Oceanside CA – Visit Oceanside, San Diego’s North Shore, wants vacationers to access their inner hero on their next visit to Oceanside, Calif. The organization’s new “Hero For A Day” program offers family reunions, guys/girlfriend getaways and other groups traveling together the opportunity to sample life as a military hero through Navy SEAL and U.S. Marine-inspired activities. Adding to the program’s real-life quality is the fact that many of the activities actually take place on the largest Marine Corps base in the Western U.S., Camp Pendleton.
“Oceanside has always had a strong tie to the military due to the fact that we share a border with Camp Pendleton,” said Leslee Gaul, CEO of Visit Oceanside. “Now, instead of just being near the base, visitors have an opportunity to experience first-hand the life of a soldier and what it means to be a hero.”
Visitors can currently choose from two “Hero For A Day” programs including: Navy SEAL Bootcamp at the Beach and Marine Rallye Camp Pendleton. Both programs can be customized to fit the needs and fitness levels of any group and encourage fun, communication, quick thinking, perseverance, teamwork and overcoming obstacles.
“Many of our visitors seek outdoor activities that they can do while bonding with their friends and family,” says Gaul. “Similar to popular mud runs and obstacle races in the area, these hero activities bring people closer together and solidify relationships. They also showcase Oceanside’s amazing coastal beauty and variety of recreational activities available.”

Navy SEAL Bootcamp at the Beach

Staged at North Harbor Beach in Oceanside, active and retired Navy SEALS’s create a custom designed environment where teamwork, accomplishment, persistence and new bonds of respect are the natural outcomes. Instructors guide participants through a course of rigorous challenges that can include team runs along the shore, races over cargo nets, commando crawling under camouflage, log push-ups, wheel barrel races and a series of military-style exercises aimed at pushing physical and mental limitations. Instructors put an emphasis on no team member ever being left behind.

Rallye Camp Pendleton

Rallye Camp Pendleton emphasizes the three pillars of the Marine code: Honor, Courage and Commitment to Excellence. With all activities taking place on base, this program provides participants with a glimpse into where our nation’s heroes live, train and exercise along the largest undeveloped portion of coastline in Southern California. Rallye Pendleton is less fitness focused than SEAL Bootcamp and more about building camaraderie among groups through team challenges such as racing through the sand at Del Mar Beach Resort, taking aim at the Paintball Park or brushing up on swinging skills at the Marine Memorial Golf Course. Participants wear special equipment such as heavy vests and goggles to get the true Marine-for-a-day experience.
Both “Hero” programs are approximately three hours long and available to groups with a minimum of 10 participants. For more information or to book a “Hero For A Day” program, visit www.visitoceanside.org/hero-for-a-day/ or contact Visit Oceanside at 760-231-5720.

Staying in Oceanside

Oceanside offers visitors a wide variety of accommodations from luxury 10-bedroom homes on the beach to comfortable hotel rooms with kitchens. Many properties offer travelers convenient amenities including complimentary Wi-Fi, continental breakfast and banquet facilities. Popular accommodation options for larger families or groups of friends include the Wyndham Oceanside Pier Resort, which is directly across from the beach and includes kitchens and living areas, and Beach Front Only’s ten bed-room luxury villas. Opening at the beach this February is the new SpringHill Suites by Marriott Oceanside Downtown offering suite-style rooms, ocean views and a rooftop pool. For more information on where to stay, visit www.visitoceanside.org.