This is part of our ROAD TRIP TO JACKALOPE BLOCK PARTY VENTURA series, where I’m sharing every stop we made on our way up the coast.
If you haven’t read the first stops yet, start with Camarillo, then Port Hueneme. It’ll make this one even better.
Alright, next stop: Oxnard.
Oxnard hit different. We pulled up to the beach and saw at least 50 seals just chilling on the sand, with massive waves crashing behind them. Like what the hell is happening? 😂
There were maybe 2–3 courageous surfers out, just fully sending it in that swell. One of them broke his board, you can imagine how heavy the waves were.
We grabbed lunch at The Strandwich with local musician legend Fred Hammer.
Slow-smoked brisket, house-made BBQ sauce, soft French roll… unreal!!
The place is covered in artworks from his band like Annihilation Time, and from other local Nardcore bands, and you can tell he’s a big deal around there. People kept coming in just to say hi to him. Fred’s basically a pillar of the Oxnard punk scene, involved in everything from running It's Alive Fanzine to shaping what Nardcore (Oxnard + Hardcore) is today. More about Fred.
Then… jet skis. And wow, that day it was gnarly haha It was the same day we saw the surfer broke is board. The ocean was wild. Like properly aggressive. Just getting out to the open water felt kind of terrifying. Once we were a bit farther from shore, we got more in control and had so much fun. JM followed us on a boat, filming everything. At the time, I thought I looked totally badass. Then I saw JM’s footage… and I was crying laughing. I’m gonna stick with my imagination 😅.
But honestly? The feeling was insane. Just our small crew in the middle of the ocean, waves crashing, everyone screaming and laughing. Over an hour out there, and by the end, my arms were shaking from the impacts of the waves. I would 100% recommend it.
Couldn’t finish the day without hitting a skatepark. We went to Bedford Pinkard Skatepark for a night session. Still full of adrenaline from the jet skis, the energy was high… maybe too high. JM was flying his drone in reverse, full confidence, straight into the top of a tree. RIP DJI Mini 4 Pro.
At this point, we were HUNGRY. Tacos were the way to go. We went to Juarez Taco. I’m not exaggerating… best tacos ever. We got seriously spoiled. We all ordered Birria tacos, El pastor, etc and they gave us a Juarez famous pizza. Not for the weak haha.
So overall, my Oxnard Picks:
Vibe: Heavy surf and punk rock history.
Must-Eat: The Brisket at The Strandwich.
Activity: Jet Skis (if you’re brave enough!).
Late Night: The Birria Pizza at Taqueria Juarez.
The last stop: Trip to Ventura
