Portland Blog: This Week in Portland February 18 - February 25 2012

Happy Saturday, Portland and welcome to another edition of our weekly Portland blog. Seems everyone in the city has the spring itch-- I've seen more people walking around in short sleeves than I can count. It is still winter, folks. It was hailing in North Portland today. Come on now, at least wear a sweater. Something else I've noticed is a surge of traffic in the local dog parks-- a definite sign that the weather is looking up or folks are just getting plain desperate. Seeing the throng of humans and dogs this morning reminded me that we've got a pretty elaborate Portland Dog Park guide to help you find the right one for you and your four legged pal.

Our Portland Dog Park guide will help you find the best rated dog parks, dog parks by neighborhood, hiking trails suitable for dogs, and even indoor (yes, indoor!) dog parks. We'll also help you navigate trouble in the parks and provide good-to-know dog park etiquette. So whaddya say? Grab your boots, rain slicker and a cup of coffee and take old Rover out today-- you'll both love it.

Looking toward Mt Rainier by Michael Barton

Beat Feet

I’m a big fan of Portland. I love so much about this town that friends and family who don’t live here are probably sick of hearing and reading about it. Can’t say I blame them; proselytizing is annoying regardless of the subject or source. Sometimes my appreciation waxes rhapsodic to the point where it sounds disingenuous and even I think I sound like I’m on the payroll (and hey, Metro? I’m available!).

Of course no city is perfect, and one of Portland’s blemishes is traffic. Oh, I know it’s got nothing on the big cities. I’ve heard enough about Los Angeles’s clogged, creeping nightmare to dull any mild curiosity I have about life in that faux faerie-land. Before I moved to Portland I lived for years in the Dallas (Texas) area, and hold no love for a place where you MUST travel freeways to get anywhere. Portland nonetheless has plenty of snarls and bottle-necks in its infrastructure and it’s perhaps the least pleasant aspect in an otherwise beautiful city.

It could be so much worse, though. Thank the godz, and the advocates and planners that heed them, for the transport alternatives available here. Many commuters and other travelers favor the buses or the Max trains (I tend not to, as my personal sphere extends quite a bit beyond the confines of the average bus seat, and I’m not judging you so don’t judge me), and others choose bicycles (in my estimation the most practical and efficient machine ever produced by humankind). Some might include motorcycles; I don’t. No disrespect to bikers, but the things belch pollution into the atmosphere just as cars and trucks do, they tend to be loud, and okay I lack the necessary motor skills and common sense to effectively pilot one without crashing them into parked cars and other stationary objects. It’s kind of a disability. Remember that thing about judging?

I like riding my bicycle, and I like to walk just as much. According to the Prevention website, Portland places ninth in a list of 25 Best Walking Cities (in the United States alone I assume, since no other cities of the world are on the list). It’s not difficult to see why. Once upon a time I worked a thirty-minute walk from home (the best aspect of that job, actually), and I would recommend that option to anyone if it could be an option at all. Even bicycle-commuting engenders tunnel-vision, forces one to let the surroundings take a backseat in the service of forward momentum. Walking allows for sight-seeing, appreciating the neighborhoods and trails one travels. The health benefit can’t be ignored either; reduced blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels, weight maintenance, and more.

For walkers who eschew pavement in favor of natural settings, Portland has what most cities don’t: a park that is also a forest. It’s called Forest Park (nurr) and it’s a broad slice of the primeval steps away from the byways of civilization. This park, for me, doesn’t just offer a stroll free of motorized traffic and asphalt. It begs reverence. I’m never more at peace than when I’m hiking the trails in Forest Park, and I often see that serene expression on other hikers I pass. The park offers challenges for a variety of fitness levels, so if you want to stride mighty rather than stroll, there’s a trail for you. My favorite resource for learning Forest Park’s trails is a book titled One City's Wilderness: Portland's Forest Park by Marcy Cottrell Houle. I never fail to consult it before heading out.

I’ve met native Portlanders who’ve never set foot in Forest Park, and my incredulity fairly leapt from my mouth with springy feets. Well, it did until people told me it was rude.

More options: The Grotto offers contemplative strolls along beautiful winding paths and statuary, and for a calf-cramping good time you can take a short trip to Multnomah Falls and climb to the bridge. Or do as I do. Sometimes I go to a different part of town and just walk. No destination necessary, I just choose a street and start walking. Often I’ll take a camera along, sometimes even a lunch.

If you’re new to Portland and/or new to PortlandNeighborhood.com, and you’re interested in finding out about good walking spots in town, you should click on over to the Portland Walking group. When you discover a favorite walk, please share it with other members. You may even find walking partners who’ll introduce you to places you hadn’t yet considered. The Wonders of Walking website is a great resource as well. I tend to be a solitary strider but even I’m considering seeking out a group.

I’m looking out the window now, and it’s raining and it’s cold and I don’t care. I’m gonna go for a walk.

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The Portland Photo of the Week is a stunning image of Mt Hood by Michael Barton. Michael wins a $20 gift certificate to the fabulous Portland restaurant, Nicholas Restaurant, the best Lebanese and Middle Eastern food in Portland and a PortlandNeighborhood.com favorite. Nicholas is family owned and a Portland business since 1986.