed because they were preparing for an exhibition for late September. I was disappointed but I'm glad to be able to see its notable facade anyway. Afterwards, we headed back to LA with big smiles and lots of singing to The Smiths. I always feel closer to boyfriend after traveling somewhere new together, and I can't help but feel so grateful to have him, his company and all the conversations we have in my life. It was a wonderful three-day weekend indeed.
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