OCEANSIDE — A preview screening of the Oceanside episode of “Getting Away Together” was held March 15 at City Hall. The new PBS television series features 11 family-fun vacation spots across the U.S. “It helps brand the Oceanside visitor market,” Leslee Gaul, CEO of Visit Oceanside, said. She added that Oceanside is a family beach sports vacation spot.
The Oceanside episode follows the 46-member Hatch clan during their stay in a beachfront vacation rental that sports 10 bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, two gourmet kitchens, two hot tubs and oceans views.
The Hatches are an actual family who has visited Oceanside on vacation for the past few years.
“They really vacationed here,” Gaul said. “It’s a place they want to be at.”
The PineRidge Film and Television Company crew followed the Hatches around town as they sailed, kayaked and boogie boarded.
The historic 101 Cafe was featured when the family stopped in to order 46 milkshakes and talked to an Oceanside local about his 1932 Ford coupe parked out front.
“It’s the best piece I’ve ever seen done on people enjoying what we have (in Oceanside),” John Daley, owner of the 101 Cafe, said. “I’m ecstatic to be a part of it.”
A visit to the California Surf Museum, the Thursday Sunset Market and San Diego Zoo Safari Park are also highlights of the trip.
Practical vacation tips are shared, like pre-scheduling which days family members will cook and clean the kitchen.
Viewers also see candid moments like the family talent show.
Gaul described the show as fun and quirky and said she found the family truly likeable.
Oceanside history is woven throughout the episode. The city’s early days, the establishment of Camp Pendleton and the city’s rebuilding after acquiring a reputation as a “rough” town are addressed.
“It’s authentic and embraces who we are,” Gaul said.
Visit Oceanside and Beach Front Only Vacation Rentals invested $90,000 for Oceanside to be featured in the travel series.”
“The Getting Away Together” series plays on PBS stations nationwide. The Oceanside episode has aired in Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Vermont.
It is not known when the episode will air locally since each PBS station sets it own playlist schedule. The episode can be seen online at gettingawaytogether.com/destination/oceanside-california.
