Day 9. Newport
66 miles 1,486 feet
Today was far easier. I awoke in the cold cabin and discovered no breafast is served on Mondays and that the closet warm meal was in Ione. I packed and descended from the plateau to the Pend Oreille River valley and found a small historical museum and then an espresso stand in Ione. Two generalizations from this trip: People love pickups and don't want to leave them. So the small towns I visited all had drive through expresso stands run by enterprising young women.
Stopping with a pannier laden bike is a magnet to people—usually men—who ask where I'm going, if I'm self-supported and where I'm headed. I answer with the qualifier that I haven't done it yet, so don't be impressed yet. Most people I ask wish they could do it too but for…(various reasons, all reasonable).
After Ione I decided to head south on SR 20 rather than the Adventure Cycle route on the east bank of the river because I had a Zoom call (about retirement) and thought cellular reception would be better on the state highway. Reception was good and I stopped at a small resort run by 2 gay men formerly from Seattle. For a day-use fee I could lounge on the beautiful lawn and conduct my Zoom call in an Adirondack chair in the sun. This is the way retirement should be.
After my call and a grocery store burrito lunch I biked the 37 miles further into Newport where I reserved the last available room. The bike ride there was largely level but though impressive rainstorms and I was soaked when I arrived. After a tuna dinner and a warm shower things looked much better. I asked the waitress how they can get such great tuna in eastern Washington and she answered: Sysco.
Today was far easier. I awoke in the cold cabin and discovered no breafast is served on Mondays and that the closet warm meal was in Ione. I packed and descended from the plateau to the Pend Oreille River valley and found a small historical museum and then an espresso stand in Ione. Two generalizations from this trip: People love pickups and don't want to leave them. So the small towns I visited all had drive through expresso stands run by enterprising young women.
Stopping with a pannier laden bike is a magnet to people—usually men—who ask where I'm going, if I'm self-supported and where I'm headed. I answer with the qualifier that I haven't done it yet, so don't be impressed yet. Most people I ask wish they could do it too but for…(various reasons, all reasonable).
After Ione I decided to head south on SR 20 rather than the Adventure Cycle route on the east bank of the river because I had a Zoom call (about retirement) and thought cellular reception would be better on the state highway. Reception was good and I stopped at a small resort run by 2 gay men formerly from Seattle. For a day-use fee I could lounge on the beautiful lawn and conduct my Zoom call in an Adirondack chair in the sun. This is the way retirement should be.
After my call and a grocery store burrito lunch I biked the 37 miles further into Newport where I reserved the last available room. The bike ride there was largely level but though impressive rainstorms and I was soaked when I arrived. After a tuna dinner and a warm shower things looked much better. I asked the waitress how they can get such great tuna in eastern Washington and she answered: Sysco.
Ione Washington breakfast
Beautiful place to hang on the Pend Oreille River for my Zoom call
Wonderful tuna dinner in Newport Washington, about as far east in the state as you can get.
