Last night was easily the best night of sleep I've had in the past several days. Being rested was necessary, because today I picked up my bike and took a final inventory to gather the few remaining odds and ends that were necessary for the trip. The drive to Newport was a pleasant one. I drove along part of US-20: the highway that I would ride on eastward out of Newport. Portions of it were treacherously narrow, which made me wonder if any alternate routes existed. I am grateful that the shop workers at Bike Newport recommended an alternate route that would allow me to avoid the parts of US-20 that would have definitely induced white-knucle riding. While at the bike shop, I chatted with a couple, and they were touring with their daughter and daughter's boyfriend (if memory serves). They had started in Astoria, OR and were concluding in San Francisco (again, if memory serves). What a remarkable trip for those two teenagers! Their adventure will give them memories for a lifetime. After picking up the bicycle, a ceremonial dip of the bike tire in the Pacific Ocean was necessary! Walking down to the beach was an extraordinary experience. The smell and taste of the salt in the air was an unusual experience for this Midwesterner. I wish I could have spent the entire afternoon on the beach. However, I had to move along with getting ready to set out on the following morning. Even though this only lasted for about 20 minutes, it was an unforgettable way to start the trip.
After leaving the beach, I checked into an AirBNB that I had reserved in the not so distant past. Steve, the host, was kind enough to show me several places of interest in Newport, which included: the Yaquina Lighthouse, Cobble Beach, several lesser known spots for whale watching, the Otter Crest Loop, and Yaqunia Bay. These were all places that I would have unlikely made it to without Steve's kindness and willingness to take me to them. After a hearty dinner at a local diner, I returned to Steve's residence and repacked all of my gear for the first day of riding. An early wakeup was necessary, as the route was 105 miles for the first day.
