Day 23 - Rest Day, Newport, OR

Having learned our lesson at the last campground, we found a suitable tree from which to hang our food, so we avoided raccoon problems for at least one night. We had decided a couple days back to make this a rest day, so I slept in until about 9:00. I made a quick breakfast before getting on my bike and heading across the Yaquina Bay Bridge into Newport. The bridge has warning lights so drivers are (hopefully) aware that bikes are on the bridge, but even so, I can guarantee that I won't be riding over it again. The combination of Highway 101 and being in a decent sized town makes the lack of a shoulder rather terrifying.



I went to the library first to use the internet, and after that, I rode north to Fred Meyer to do some shopping. I stocked up on cheap food (17 cents for a packet of ramen!) before moving on to the bike shop. Bike Newport is a place I've been hearing about since California. It has a lounge specifically for cycle tourists and offers showers, laundry facilities, wifi, and free coffee. I hung out there for awhile before heading back across the bridge (walking this time) to camp.

After a shower, I was about to leave again when the Starving Cyclist pulled into camp. It had been a few days since we had last seen him, but this may be the last time we meet. He will be taking tomorrow off to rebuild a wheel, and a few days later at Astoria, he'll be turning east to ride across the country.

It was getting late in the afternoon by this point, so I decided to head over to the Rogue Brewery. I got lost initially - the brewpub is fairly well hidden, especially if a truck happens to be strategically parked, so I rode past it looking for a more obvious place. It wasn't long, though, before I was at the bar savoring delicious beer. The place was pretty empty despite it being the beginning of tourist season, although there may have been more people at the Rogue pub across the bay. I spent a few hours there before riding back to a very warm camp at around 8:00. The nighttime temperatures had warmed up all of a sudden; after weeks of mostly 40s, we had a couple nights in the high 50s.