Post #317515 by WooHooWahine on Mon, Jul 9, 2007 3:40 PM

Start Web Site http://www.moonamtrak.org ™
28th Annual Mooning of Amtrak
2nd Annual Mooning of Metrolink
All Day Saturday, July 14, 2007, Laguna Niguel, (Orange County) California, U.S.A.
Web-site last updated: 21 May 2007

THIS WEB SITE does not contain offensive or sexually suggestive material, and is not classified as "Adult". It is acknowledged however, that the "Mooning" of a public conveyance may be considered objectionable to some. The photos presented here are not "revealing" and are quite safe for all age groups to view.

LOCATION: Along the chain link fence adjacent the train tracks, across the road from:

Mugs Away Saloon, (949) 582-9716
27324 Camino Capistrano, #102; Laguna Niguel, (Orange County) California 92677
DRIVING DIRECTIONS: In Orange County, California, Interstate-5, Exit "AVERY PKWY". Turn West at the end of the off-ramp (Right if you were South-bound on I-5). Short block street ends at "T" intersection, Turn North (Right) on Camino Capistrano. The train tracks will then be on your Left. 1.2 Miles to Mugs Away Saloon, crowds of people, cars, camper trucks, motor homes and motor cycles all over. This road ends another mile to the North. Park somewhere, but please don't park next to the chain link fence next to the train tracks. That's where the "mooning" happens. It is most crowded between 10am and 4pm PDT.

Estimated Passenger Train Passing Times, PDT, July-2007 7:35am North
8:23am North (M)
8:34am North
8:41am South
9:09am South (M)
9:27am North (M)
9:47am South
10:34am South (M)
10:53am North
11:01am South
11:59am North
12:26pm South
1:27pm North
1:39pm South
2:18pm North
2:39pm South (M)
2:57pm North (M)
3:14pm South
3:31pm North (M)
4:17pm South
4:27pm North
5:11pm North (M)
5:19pm South
5:30pm North
5:39pm South (M)
6:18pm North (M)
6:26pm South
6:43pm North
7:21pm South (M)
7:43pm North
8:17pm South
Nite Mooning
9:16pm South
9:47pm North
9:54pm South (M)
10:43pm North
11:24pm South
End

(M)= "MetroLink" train, "Orange County Line" and "Inland Empire Line". All others are "Amtrak" trains. The train times for Amtrak shown represent Northbound 4 minutes later than, and Southbound 1 minute earlier than the Amtrak scheduled train departure times at "San Juan Capistrano" depot. Train times for Metrolink are base on "Laguna Niguel - Mission Viejo" Station.

Other Details

There is no admission charge

HELP, VOLUNTEER NEEDED to arrive the previous evening of Mooning Day to bring and hang up a construction area tape at the road edge in front of the chain link fence so vehicles don't park there, which would block the access zone for the "Mooners". Thank you!

WHO IS IN CHARGE? No one. No one organizes or is responsible for this annual event. Everyone who attends helps make it a safe, fun & successful day. It occurs the second Saturday in July each year, whether this web-site existed or not. This web site is a gratis service to provide some helpful information.

Newspapers & TV: As in past years, reporters & photographers from the newspapers and Videographers for TV are expected.

Sheriff: As in past years, the area will be patrolled by the Orange County Sheriff for the City of Laguna Niguel. No problemo! Absolutely NO "controlled substances", carrying an alchoholic beverage outside, exposing certain prohibited body parts or hasseling with the sheriff deputies. The deputy people have been very considerate and liberal in the past. Please don't ruin it for the future.

Exact Location: Latitude 33° 33.917´ North, Longitude 117° 40.435´ West. This data is useful if you will be using a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver. But, keep in mind that you cannot get here from Crown Valley Parkway as its bridge goes over Camino Capistrano Road, without connecting. See "Driving Directions" above. This is about 4¾ track miles North of the San Juan Capistrano Amtrak train station and about ¾ miles North of the "Laguna Niguel - Mission Viejo" Metrolink station. This track location is milepost 192.7 of the Amtrak "Pacific Surfliner" Line.

Train Passengers The Amtrak and Metrolink trains will be filled to capacity with passengers to see the "moon show" between the stations of "Irvine" to the North and to the South "San Juan Capistrano" for Amtrak and "Laguna Niguel" for Metrolink. The mooning is on the EAST side of the tracks, and most trains will slow down at this point. For a photo of the view from the train passenger's perspective, see LINX, below. If you wish to see the show from the train during time of peak demand at mid-day, board at a more distant station to better secure an available seat for you. Sorry, on the train you'll only be able to photograph or video through the glass windows as only the train crew will have access to the vestibules of the train which have windows that open. The "Mission Viejo - Laguna Niguel" Metrolink train station is a ¾ mile walk South of here.

Night Mooning After 8pm, Night Mooning starts. Bring a flash light with plenty of batteries, or better yet, bring a Coleman propane or gasoline fuel camping lantern. Bring a wire coat hanger to make a hook to hang your lantern from the chain link fence. An electric engine-generator with lights would be outrageous, if anyone has this to bring. The area is dark at night as there aren't any street lights along the road here. Night Mooning is better because: it is less crowded, cooler temperature, and more authentic.

Amateur Radio Amateur radio operators may communicate locally on 146.555 MHz FM-Simplex.
Any "ham" radio club is welcome to set up a special event from here, however you'll need your own electrical power, get here early and this is in a valley with hills on the East and West.

LINX, Links to related web sites (Just 'Click' on the words):

Photos of the rear view of Mooners You must be over 18 yrs old to see asses, even though you have one yourself.
Mooning Photos to View & Download (free), or order prints from Target Stores & Yahoo (Low cost).
Camping & Rec Vehicle Facilities Near Laguna Niguel CA.
Amtrak's Web Site Go to "Schedules". This train line is called "Pacific Surfliner".
MetroLink Train Schedules Go to "Schedules" See "Orange County Weekends" and "Inland Empire Weekend" lines.
Vendor of souvenier T-shirts also DVD movies.

Are You in these pictures? If so, and you'd rather not be included, let the web site janitor noted at the end that you would like to be removed. Please note which picture, and which person you are. Those who have no objections, thank you for your proud participation!! Attempts to use these photos for "commercial" purposes will be in violation of federal law unless a signed "model release" is obtained from each of the people in the photo.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Must I "moon", or can I just watch? No, You can watch.
Does It get hot here in July? Yes, mid-day it is usually about 95°F (35°C) and humid.
Should I bring food & drink? If you wish. Mugs Away Saloon will be serving cold beverages. There are a variety of outdoor vendors which include hamburgers and souvenier event T-shirts.
Is there room to park my car, motorcycle or motor home? By 9am you may have to walk a few blocks. After 5pm, much of the crowd & cars disperse.
Are pets O.K. to bring? Yes, you can bring your dog, cat, snake, parrot, or iguana. Don't forget water for them.
I'm overweight, in fact very obese, is it O.K. if I moon? Yes yes, please "moon" with us. We need people like you for the extra high intensity mooning you can provide.
Can I decorate my butt? Yes, that's O.K.
What happens in the saloon? There are two successive bands inside the Mugs Away Saloon from Noon till closing, which is about midnight.
Is Amtrak associated with this? NO, neither Amtrak nor Metrolink have anything to do with this "show" except operate the trains.
Can the physically handicapped get around this area? Yes, a wheel-chair should work just fine. There are no stairs to climb. Close-in car parking spots may be difficult to find.

Train Photos Please send this Web Site Janitor a digital image file of the rear of the mooners if you were a passenger on the train. Thank you. If a digital camera, shoot at the camera's highest resolution, and don't forget to bring a rag to clean the train window.

How it started To best answer the story of the birth of the Mooning tradition, refer to the Sunday July 11, 1999 edition of The Orange County (California) Register newspaper, and the article headlined as, "Full moon over Amtrak keeps Laguna Niguel tradition alive", as follows: Twenty years ago (1979), at The Mugs Away Saloon, a K.T.Smith told his buddies he'd buy a drink for all who would run outside to the rail road tracks and "moon" the next train, which many did. The mooning tradition has prevailed, but there is no longer a volunteer to buy free drinks for thousands of "Mooners". Metrolink commuter trains started weekend operation on this track in Summer 2006.
Many many thanks to: The City Council of Laguna Niguel, The Sheriff of Orange County, OCRRA (owners of the rail right-of-way), Metrolink Rail Agency and of course, our beloved AMTRAK, for their tolerance and contemporary open-mindedness.

Disclaimer: Attending this event may be hazardous due to the large concentration of silly people, cars, motorcycles, motorhomes, concrete vehicle wheel-stops, potholes & cracks in the road & parking-lots and dangerous pets. Everyone present is responsible for their own actions. If you trip on something, or hurt yourself, you alone are responsible. There is no one to sue. No one either promotes this nor charges admission. If you do come, act safely! If you're accident prone, please don't come, go somewhere else where you'll be safer. Neither Mugs Away Saloon, The City of Laguna Niguel nor Amtrak, nor Metrolink are responsible for this event, nor for assuring your safety. The City & the railroad would rather you didn't bother coming to this event. No one is carrying public liability insurance for this. Besides, would any insurance underwriter insure an event called, "Mooning Amtrak"?