After I gave up on the beach for the day and got blown off by the server girl, I headed to the Econo Lodge, my dwelling for the evening. I'm cheap if I'm alone on a trip, and don't intend to use the room for more than a bed. Amazingly, even that place had a view of the ocean, albeit beyond several buildings. Caught some football and noticed for the first time I was sunburned :[ Decided eventually that I was hungry and wanted dinner; earlier in the day I had driven past a Steak & Seafood Lounge, so I started walking that direction. I got about half a mile before I realized that a Lounge was probably a bunch of old people smoking and playing Keno, so I turned around, did a web search, found nothing and started driving. On the way out of town on 101 North, I ran across another steak & seafood place that was sort of roadhouse-y. I had prime rib, and it was average. The chowder, though, was quite good and different from what I'm used to. This was the first time that I noticed how deliberately I ate my food; usually I unconsciously rush through it (e.g. my tacos tonight) but I was taking my sweet time. I think it had something to do with the fact that I had nowhere to be.
TV, picture uploads (thanks for the comments, friends), bed eventually.
I woke up the next day at my leisure, but not too late because I wanted to go to the Aquarium early enough to give me time for anything else I wanted to do. Breakfast did not seem to be a hugely popular thing in Newport, but I found a place a block up called Pig 'n Pancakes, which is a coastal chain. I had strawberry crepes and a couple fried eggs; I have since determined that really sweet food is not my preference for breakfast, but it was quite tasty all the same. Off to the Aquarium, and Oddwater!
It was not amazing. With a few exceptions, there wasn't anything I haven't seen elsewhere (Georgia Aquarium, Monterey). The number of sharks on display was impressive, despite any very large specimen, and a little girl watching them kept shouting "Tiger shark! Tiger shark!" whenever a Leopard Shark swam by. Her brother tried to correct her, to no avail. It was cute. As usual, the Giant Pacific Octopus was crammed up in a corner of its tank doing nothing; I missed feeding time for the otters AND seals; and the Aviary exhibit was closed. The jellies, as usual, mesmerized me - and I had not known that "jellyfish" is now a taboo term. I intended to see the Marine Science Center afterward, but was hungry and headed to the bayfront where all the shops and restaurants are for lunch. I made it my mission to locate a place showing football, and eventually did. Food was decent, the view of the bay was cool and the sound of the sunbathing sea lions outside was, oddly, comforting.
After lunch, it was closing in on 3 o'clock, and I had to do laundry for the work week, so I bailed. It sucked to have to leave, because it was so gorgeous outside, and quiet, and relaxing. But it was worth it.
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