Eastside to the Westside
A few weekends ago it was almost nice enough for a walk. The air was slightly cooler than brisk, hovering between annoying and outright unpleasant, and the sky only partly cloudy. I donned a too-light jacket and struck out along the Eastbank Esplanade. With such fine weather I wasn’t alone. The path running along the mighty Willamette was buzzing with joggers and bike riders. Not a participant in either activity I was content to stroll along, reading the plaques regarding shipping on the river a hundred years ago. At one point people lived in floating houses on the river, allowing for cheap digs and an escape from city taxes. Now there is a small dock with what appears to be unseaworthy vessels that have been converted into homes, some things never change.
The path gives an unobstructed view of downtown Portland and its many bridges. The route took me under the Hawthorne, Morrison, and Burnside bridges, along a floating walkway, and ended at the Steel bridge -which I crossed to Waterfront Park on the western bank of the river. I crossed back to the Eastside on the Burnside bridge and went home to thaw out and think about taking up jogging or biking, or, at the very least, buying a thicker jacket.