Around the Sun: A Blog About Saving Money in Portland, Oregon, and beyond

Exploring SW Portland on Foot With Ten Toe Express

September 23rd, 2008

Last Saturday, I decided to do something I’d never done before, a Ten Toe Express guided walk. Ten Toe Express is a program organized by the City of Portland’s Office of Transportation. Its mission is to encourage people to do more walking. On Thursdays and Saturdays from May through September, a guide leads a walk somewhere in Southwest Portland. The walks are free and open to all.

The walk I went on was the four-mile ”Woods & Dickinson Parks Loop.” There were about 20 of us and two dogs. We walked through Woods Memorial Natural Area, Dickinson Park, Ash Creek Natural Area, and residential areas in between. The experience opened my eyes to some beautiful places in SW Portland that I didn’t know existed. Here’s an idea of what it was like:

Entering Woods Memorial Natural Area:

Our awesome guide preparing to take a photo of us:

Ash Creek Natural Area:

Amazing open space (with a wetland planted in the middle of it, not pictured):

Leaving the woods:

Taking over the streets:

This little dog showed no signs of fatigue:

If you’re interested, there are more pictures on Flickr, including the map.

According to the website, there’s only one more walk, and it’s scheduled for this Saturday in Council Crest. Why not give it a try?

For more information, visit the Ten Toe Express website.

Other articles from Around the Sun:

• November 4, 2008 -- Free Food, Discount Tickets on Election Day
• October 22, 2008 -- Coffee Deals
• September 22, 2008 -- 9/27: Free Admission to Four Portland Museums (and More Nationwide)

Entry Filed under: Education, Environment, Free, Portland