Yellow Tent Adventures

Citizens of  Portland  on occasion have taken it into their own hands to calm traffic in their neighborhoods. We  rode our bikes over a hand-painted traffic circle at a wide and inviting intersection otherwise unmarked. Further along Alberta is a playful house with whimsical shapes painted on the street. I have no idea if this [...]

We’ve logged mile after mile on Portland’s designated bicycle boulevards. They are marvelous routes crisscrossing the city on quiet, residential streets extending for for blocks or miles to get us to most neighborhoods. Along many boulevard intersections are 4-way stops (and I hear of movement to make a “rolling stop” legal) or small traffic circles [...]

Every day we rely on the kindness of strangers. It’s easy when riding a loaded touring bicycle to strike up a conversation.  The bike and gear are always conversation starters. So when the down-and-out couple on the bus asked how we get around on bikes with all that stuff, I told them we had just [...]

We’re exploring Portland’s famed bikeability, so we decided to test the waters outside the city limits. With our all-day TriMet pass, we were free to hop any light rail train and head to the end of the line. I decided to head to Hilsboro. I knew nothing about the area west of Portland proper, and [...]

Our goal is to spend a week traveling in Portland with camping supplies in tow, and see what happens. No hotels. No hostel. This is easy out in the countryside or in small towns, but cities can be lonely places crammed with lots of people. “Are you Willie?” I turned to see a tall, young [...]

We roll down hill one last time. Third times a charm and I relax into it. Savor the night air, perking up in the chill as we bomb downhill and into the city lights. Rounding up near PG Stadium, the kids gather. The guy with Bart Simpson on his bike asks if we had fun. [...]

Time for one more run before light rail stops running. Time to hang out on top of the hill. 80′s music plays out of a cassette deck and small groups of people sit or lay out under the night sky with the lights of Portland glimmering in the distance. “Leave no trace. No beer cans. [...]

I thought I was going fast enough. Certainly fast enough to feel the thrill but not feel unsafe. Then the bomb passed. At once I understood the true essence of zoo bombing. I was an interloper, a spectator, a poser. That man dressed in armor with his legs tucked behind him, leaning low on his [...]

What a ride! The group gathers down by the light rail stop. The train comes and fulls with people and bikes and then whisks off to the zoo station. Back at the elevators. Even more people pile in. We arrive at the top for the second run. Hell Run is announced. Hell Run? What is [...]

This is more beautiful than I expected. Streaming lights snake down the mountain, glowing red trails behind them. I’m near the rear of this train and loving every moment of it. After whoops die down, it’s quiet, peaceful, beautiful. Only the sound of wheels whirring and click-click-clicking along.