We always try to use public transportation as much as possible, and this trip was no exception. There is a twice-daily bus that runs from Albany to Newport (Oregon). The bus stop is about 4 blocks from our house, so it's quite convenient. We hiked down, and got on the bus.
We arrived in Newport around lunch time. We hiked over the Yaquina Bay bridge, and stopped at the Rogue Brewery (South) for lunch. The restaurant/pub has a good view of South Beach marine, and the food is good.
After lunch, we hiked out to the beach following the South jetty. As usual, we hiked almost to the water line so we could hike on "hard" sand. The weather was great, with the wind at our backs.
Our spirits were high, and we felt good. We made pretty good time for the first day (which was a mistake, see tomorrow). There were a couple of dead Sea Lions on the route, which is not all that uncommon.
We both started to develop a small blisted, so we stopped at State park to apply some moleskin and use the restroom. We also had a quick snack. We talked about stealth camping at this park (since camping is not permitted), but decided to press on to Seal Rock, or beyond.
As we approached Seal Rock, the blister situation started to get worse. We stopped again, and applied foot first aid.