Metrolink – Day Trip to San Clemente Pier

I enjoy riding trains and metros. There is something nice about leaving the driving to someone else and not experiencing the hassles of stop and go traffic. Since I drive quite a bit, it is an opportunity for me to relax and watch the world go by. I have been wanting to take the Metrolink for a long time and I finally went for a ride.  

The Metrolink is Southern California’s regional passenger rail system. It extends service beyond the geographic boundaries of LA’s Metro system into the Antelope Valley to the north and deep into Orange County to the south.

Metrolink Station – Norwalk / Santa Fe Springs

Metrolink train pulling into the station

My wife and I decided on a weekend brunch and set our sights on the San Clemente Pier. We boarded the Metrolink at the Norwalk / Santa Fe Spring train station. The train ride was amazingly quiet and smooth. It had comfortable seats and was clean throughout the passenger car.

Anaheim stop at Angel Stadium

View from our passenger car

There are stops along the way and one of them was in Anaheim. From the train, we could see that we were steps away from Angel’s Stadium. After that we made good time through Orange County. After reaching San Juan Capistrano, the scenery from the train is breathtaking. If you are facing west, you have an incredible white water view of the ocean. 

Metrolink station at the San Clemente pier

Pierside Kitchen and Bar

The San Clemente Pier is a popular destination as many passengers departed with us at that stop. We only had to cross the tracks and the street to find the Pierside Kitchen and Bar. Thanks to my wife making reservations, we were able to be seated upon arrival.

Bottomless mimosas

Fried Chicken and Waffles

Chorizo scramble topped with goat cheese

Pierside is known for their bottomless mimosas and their eggs benedict options. Of course my wife and I both ordered a bottomless mimosa – after all we are leaving the driving to Metrolink. She ordered the fried chicken and waffles and I selected the chorizo scramble.

Pierside delivers their mimosa in full champagne flutes served with a side of orange juice. This arrangement allows you to refill the OJ as needed and refills are made by replenishing the champagne. Corn meal is part of the batter for the waffles and made for an interesting taste and texture. The chorizo in my scramble was flavorful and lean.

San Clemente Pedestrian Beach Trail

After our brunch, we took a nice walk south along the San Clemente Pedestrian Beach Trail. The hustle and bustle of San Clemente eventually thinned out and it was a very pleasant walk. We eventually turned around and walked back to the pier to catch the return ride back to the Norwalk train station.

The return ride was similar to the earlier ride. I was grateful that Metrolink was doing the driving as it allowed me to see the sights in an air conditioned passenger car. While a number of people boarded in San Clemente, there were plenty of available seats and there wasn’t a sense that it was crowded.

If you are interested in taking a day trip and doing something different, I highly recommend it. The weekend day pass is only $10 per person and allows you to ride the rail without additional charges throughout the day. The Metrolink maintains a schedule and they use Twitter to advertise any delays. The trains are clean, smooth and comfortable and this is a great way to travel without having to deal with LA’s traffic.  

Places mentioned in this review:

Metrolink
http://www.metrolinktrains.com/

Norwalk / Santa Fe Springs Metrolink Station
http://www.metrolinktrains.com/stations/detail/station_id/110.html

Pierside Kitchen and Bar
http://www.piersidesc.com/