dates: year round
Days: daily
duration: 2.0 hours
departure time: 10:00am
Price: Retail 2 hours $24.00
Special Offering: $15.00 per person
departure location: Oregon Convention Center or Central Library; 801 SW 10th Avenue
Portland Sustainability, Architecture and Cultural Tour
Experience Portland guilt-free by seeing her sights and not using fossil fuels to do it! This Urban hike celebrates the great diversity found in Portland’s downtown area, the historical importance it has played in the state’s history and the fast-growing culture that exists on the motto of trying to Keep Portland Weird! So put on your walking shoes, fill your water bottles, grab your cameras, and get ready for an urban adventure that will make you happy we left your car behind!
Enjoy the Eco-Friendly way with a fun and invigorating walking tour that takes you to the places and landmarks that characterize the Rose City’s past, present, and future. This eco-friendly tour walks through some of Portland’s most important buildings, alleyways, city parks and gardens. Gain some insight into Portland’s brilliant city planners and the vision they have been working on since the early 1960’s which includes public art, transit, and overall quality of life. Some of the stops may include…
Itinerary-
Portland Food Carts: Whether your tastes run from Greek gyros, Vietnamese Pho, Indian curries, Polish sausages, to Moroccan tagines, you can whet your appetite at Portland Food Carts all over town…if time stop for snack?)
Pioneer Square: Learn about the great diversity found in Portland’s downtown area, the historical importance it has played in the state’s history and the fast-growing culture that exists in the City of Portland. Learn about the final resting place of many prominent and notable citizens of Oregon, including many governors and United State Senators and other notable burials in the City of Portland.
Portlandia: Hammered copper statue, second biggest copper statue in the United States.
Willamette River: Allow us to introduce you the many bridges that are unique to Portland and known throughout the world.
- Marquam Bridge: October 1966, 14 million. Busiest bridge in Oregon, 3rd longest tress bridge in North America, built for use not for sight; linked I-5 corridor between Oregon and Washington. Named after a judge who was later elected to the Oregon legislature, Phillip A. Marquam.
- Hawthorne Bridge: opened December 19, 1990, $500,000, vertical lift bridge, world’s oldest lift bridge, designed by Waddell, Named after Dr J.C. Hawthorne (founder of the Oregon Hospital for the Insane. Street was originally called Asylum Street but changed shortly after when the hospital moved to Salem).
- Morrison Bridge: opened May 1958, 12.9 million, drawbridge. Named after John L. Morrison, a Scottish Immigrant who served as a lieutenant in the Oregon Rangers.
- Burnside Bridge: May 1926, 3 million, draw bridge. Rose parade crosses on Burnside. Named after a guy from Vermont named Dan Wyman Burnside who was a rich business man who helped raise funds to have the Willamette dredged in 1866.
- Steele Bridge: July 1912 open to trains, August 1912 open to cars, 1.7 million, Union Pacific Railway owns the lower section, State of Oregon owns the upper section. Upper deck runs cars and max (used to run the original Trollyes before the 19th century decline of trolley use) since an upgrade in 1986. Recently, a pedestrian/bike path was added that connects the floating sidewalk on the east side. Named after the original steel bridge that was made out of steel.
- Broadway bridge: April 1913, 1.6 million, longest drawbridge in Portland, and when built was longest in the world. Named after the street it connects.
- Freemont Bridge: November 1973, 82 million, newest bridge to span the river, America’s longest tied arch bridge. Named after John Charles Freemont, an explorer and army officer, Republican candidate, anti-slavery.
VooDoo donuts: known for its unusual doughnuts, the eclectic decor of its shops and its iconic pink boxes which feature the company’s logo and drawings of voodoo priests. The namesake Voodoo Doughnut is shaped like a voodoo doll and oozes blood red jelly, while the official city doughnut, the googly-eyed Portland Crème, kicks Boston’s keister.
Powell’s Bookstore: Seven different locations around the metro area. Claims to be the largest independent new and used bookstore in the world. .They are open open 365 days of the year and owned and operated by the same family, Walter Powell in Chicago Illinois.
Portland Center Backstage Tour: Learn about what it takes to put together a professional theater production. If possible our guide or theater professionals will take you on a virtual tour through there state-of-the-art facility, giving you an in-depth look at how we create costumes, sets and new worlds onstage. Learn facts about professional actors, the rehearsal timeline, costume design, creating wigs, props, building sets and other professional theater “fun” facts. The group would see the backstage area for both theaters in the building, dressing rooms, green rooms and the costume shop.
Cacao Drink Chocolate Tasting: Just off the beaten path… You’re in for an amazing experience that most chocolate lovers miss this mind blowing tour just off the beaten path. Have you ever tried “CHOCOLATE SHOTS” Who knew? Regular, spicy or even cinnamon. These 2 oz. shot of melted chocolate is un-b-lievable. When in Portland, this needs to be on your must go to. Get your sweet tooth on!
Olive Oil Tasting: Benessesre specialize in a large selection of olive oils and various vinegars. They specialize in a large selection of olive oils and various vinegars. The first section offers a large amount “flavored” olive oils in metal European containers, with little spouts for filling the tasting cups or bottles. The staff is very knowledgeable and able to steer you towards oil that matches your taste. The little sampling cups are self-server, so you can explore the options at your own pace as well.
In addition, we have expanded our tours to offer some information on the representation of cultural diversity in the state of Oregon. Throughout the year America’s Hub World Tours will continue to expand to include Asian, Japanese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Hispanic and more information about cultural groups and their importance in the state of Oregon.
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For more details about the itinerary contact us at 1-800-637-3110
Group Rates: Group rates for 6 or more people available for most tours.
Customized and Private Tours: All tours can be customized and/or made private. Please contact us for details and pricing.
Tour Price Includes: tour guide and all applicable fees, unless otherwise stated. Lunch and Gratuity NOT included.
Requirements: Tours require 4 person minimum for confirmation. Please contact us for current status of tour.
Payment: On-line reservations can be made using a credit or debit card. Payment will be processed immediately to secure your reservation. Payment on day of pick up will not guarantee your reservation.
