OCEANSIDE, Calif. —
The City of Oceanside is unveiling a top to bottom makeover of its new Welcome Center. In this Zevely Zone, I hopped in the driver's seat of the city's new selfie stop that's as pretty as a post card.
"We are in beautiful Oceanside, California," said Courtney Voorhees. She has been an Oceanside volunteer for 17 years. Courtney gave us a tour of the new gateway to Oceanside that feels more like a surf shack than a Welcome Center.
"We have beautiful local artwork," said Courtney who is a walking-talking Oceanside encyclopedia. "Do you know how old our Mission is?" asked Courtney. The answer? 1798.
Courtney may know everything there is to know about this beach town, but she wasn't quite sure if the centerpiece of the new welcome center would fit through the front door. "That was quite an adventure," said Courtney about the 1977 VW Bug parked in front of us.
Leslee Gaul, the CEO of Visit Oceanside was aware the Volkswagen convertible was going to be a tight squeeze, but the 90 point turn required to turn the car around was a big surprise. "Yep, they just kept turning, just like that turn, turn, turn, and turned it around," said Leslee.
She hopes the center becomes a popular trip planning resource for visitors to the San Diego region. Leslee wants the center to inspire exploration while providing a beautiful and immersive experience reflective of Oceanside’s unique history, lifestyle, and beach culture.
“Ensuring that visitors discover the best of the destination through insider tips curated by locals has always been our mission at CWC Oceanside,” said Leslee Gaul. “The center’s new design better reflects this personalized, hyper-local experience through its destination specific décor and enhanced amenities.”
In the back of the bug sits a surfboard and in its rear-view mirror, you'll find the history of skateboarding. "It's an evolution from the first board that was built, and it goes through the different types of wheels," said Oceanside resident Larry Balma. He is a skateboarding pioneer and co-founder of Tracker Trucks.
I showed Larry several pictures of me riding Tracker Trucks as a child. "Not only am I a fan, but I've been a lifelong customer," I said. "This is me at 14 years old in Leucadia skating on a dirt ramp we built."
Larry said, "Oh, no kidding. Well, thanks for supporting me." In 1958, when Larry was 14, he broke up an old pair of roller skates and made his first ride out of a hunk of redwood. "This was my first skateboard," said Larry.
His story along with legends like Tony Hawk tell the story of North County San Diego. "I sponsored Tony when he was 12 years old and he grew really fast," said Larry.
The display showcases the progression of skating over the years through changing board styles and even includes boards from legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk and his professional skateboarder son Riley. Signed copies of Balma’s book Tracker, documents 40 years of skateboarding history through interviews, photos, and stories.
“From board styles to skate parks, Oceanside has always been at the epicenter of the skateboarding industry,” said Larry. “It was a blast curating an installation that documents the tremendous growth and progress of the sport so that we could share it with visitors and locals in a one-of-kind display that appeals to all generations from those who ‘remember when’ to young visitors just getting into the sport.”
The next time you roll into Oceanside, a welcome wagon is waiting. "I love Oceanside and what I do," said Courtney. "Come visit Oceanside guys." Part of the state’s official network of visitor information centers, the CWC Oceanside typically serves over 50,000 visitors annually.
The Oceanside California Welcome Center is located just off Interstate 5 at 928 North Coast Highway. For more information, call (800) 350-7873 or click here.
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