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Transportation by Amtrak San Diegan, June 20, 1998
Article and photos by Carl Morrison, CptrTchr@hotmail.com
Planning: I make frequent stops at a couple of Amtrak Stations which are close to my home: Fullerton and Anaheim, CA. They always have a copy of the "San Diegan News" and I pick up a copy. A section, on the back page called, "San Diegan Calendar," lists things happening in towns served by the Amtrak San Diegans. This is where I first learned about the dates of the Del Mar Fair. You don't have to go to an Amtrak Station to get the "San Diegan News" just try: www.amtrakwest.com or subscribe for $15.00 for 12 issues to SANNews@aol.com. I asked the ticket agent about transportation from the Solana Beach Station to the Fairgrounds and she printed a copy of the information she had on the Amtrak Intranet at her ticket terminal. She noticed that I was wearing a "TrainWeb.com" cap and said, "They have a web site" as she handed me the printout. The web site is listed as: HTTP;//WWW.DELMARDAIR.COM (2 typographical errors in one URL!! I knew the correct way to type a URL so made the corrections and made the connection. Another time at an Amtrak Station, I asked another ticket agent which San Diegans used the 'Amtrak California' cars. She gave me a printout of that information also. I wonder if this information is only available to ticket agents and if so why isn't it on the internet? Sure would help business it seems to me. This printout also had typographical errors, but again could be understood. That information and an 'Amtrak San Diegans' timetable and a trip to the Del Mar Fair website gave me enough information to plan and complete a successful trip
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7:18 a.m. Overcast and 65 degrees. I arrived at the Fullerton, California, Station and parked across the street in the free multi-level garage. I pulled out my gear and noticed the car parked beside me, with a license plate holder that said, "Teaching Literature is a Novel Profession." had the driver's door open...a Novel way to leave one's car in a parking garage. I thought I might tell someone at the station, but pushed the door closed anyway and went on my way. 7:24 a.m. 5 were ahead of me in line to get tickets. I flashed my AAA card and got a RT ticket from Fullerton to Solana Beach, CA for $12. Click the thumbnail pictures for a full sized version |
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I got my tickets and crossed the bridge to track #2, southbound. (These pictures of Fullerton Station were taken from that bridge on an earlier trip.) 7:39 I ate my ground hog (sausage), egg, cheese biscuit and had my coffee. 7:55 I was onboard and heading through Anaheim, with a seat in the cafe car on the west side anticipating the ocean view later. |
The first stop was Anaheim, in sight of Anaheim Stadium. The platform clock read: "June 12, 2:59 pm" I didn't remember having an earthquake 8 days ago and all the clocks stopping! Another curious sign on the platform read, "4 cars." The stadium needs a large sign painted on it's side for all train passengers that reads "Edison International Field, Home of the Anaheim Angels" otherwise you don't know what stadium it is if you aren't listening to the stops as they are announced. The Amtrak Station is actually in the Angel's parking lot and is an excellent way to get to a game. We had attended an Angels game the evening before and found the first base side, view level, an excellent position for Rail Fanning...watching the Metrolinks and San Diegans come and go during the game.
8:06 we were racing down Lincoln Avenue in Santa Ana...the track parallels Lincoln Ave. I bought cranberry juice and post cards ($3) from the cafe car attendant (click red, white, and blue icon at the top of this page for a larger view of one of the cards). The purchase established my right to use the seat. The cranberry juice was used to settle the ground hog. I wrote one of the post cards to my Mom, who took me on my first train ride from Seymour to Indianapolis, Indiana, to see the Christmas lights some 40+ years ago.
Tustin Dirigible Hangers, now historic buildings, appeared on the west side of the tracks as well as a 4-lane street which eventually turned into a long hike/bike/dog trail under highline wires that paralleled the tracks.
8:19 El Toro Marine Air Station on the east side of the track with planes visible directly across from Irvine Station on the west side of the tracks.
8:27 Laguna Hills running parallel to Interstate 5.
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| 8:34 I see why we were slow here...the northbound Coast Starlight
passed as we approached Crown Valley Parkway. Actually this train is
mostly Amtrak California's double decked train (picture at left) with one or two
Starlight coaches. In L.A. these cars are added to the Coast
Starlight and it continues to Seattle.
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8:39 San Juan Capistrano. Lots of flowers, cactus, boganvilla in bloom on the west side of the track from the station. People in town having Sat. morning breakfast at outside restaurants. Conductor reprimanded (nicely) riders not to 'turn seats around' because 'this train makes about 6 trips a day' and the seats are set so half are facing forward no matter which direction the train is going during the day.
8:47 The beach at San Clemente appears. Still overcast but some beach users are in sight. Another announcement by the Conductor, "seats in the cafe car are reserved for passengers who purchase food in the cafe car." I presume that announcement was aimed at the lady in front of me in the cafe car who was there when I boarded in Fullerton and had bags of stuff in her booth and had spread out over an entire table. She got up and bought a beer from the attendant and left it unopened on her table for the Conductor to see the next time through. In case he was referring to me, I moved to a coach seat in Oceanside, just before my stop. Lots of campers at Pendelton Marine Base, on the old road parallel to the track and Interstate 5 which made the old road useless. Some of the pavement of the old road looks new, beyond the camping area. I once saw a STOL jet land on that road as we drove down I-5...quite a site seeing a jet land like a helicopter.
9:05 Another Northbound Amtrak California (double-deck) train passes us. It must be #773. I enjoyed an ocean view all the way to Oceanside where we arrived at 9:11.
9:17 We raced through Carlsbad and I saw some familiar sights flash by...we vacation in Carlsbad at our timeshare there. Personally, I think the name should be changed to Carls-not-so-bad! We passed the lagoons I've explored on earlier trips to Carlsbad: Batiquitos Lagoon, Buena Vista, and San Elijo.html Egrets and Herons, my favorite, were still visible.
9:25 Arrived in Solana Beach on time. I asked the Amtrak ticket agent where to catch the bus for the Fair and she pointed diagonally across the nearby intersection of Highway 101 and Plaza Street. She added, "it comes at 25 past the hour, you might have missed it." I ran out of the station and saw a bus waiting diagonally across the intersection at the light, ready to cross 101. I took on the air of a bull fighter and dodged cars and boarded.
9:39 I arrived at the drop off point for the Fair's northeast corner, partly sunny now. The light to cross the street was manned by rent-a-cops and they held it a long time to allow cars off Interstate 5 into the Fair. There was a lady waiting at the same light to cross. She had a 4 by 8 foot color photograph of an aborted fetus...my stomach gave a rumble. She too was trying to cross the busy street to set up her display and I noticed she also had a lawn chair. It was rather breezy and I could just see, when the light said 'walk', that the wind would hit that sign and send her into an aborted position in the middle of traffic, so I volunteered to carry her chair (not her sign!) and helped her across like a good boy scout. She was ever so grateful and I parted assuring her I'd never get an abortion.
10:02 I was inside the gate and in the horse arena watching 2 young girls in proper riding apparel compete in a very formal setting. I stayed while the next class was judged...one rider in the 'under eight' category. She won first place! Outside it was full sun now...the 'night and morning low cloudiness' had 'burned off' as California weather people often say.
I headed for and enjoyed the photography exhibit. It was very good as usual.
11:38 I had a BBQ sandwich and pepsi for lunch ($6.25), then walked through the Flower and Garden Show building and the new products buildings. My next stop was the 'hands-on internet' location I had read about on the Del Mar Fair web site to check my e-mail. I went to the high school exhibits area where I knew I'd find a teenage boy who would know right where the 'free internet connection' was located, and sure enough, an early teen boy with horned rimmed glasses knew just what I wanted to know and he directed me to the San Diego Union Tribune booth where 4 connected computers were being used by 2 younger children, a mother type, and one was open. I checked my hot mail and was happy to receive my first e-mail response from Steven A. Reynolds, a fellow train/computer/California enthusiast, and mail from my sister-in-law from Maryville, Tennessee.
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1:00 I headed for the infield where I'd read they had 'early steam power' from farms. I couldn't resist a peach sundae in a waffle cone ($4.50) after I passed an excellent display of 3 Model-A Ford trucks. I took a picture and gave him a dollar, he gave me a post card (left) and we chatted a while. He was from Missouri (Misery). |
2:05 I caught the bus at the west gate for a return to the Solana Beach Station. It pulled around to the front (Pat O'Brien) gate and picked up more people. About 75% of the people on the bus, as it turned out, were EH. The 25% who weren't EH were on the wrong bus!! Now who here is really EH?! I was in the back of the bus and observed the interactions between the EH couple and a mother and daughter from Fullerton returning home after a day at the fair. Through the half hour ride, it was interesting to eve drop on the conversation and to observe how the 'mother and daughter' soon accepted the EH couple. It was like the good ol' days when the EH male announced, just like on a school bus field trip, "Hey everybody, look at the ocean!" Boy I wish everyone in the world was as happy as EHs...guess the rest of us are all stressed wondering how we can support so many of them. I realized that they were enjoying the highlight of the year...a trip to the fair. They also know the bus system because that's their only way to get around. The bus driver was very pleasant and answered all questions from both the EH and other passengers. When I got back at the Solana Beach Station I felt like a kid again!
2:33 I was an hour early for the next train back to Fullerton so I walked 2 blocks west, downhill, to the ocean. Fletcher Cove isn't more than a block long with huge high cliffs on both ends (guess that's why it's a 'cove'). There is a community center on the northern of the two bluffs, and a wedding was going on there, so I walked down to the sand. Once I got tired of looking at half naked females blocking my view of the ocean, I walked back toward the comminity center at the corner of Plaza and Sierra. I saw egrets high in the tree on the northeast corner there. I took a couple of tele shots of them from the shade of some high pine trees. These pines must have been the home of more egrets or herons, judging from the white droppings on the blacktop. I didn't spend much time with my mouth open looking up in the tall pines for birds. While photographing the egrets, a minister retuned from the wedding to his nearby car, disrobed, and he talked. This was his 3rd of 6 weddings he was to officiate at today...'the most ever in one day.'
3:00 I continued up Plaza to the track, then beyond one block to Cedros Design District. This is a two-block section of neat stores...furniture, hiking stores and coffee shops. I bought a "Croakie adjustable eyewear retainer" (a thing to hold your shades around your neck when they aren't on your nose).
3:30 Arrived and I was back at the station. Three trains were incoming on the single track. Two were southbound (one Coaster commuter and one San Diegan) and my northbound San Diegan was the third to arrive at the station.
The trip back home was uneventful...more cranberry juice, note making, and a nap.
I'd foregone the free Kenny Loggins concert at the Fair and was, in fact, home listening to Kenny's CD by the time he would have arrived on stage.
It was a great day and I'd suggest taking the San Diegan to Solana Beach and the Del Mar Racetrack/Fair Grounds as a pleasant train trip along the ocean of southern California.
Carl Morrison, CptrTchr@hotmail.com
