Description: Why is it so satisfying to walk up and down stairs? Maybe it's the new layer of discovery with each step up--a new far-off view and a new close-up look at the plants and buildings. Maybe it's the fleeting proximity one has to passing strangers. Maybe it's the great feeling of propelling yourself upward and then floating downward. Maybe it's the best workout you can get without putting on gym clothes. Whatever the reason, stairs are an excellent way to get yourself up or down a landscape, and Portland, Oregon has a whole lot of them built into our public sidewalk and trail infrastructures.With Portland Stair Walks as your guide, you'll have 18 urban adventures on foot (or even bike) with:142 staircases22 hidden paths26 bridges2 tunnels1 island1 floating sidewalk1 aerial tramand several beachesAnd you'll enjoy views of:2 rivers16 river bridges4 volcanos3 creeksmany city vistasand innumerable small details that make the city and its history come aliveStair-loving pedestrians rejoice!
Brief description: Laura O. Foster writes about the Portland, Oregon and the nearby Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Portland Stair Walks is her eighth guidebook about the Pacific Northwest. She also writes for Travel Oregon, BikePortland, Friends of the Columbia Gorge, and Portland Parks & Recreation. A former urban-walks guide for the Multnomah Athletic Club, she leads occasional walking tours for nonprofits and local government agencies. Her explorations of Portland's stairs and hidden pathways have been featured on Oregon Field Guide, Oregon Art Beat, and AM Northwest. Her work has been featured in Portland Monthly, Willamette Week, the Portland Tribune, The Oregonian, and KBOO's Between the Covers, and she was featured in the Emmy-winning documentary Discovering Beverly Cleary. Her Portland-based books explore the city's geology, architecture, neighborhoods, and human and natural history. She has been a Portlander since 1989.
Review Quotes: [Review Quote] "Foster, who lives in Portland, shares plans for 18 walks that make the most of "Portland's hundreds of public staircases, hidden pathways, and pedestrian/bike bridges." Along these walks, ranging from 2 to 17 miles, readers will learn some local history, too." - Annie Bostrom, Booklist [Review Quote] ""Any Portland hiker worth their Danner boots knows their way around Columbia River Gorge, Mount Hood, and Forest Park. But the wild areas tucked under Portland bridges, up stairways, and between office buildings? That's the domain of Laura O. Foster, a longtime chronicler of urban hikes and the author of eight guidebooks set largely around the city."" - PDX Monthly, An Expert Urban Hiker Shares the Portland Parks, Bridges, & Landmarks You Need to See