Thanksgiving Day Ride at San Luis Rey River

The bike trail is more than 7.3 miles past College Boulevard. There's probably 3 quarters  of a mile more past the 7.3 mile marker to the east end of trail at Andrew Jackson Street. 
From Neptune Way, the west end of trail to the east end which my locator marks as Guajome, Prius Iscariot and I did between 15 and 16 miles. Not bad for a solidarity ride for Native Americans who  don't actually find Thanksgiving Day a reason to celebrate, historically. 
San Luis Rey was not some friars  as I thought he was. The Mission San Luis Rey was actually named after Saint Louis IX, king of France in the 13th century.  The people who inhabited the area for hundreds of years were referred to by the mission friars as Luiseño Indians. The river that the natives lived on became the San Luis Rey River.
The bike trail traverses with State Route 76 from just past  the I-5 bridge that overpasses the San Luis Rey River. The bike trail sits atop a concrete dike that may have been constructed to prevent flooding in the residential areas along the south side of the riverbank. The river is actually bone dry this time of the year. 
The trail is mostly flat except for the portions that go under road bridges. The bike trail is perfect conditioning rides for riders who are going into touring. 
The bike trail is actually worth the 40 mile drive from home. I am glad I finally found it. 




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