Portland City Walks - Twenty Explorations in and Around Town

(Paperback)

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Description

From the inspired creator of the beloved "Portland Hill Walks" comes a rich collection of twenty eye-opening walks exploring the backstreets and back stories of the neighborhoods of Portland and five nearby towns. Laura Foster's new walking routes are easy to follow, self-guided, and accessible by public transportation. They also include plenty of snacks and offbeat treasures along the way. From Goose Hollow to Garden Home, Laurelhurst to Lake Oswego, Forest Grove to Vancouver, walks range in length from 2 to 6 miles, with alternate loops for flexibility. Want to explore architecture and engineering Walks include a centuries-old farmhouse nestled in a city neighborhood and a track made from 20,000 Nike athletic shoes. Interested in the stories of historic Portland businesses Walks include fun facts about Captain John Couch, William Lair Hill, Fred Meyer, Guy Carr, and Michael Powell. "Portland City Walks" lets readers peel back the layers of history as they walk the stories of a city's neighborhoods and experience its joys as never before.

Reviews

Skillfully combines neighborhood history and architectural description with keen observations guaranteed to capture a walker's imagination. -- Rebecca Koffman Oregonian 20081120

Author Bio

Laura O. Foster is an author and editor who specializes in writing about one of her great passions: Portland, Oregon. She also writes children's nonfiction books, including the award-winning Boys Who Rocked the World, and works as a freelance book editor. As a teenager, she left the Illinois prairie for the mountains of Wyoming, where she worked in Yellowstone National Park. It was there she discovered the joys of hill walking. After several years hiking and biking in the mountains of Colorado and Tennessee, Laura moved to Portland in 1989, where she found pedestrian nirvana: a city where you can combine a hike, a brewpub, and a bookstore in one afternoon jaunt. As in old European cities, it's possible to do all this in the space of a single afternoon walkabout, and she finds it remarkable to be able to do all three without driving. Laura loves to watch Portland at work and tells great stories about some of the offbeat, old-time, and surprising businesses operating within the city. She's an expert on all things Portland, like the city's early history manifested in buried and altered landscapes. Laura has written a guidebook that is also an intriguing read for anyone who is a history buff, a Portlander, or just loves this city. After a decade living in and strolling through Portland's eclectic east side neighborhoods, Laura now lives in the hills of rural Northwest Portland with her husband and their four children. Laura volunteers as a grant writer for Portland Public Schools and was awarded Regional Arts and Culture Council grants for Portland Hill Walks and for Portland City Walks.