HOLIDAYS' END FILLS FREEWAY GAS STATIONS ALONG I-5 HAVING THEIR BUSIEST TIME OF YEAR.Byline: Eugene Tong Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, - The gas stations and pit stops along the Golden State Freeway The Golden State Freeway is a north-south freeway running through Kern County and Los Angeles County, California. Originally built as U.S. Highway 99, it was re-signed as Interstate 5 in 1964. buzzed with activity Sunday as thousands of Californians returned from their holiday breaks to the lives and jobs left behind in 2003. Between Christmas and the New Year's holiday weekend, some 5.2 million Southern Californians were expected to travel at least 50 miles from home, and some took extended holidays to make the longer trips. Craig Riedel, 32, was driving back to Mountain View in the San Francisco Bay Area “Bay Area” redirects here. For other uses, see Bay Area (disambiguation). The San Francisco Bay Area, colloquially known as the Bay Area or The Bay after almost two weeks visiting family in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. . He took a break for gas at Castaic off Interstate 5, just before suburbia fades into the boundless plains and farmland of the Central Valley. ``It's been bad - real bad,'' Riedel said of the traffic while feeding his year-old son. ``It's been slow compared to the drive down a few days before Christmas. The trip has been relaxing. I don't really want to get back to work yet.'' Carlos Aguilera See Carlos Aguilera Marín for the Spanish footballer. Carlos Alberto Aguilera Nova (born 21 September, 1964 in Montevideo) is a retired Uruguayan soccer player. He began his career playing for River Plate Montevideo, from 1980 to 1982. , 44, of San Jose San Jose, city, United States San Jose (sănəzā`, săn hōzā`), city (1990 pop. 782,248), seat of Santa Clara co., W central Calif.; founded 1777, inc. 1850. also lamented the end of his week-long visit with family in Eagle Rock. ``I got to get back to work and the kids are going back to school,'' he said. But Aguilera's 7-year-old daughter Marisella didn't seem to mind. ``I missed my friends,'' she said. It couldn't be more busy for Sarah Becker, assistant manager at a Shell gas station near The Old Road and Rye Canyon Road. ``Our busy days are the days they start traveling and on the days people come home,'' said Becker, who estimated serving up to 50 customers an hour over the holiday weekend. Not all visitors were after gas, coffee or toilet breaks. With the station sitting in the shadows of Magic Mountain, some out-of-state travelers see a photo opportunity. ``Some people see this and they want to take a picture of it,'' Becker said. ``They get stoked stoked adj. Slang 1. Exhilarated or excited. 2. Being or feeling high or intoxicated, especially from a drug. .'' But the New Year's holiday weekend also had its share of traffic deaths. The California Highway Patrol reported 37 people were killed in highway crashes statewide between Dec. 31 and 6 a.m. Sunday. Seven of the fatalities were in Los Angeles County, Officer Vince Ramirez said. Eugene Tong, (661) 257-5253 eugene.tong(at)dailynews.com |
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