Walking Portland: 30 Tours of Stumptown's Funky Neighborhoods, Historic Landmarks, Park Trails, Farmers Markets, and B

by Becky Ohlsen, Ryan Ver Berkmoes

From a massive urban forest to the tiniest brewpub, Portland offers a huge variety of entertainments within a surprisingly compact area. Organic coffeeshops line the streets at the foot of an extinct volcano, and independent bookstores nestle up against food-cart pods. Already famous for its great beer, the city has become a center for serious dining on a reasonable budget. And thanks to years of progressive urban planning, Portland's layout makes it a walker's nirvana.

In Walking Portland , devoted local Becky Ohlsen guides you through the Rose City's many charms, from idyllic waterfront fountains to the more obscure and out-of-the-way pockets of cool. On each walk, you'll discover hidden gardens, historic landmarks, award-winning restaurants, old-school taverns, oddball shops, and edgy warehouse galleries in some of the Northwest's most exciting neighborhoods. You'll cross bridges and graveyards, wander a Smithsonian-honored boulevard, see experiments in urban renewal (some inspiring, some dubious) and be regaled with stories of the city's colorful past. Whether you're looking for a leisurely stroll full of shopping and snacks or a vigorous trek over tree-covered hillsides, grab this book, step outside and . . . walk Portland.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Reference

200 pages, Paperback

First published February 14, 2012

Reviews

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful Portland guidebook! I loved it and I want to hurry over to Powell's and buy it so I can keep it in the car. I've lived here for 20 years, and I found several walks in places I never knew were there. So far I've had a chance to take 3 or 4 of them from the book, and they live up to their promise. Highly recommended for residents or tourists.

[Mariko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Included a lot of well mapped out routes. I'd like to try a few. Some of the restaurants they mentioned have closed since publishing, but it's still really useful. Although, I question the author's taste as they recommend Voodoo Donut twice.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

33 Tours, 2020 edition.
I'm really looking forward 🤞🤞 to an updated edition - so much has changed!

[John Orman]

How to walk and learn in the Portland area~

I've used this cute little book to walk through the Pearl district,
Old Town, Chinatown, Washington Park, Ladd's Addition, Kenton, St. John's,
Reed College, and Sellwood.

Also some useful appendices--walks by theme, and a list of attractions over all the walks.

Read this book, then walk Portland!

[CP · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book needs pictures! I haven't visited Portland yet, so I was hoping this would help me build a great future itinerary. But though I'm sure a lot of these tours will be enjoyable, this was far from my best Portland resource. I think this will serve me better when I'm finally a resident (hopefully!).

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Organized by neighborhood, so this book offers a great way to get into the nitty gritty of each one if you already know your way around Portland. However, for the novice, this makes it harder to organize walks across neighborhoods to see and visit different sites in one splash.

[Ann Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fun, includes lots of interesting facts, used it on my recent trip :)

[to'c · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely one I need to purchase and carry around for quick tours around Portland!