Well, today was our 'lay-over'/'easy day', and it certainly was easier, though I would hesitate to truly call it easy. We still did cover a good 27 miles, riding from our hotel in Lincoln City all the way to Newport. It was one of the prettiest days yet however, which had us all eagerly jumping on the bikes after a bit more leisurely start (9 instead of 8am). The morning ride was full of breathtaking ocean cliffs, majestic views of the Pacific in all it's finery. We saw such spectacles as The Devil's Punch Bowl--a rock formation where the ocean waves come in to a little rock inlet and spray forth at will, making a scene that amounts to something close to a witch's cauldron right off the ocean. 
We stopped by two magnificent light houses on our journey today. One, the Yaquina (yuh-quinn-uh) Head light house which had a great path around the light house that gave information about its history and some details about types of birds gathered on the rocks that sat just off shore. We also saw the Yaquina Bay light house that guarded the entrance to the Port of Newport. This light house was more like a house that had a lantern on top of it, very neat! The whole ride was up and down the mountainside next to the coast, with a near constant view of the water. The sun was out from the time we started, and though we were all a bit mellowed by the big ride yesterday, it was most enjoyable. After a relaxing lunch at cute little cafe in Nye Beach, David and I ambled our way on bikes to the Old Town section of Newport. Here we took in the shops, enjoyed a steaming bowl of clam chowder from the famous Mo's Cafe (thanks to Brad's travel agent tips!), and checked out all the fishing boats coming in and out of the harbor there. We even stumbled upon a sea-lion/otter 
swimming belly up in the port, we could tell that he must be on vacation as well!! It was so nice to have some free time, and we soaked it up without hesitation. After making our way back to the hotel for hot showers and a little 'feet-up' time, we shoved off on foot, braving the ocean winds that had brought the air temperature down drastically since our morning ride, and headed back into Nye for a low key dinner. We had some terrific fish tacos and Rogue American Ales at another cute cafe in town. After a quick post-tacos walk however, we both readily admitted that the stomachs were just not topped off yet. Truly our father's children, I suppose! Though someone on our trip with a heart monitor informed us yesterday that most riders burn about 4,500 calories a day on these trips, which might have had something to do with our rumbling tummies....In any case, since it was so cold by this time--8:30pm--we headed back to the hotel for a great oceanside seat in their restaurant and chowed down on some chicken and cheese nachos! Not only that, but we had perfect seats for the sunset, which was mesmerizing, 
as expected on a perfectly clear night like this. Finally feeling fat and sassy, we've come up to the room for an early crash-night, as tomorrow starts bright and early with breakfast at 7am, followed by a strong 57 mile ride over the course of the morning and afternoon. Whew! It will be our last big effort though, with only a half-day on Friday and lunch before busing back to Portland. Sad to think it's almost coming to an end!!
Favorite Beers of the Trip:Mirror Pond Pale Ale
Black Butte Porter
Fat Tire
Rogue American Amber
Songs for the day:
Smooth Rider - Dave Matthews Band
Set Me in Motion - Bruce Hornsby
I am a Lighthouse - Nickel Creek
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