Dayville, OR

An easy day today meant I got a lie in (if 6:20 can really count as a lie in!) and breakfast in Mt Vernon before I set off. A nice 25miles to Dayville following the John Day river. I was also following a white line painting machine for much of the time as we travelled at the same speed.

This area is famous for its fossils, some of which are 45million years old.

Dayville is a lovely & friendly little town. The 'pony express' is still a working post office and it has some good grocery stores. The day was a little cooler than it has been lately, pleasent enough to sit in the shade so I enjoyed a picnic in the park by the river.

I am sleeping tonight in Dayville Community Church. A lot of westbound cyclists stay here as it's the last stop before a 33mile uphill (eek). Although large parts of this will be fairly flat with just a few steep sections so as long as I get an early start I should be ok. Donations from the cyclists have paid for a kitchen, washer-dryer, shower and a lovely stained glass window! Lots of memorabilia from past cyclists is here including the poem below which I thought summed up the long distance tourers experience pretty well.