This seascape view takes in the coastline of San Clemente and one of its most frequent visitors, the Pacific Surfliner. Over its 350 mile route, from San Diego to San Luis Obispo, the stretch from San Diego to Los Angeles is the busiest, with a train passing every hour.
   The seaside route, from Oceanside to Orange County was completed in 1985. Today, Amtrak still uses this route in its daily runs, moving more than three million passengers a year. Without a convenient wye or turntable, the train utilizes a push-pull arrangement, with a cabcar equipped with controls for both directions. Seeing an average speed of 43 mph the entire trip takes eight and a half hours. With the use of ATS, speeds of 90 miles per hour are reached in outlying counties.
   San Clemente was first developed in 1925 by the former mayor of Seattle, Ole Hanson. Envisioning a Spanish style village, Hanson's property deeds required all building plans submitted to a review board, assuring compliance with his dream. When President Nixon bought the H.H. Cotton Estate, one of the town's originals, the area became synonymous with his Western Whitehouse.

     Area Map