New Lights at the 101 Cafe

It seems like there is never a time that some road work is being done around the Cafe. When it was first built the road (Highway 101) was already paved and the sidewalks were put in that
same year in 1928. Since we have had the Cafe for over twenty years of its 80 year history the projects are too numerous to count. Needless to say that the present project to put left turn signals on Coast Highway in order to turn onto Wisconsin Street is welcome. They are projecting completion in a few months so you can experience an important part of our history at the Cafe, change.
We will commit to provide you the best food and service in this new atmosphere which will provide some entertainment for the big and little kids in your family. If you happen to just want to check out the workers then come in between 7:00am and 3:30pm Monday through Friday and of course you want to avoid them come in any other time.

Two Headed Cow Questions

Ever wondered where the Two Headed Cow was displayed in Oceanside or what the name of an early hotel that used the Mission San Luis Rey as its promotion? How about how many piers there have been, well then you only need the assistance of the Oceanside Historical Society. For over twenty years the Society has dedicated itself to find these and many more local history answers. Volunteer driven they have helped publish two books on our history and given assistance to untold number of fact seekers. They have helped school kids with their assignments and college students track the history of local agriculture. They have helped families find out about their Oceanside heritage and have put on some wonderful history programs. The last program in February on Trains was a big hit and the next program yet scheduled about our Piers will be very popular.

Kristi Hawthorne leads the organization as their President and the most hard working advocate of saving our heritage. She also acts as our Archivist and has complied an endless amount of our history. She authored the very popular local history Oceanside "Where Life is Worth Living" in 2000. Our community owes a big thanks to her for her continuing contribution.

Oceanside Surfing Events

Oceanside has been the Surf Contest Capital for many years. There were so many contest the City Staff had to finally put a limit on how many there could be. Here are the contest already on the City's Calendar for this year:

April 26
Oceanside P.D. Annual Pal Surf Contest for Middle School Students
South Pier 7am - 1pm

April 26 27
NASSA Open #10
South Jetty 6:30am - 6:30pm

May 7 - 11
KOASTAL KAOS.COM PRO
North Jetty 8am - 4pm

May 17 18
Interscholastic Surfing Federation
South Harbor Jetty 7am - 4pm

May 17
Moonlight Beach Paddle & Swim
South of Pier 8am - 11am

May 31
CSF California Series #8 Championships
Oceanside Pier 6:30am

August 14 17
Oceanside Longboard Surfing Club
South of Pier 6am - 5pm

November 1 2
NSSA Open Season
South Harbor Jetty 7am - 6pm

November 15
Volcom's Blowfish Surf Series
South Harbor Jetty 7:30am - 5pm

Spectators are always welcome and free. Great fun watching these classic performances on the beach.

The Soccer Kids are coming to Harbor Beach in Oceanside CA

Harbor Beach is one of the most beautiful and wide beaches on the West coast. Protected by the Harbor jetties it makes the perfect home for Southern California Beach Soccer Championships May 3 + 4, 2008.
Harbor Beach got its team sports beginning when the Beach and Harbor Athletic Association ( BAHA ) produced the first Over-the-Line Tournament, the Harbor Beach OTL over twenty years ago. In just a couple of years the tournament was the second largest in the world, but never rivaled the games that OMBAC still produces for San Diego on Fiesta Island at Mission Bay.
The soccer event is more of a family event and promises to be a huge success with thousand playing and viewing. What could be better than kids at the beach.

Sprinter Folks Keep Coming to the 101 Cafe

The Westminster Presbyterian Church group from Escondido was a pleasure to lead today. They came to have a good time and it appears an historic tour of downtown Oceanside and a meal at the 101 Cafe was just what they wanted. They seemed to enjoy reaching back into their own lives to compare some of our local history with theirs.

They discovered how much fun an adventure on the Sprinter can be. They all said they would be back.

Oceanside's Wide Sandy Beaches

Most visitors to Oceanside do not know how our beaches stay so wide, but if you lived in town for almost any time you would have seen that there is dredging of our Harbor mouth more years than not. Built in the early 1960's it was predictable that sand would fill the mouth our our Harbor and the Camp Pendleton's boat basin next door.
We are fortunate this year to have a very capable company, Manson Construction completing our project in just a few weeks. The last company failed to get the job completed and by the time another contractor was hired the dredging was completed in the summer.
It would be easy to guess that over five million cubic yards of sand has been deposited on our beaches since 1963.
While other communities grapple with sand erosion on their community's beaches we have had an endless supply. It makes our Harbor safer and our beaches wider, a win-win for us all.

Unintended Consequences

Saturday was a day for something new at the 101 Cafe. After eighty years of doing business that is saying something.
This Saturday in rolled a fire truck filled with passegers at the Cafe who had begun their journey in Valley Center. Of course we have had many guest from Valley Center over the years, but none had made the trip beginning in a fire truck followed by a Sprinter ride to Downtown Oceanside and a finally another fire truck ride to the Cafe. Yes the Papa Bear Breakfast Club had made the historic trip to make their Sprinter ride even more unique.
Ron Powell made the arrangements to come to the Cafe with his breakfast club friends plus one, Christa their favorite waitress from Papa Bears, a Valley Center Cafe. Kevin Johnson drove the completely restored classic 1954 Ford Crown fire truck for the days outing. A good time was had by all.

Later this week an Escondido church group is meeting me at the Sprinter Station in Downtown Oceanside to continue their adventure. I will walk them around some of the historic sites including the Pier and then lead them to the Oldest Cafe on US Highway 101 on the West Coast, the 101 Cafe.

It looks as if the unintended consequences of the New Sprinter service is good for business.