First of all, have you ever heard of Oxnard, California? It’s an area just about 60 miles northwest of LAX and we went to visit because I heard it would be an excellent home base to explore the Channel Islands. It turns out, Oxnard is also a really great foodie destination- my family tried to conquer the Oxnard taco trail and barely made it 1/5 through so we’ll have to come back again. We were hosted by Visit Oxnard at the Hilton Zachari Dunes on Mandalay Beach and had a fantastic time at this beautiful resort. We would definitely stay here again.
So what does an Ocean-view 2 Queens Suite look like at the Zachari Dunes?
I posted a video of the Zachari Dunes room tour on my instagram if you want to get a feel for this 625 square foot suite. This Curio Collection Hilton (formerly an Embassy Suites) went through a multi-millon restoration and recently reopened in 2022 and it is pretty stunning. We were visiting during a significant (and unusual) winter rainstorm and could not go to the Channel Islands so it ended up being a great place to storm watch. From our room we could still see the ocean but be comfortable, dry and warm.
Our suite on the 2nd floor had a large sitting room that opened out to a balcony where you could see the ocean and palm trees swaying in the wind. The adjacent bedroom with 2 queen beds also attached to the balcony which gave it a lot of light. The couch in the sitting area also could fold out into a sofa bed so this room could accommodate 6. Having two bathrooms with teenage boys on a trip is also a huge plus and the smaller bathroom had really cool decor.
We ate breakfast at the Ox and Ocean restaurant on site at the hotel. This restaurant has a really cozy-exquisite vibe with plush seating and luxurious decor. We enjoyed chilaquiles and pancakes and the crispy potatoes that came with my husband’s vegetarian omelet were the hit of the table.
Even in a rainstorm there were so many things to do at Zachari Dunes
It’s always pretty awesome when you have more things to do than you have time when you are on holidays. We had plans to go to Anacapa Island with Island Packers but the sea was too rough that day. Instead we decided we would wander the beaches, visit the Channel Islands Maritime Museum (if you’re from Seattle and have a Mohai Plus membership this museum is included in the NARM reciprocal museum program so two adults and two children can get in for free.) stop by the local Farmer’s Market and then try the Oxnard Taco Trail. I also wanted to check out the Puft Daddy Cotton Candy Robot at the Annex Hall at the Collection at River Park. This was really vibrant shopping area with bowling, restaurants and lots of stores.
Don’t forget to check out Henry’s Rentals at Zachari Dunes if you are staying there
One thing that we should have utilized is that our resort fee included 2 hours of rentals from Henry’s rentals and I didn’t realize how many things you can rent there. (And it sounds like most of them are included, make sure you ask when you are there to be sure). I saw everything from longboards, hoverboards, paddleboards and even cameras and Nintendos too.
So even though our original plans fell through due to a really unusual winter bomb cyclone storm system that hit California exactly the same time we were there, we had a relaxing and enjoyable time in Oxnard. I hope we can come back and experience it again with its usual weather-apparently it’s sunny, mild and beautiful here most of the year. Have you ever been to Oxnard, California? (And please let me know if you’ve been to the Channel Islands too- I am dying to see them even more now that we came so close!)
Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys. She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live. She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)
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