| Due to 9/11 and continued
terrorist threats, the Marine base at Camp Pendleton is closed to
all bicycle traffic. This year's Amtrak Century will be
riding an eight mile stretch of the 5 freeway.
This section of the freeway is a
Cal-Trans approved bicycle route and has been open to bicycles
for over thirty years. It has had little use because
cyclist prefer to ride through the Marine base.
You can tell a Cal-Trans approved bicycle route by the signs
along the freeway. If the sign says "PEDESTRIANS
PROHIBITED" (see figure 2) then bicycles are allowed to
ride until a sign says "BICYCLES MUST EXIT" (see
figure 4). The bike lane is 8 to 10 foot wide with a solid
white line to the left letting cars know not to enter. About
1.5 miles after entering the freeway you will have to exit the
freeway and go through the Aliso Creek Rest Area (see
figure 3 & 4) After re-entering the freeway (see
figure 5) you will ride the rest of the eight mile section and exit
at Ocean Harbor Drive (see
figure 9). You will not have to cross any on-ramps or off-ramps. Sagging this section
of the ride will be difficult for us as emergency stopping is
all that is allowed. If you have a problem that requires
our help we will pick you up and take you to the end of the
freeway. We cannot assist you on the freeway! Relax
and ride this like any other road. Stay to the right as
far as possible to allow faster riders to pass to your
left. If you are overtaking slower riders, call out
"On Your Left" to let them know you are coming. Remember
you are on the freeway and the noise from cars and trucks make
it a little hard to hear so yell it out.
Look around you. To
the right you will see the ocean and a stick farm (see figure
8). Why do they grow all those sticks? How do they get
them to grow so straight?
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