I checked a couple of weeks ago and Civilians still could not go thru the base. You will need to ride the 5 fwy from Oceanside to the Las Pulgas exit (about 8 miles). I have done it many times. It's windy, loud but not really as bad as you might think. The shoulder is wide and usually pretty clean. Just brace youself for the wind that the trucks generate and watch out for stalled cars taking all of the shoulder.

Didn't see this second question:

"once i'm on the base, how do i reconnect with Pacific Coast Highway and get myself to Dana Point?"

5 fwy north - exit Las Pulgas. Turn right off the exit, then a quick left into the parking lot - this leads to a Fighter Pilot runway-ish looking strip. This is about 1-2 miles and takes you to a 5 fwy underpass. Go under the fwy - note cool ocean views. This veers to the right and will then will take you into the San Onofre campgrounds. From the underpass to the end of your ride thru the campgrounds is like 7 miles. Leave the campgrounds and head past San Onofre Power station for a couple of miles... down a hill, up a small steepish hill and cross the street into the Trestles beach gate. If you don't take this (obvious) turn you will turn right back (east) into Camp Pend and most likely be shot. Anyways, after you go into the Trestles gate you will go down a small hill, go another mile, and up a steep but short hill (watch out for the surfers and their boards. If you yell "passing on your left" they will look to see who is yelling, swinging their boards as they turn their heads knocking your ass onto the concrete!). When you get to the top of the hill, turn right, go about 100 yards over the fwy and turn left. This is El Camino Real (PCH) that goes straight thru San Clemente. The next city from San Clemente in Dana Point. When you leave San Clemente you will ride a 2.5 mile stretch of PCH right next to the beach. You will want to turn left into the beach parking lot (Capistrano Beach I think) and then a quick right into the Doheney Beach Parking lot past the volleyball courts (note the pretty pretty pretty girls if you are there in the am). This is like a 1-2 mile stretch from the volleyball courts to the begining of Doheney Beach. Turn right out of the Doheney Beach campgrounds and left back onto PCH and you are in Dana Point and 1 mile from my house. The start of the fwy portion of this ride to this point is like 27 miles.

My directions are long winded but trust me, I could have done the ride quicker that I wrote this. Also from Las Pulgas to your left turn into San Clemente is the exact California 1/2 IM ride. If you went straight past that left turn you would continue the inland portion of the IM ride (but also get shot).

Enjoy.

Civilians can ride on Camp Pendleton as long as they have a military sponsor riding with them. Find a friend who is a reservist or active duty who rides and he will be able to get you on the base. Supposedly, one civilian per military sponsor, but I doubt they would hold you to that. You definitely need at least 1 rider with a military ID though.

Once you get on base take Vandegrift to Stuart Mesa. Take a left at Stuart Mesa and go approx. 9miles and then take a left on Las Pulgas. Go out the Las Pulgas gate and go under the bridge and then take the first right onto the old Hwy 1.

It's a great ride up to Dana Point!