Discovering Portland on foot was high on our to-do list. After our trip to the Oregon Brewers Festival, which included successful parking near PDX and riding the MAX to the center, we already knew that our car had no business downtown. Since I am a huge fan of the London Walks, I figured it would be fun to do a guided walk in the “City of Roses” as well.
Portland Walking Tours is considered the authority when it comes to guided tours, so it was an easy decision to go with them. We bought our tickets in advance on their website, and picked a beautiful Sunday morning to go on the “Best of Portland” tour. The meeting point was in the theater under Pioneer Square, where our guide greeted us, and we met our fellow walkers. Most people were from Oregon and had moved there from other parts of the country, such as ourselves. However, a couple from Manchester, England, did join us on the tour as well.
Portland’s Living Room
Pioneer Courthouse Square functions as “Portland’s living room.” Given the popularity and iconic status of this open space, it is hard to imagine an 800-car parking garage at this very location. Luckily the Planning Commission voted off that proposal in the late 60’s. These days more than 300 events a year are held on the square, such as the Portland Farmer’s Market and Flicks on the Bricks. In addition to that, you can find the Milepost Sign, the “Allow Me” bronze sculpture (better known as “Umbrella Man”) and the Weather Machine on the square.
Better in Bronze
The next stop on the tour was at the bronze statue “Kvinneakt,” which is Norwegian for “female nude.” Norman Taylor created the sculpture around 1975. Its most (in)famous appearance was alongside Bud Clark, who flashed it as part of the “Expose Yourself to Art” campaign. Six years later Mr. Clark started his two terms as Portland’s Mayor.
As we made our way down Yamhill Street, we received further confirmation of Portland’s love for bronze statues. “Animals in Pools” is a series of fountains with animals that have their habitat in the Pacific Northwest. Many families with kids like to sit around the statues. Among the depicted animals are bears, beavers, ducks and otters.
Green Portland
Bronze is not the only thing Portlanders care about. Yes, there is coffee, but eco-friendliness is very high on the list. The following three photos show examples of these efforts.
Where is Portlandia?
Not all that glitters is bronze in Portland, because next on the tour was the hammered copper of the Portlandia statue. If your first thoughts were of Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein portraying the colorful characters of Portland, then you are not alone. According to our tour guide, many Portlanders are not even aware of the statue. This is mainly due to the fact that Portlandia is kneeled atop the Portland Building. As a driver you would not or could not look up to catch a glimpse, and when the trees have leaves the statue is even more hidden. Portlandia is by no means small: only the Statue of Liberty is larger when compared to similar sculptures.
Raymond Kaskey, Portlandia’s sculptor, owns the rights to her image. After contacting Mr. Kaskey via email, he granted me kind permission to use the photos for this blog.
Where is “Portland?”
When we arrived at the Broadway/Main Street intersection, I knew there was something missing: The iconic “Portland” sign! Luckily no one stole this landmark, but the Portland ‘5 Art Center had sent it out for renovation. Better luck next time, and besides, I suddenly realized that a photo without the sign would be even more special. Either way, I will be returning to the “Schnitz” to admire the fresh paint and brighter neon letters on its sign. It’s back where it belongs since a few weeks.
To recover from the absence of the Portland sign, there would be only one remedy: more bronze. The “Folly Bollards” are a series of quirky sculptures right outside the Antoinette Hatfield Hall. When you take a closer look, you will find characters from Japan, Mexico, Italy and Indonesia for example. One of the most popular figures is Nutamat from the Kwakiutl tribe. Nicknamed the “Mucus Man,” he puts on an “interactive” display when the weather turns foul. This guy is known for throwing tantrums, so you’d better not stick your nose in his business.
Portland Penny
On our way to the waterfront we stopped at Abe Lincoln’s statue, saw a lively Lewis and Clark depiction, found out what a “Benson Bubbler” is, and walked through a former women/children-only park. These were all fascinating, but then our guide shared with us how Portland became known as such. The two founders of Portland, Francis Pettygrove and Asa Lovejoy, could not easily agree on a name. They both wanted to name it after the city they were from. A best-of-three coin toss ended in a win for Pettygrove and his home town of Portland, Maine. The “Portland Penny,” which is on display in the Oregon Historical Society Museum, could easily have landed differently. If that would have happened, we would now be on the “Best of Boston” tour.
A Park Before You Get to the Park
Before we parted ways with our guide at Tom McCall Waterfront Park, we stopped at another park. Mill Ends Park never closes and is never too crowded, but it may not be the perfect place for a long walk. This urban space is recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s smallest park. The original plan for this site was nothing more than a light pole. When city workers never put the pole in place, and the hole for it started to look messy, Dick Fagan jumped to action. Fagan worked for the local newspaper, and overlooked the median area. One day he decided to plant flowers in the hole, and named it after his column in the paper: Mill Ends. Almost 30 years later, in 1976, and several years after Fagan’s death, the city of Portland recognized Mill Ends as an official park.
When I took my picture of the park, there were fairy figurines hanging out in between the flowers. There’s always something happening at Mill Ends, because in the past it has hosted Occupy and climate change demonstrations. Portland’s St. Patrick’s celebrations also prominently feature Mill Ends.
Keeping it Weird Indeed
After the walk we enjoyed a nice cup of coffee with the folks from Manchester. As if there were any doubts about Portland’s “Keeping it Weird” claim, we were treated to a visit from the Unipiper. I could try to explain, but just watch the video below. A unique Portland welcome to end the day!
Keep exploring!
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