Friday 13th auspicious date for Bizarre Tour
June 30, 2008
Portland Walking Tours offers a generous menu of tours, some for everyone, some for adults only. The website, www.portlandwalkingrouts.com , gives detailed information about the organization, the tours, the history, the people, and more. Descriptions of the following tours are listed on the website: Best of Portland: "Even locals are amazed and entertained by what they learn." Underground Portland: "This tour is rated PG-13 and is certainly not for the faint of heart;" Beyond Bizarre: "If you want a bone-chilling good time, then you've come to the right place!"
Also enjoyable are the Culinary tour: Epicurean Excursion; Cultural Tour: Best of Portland: "Our most popular tour;" Beer Here! ""many people have started calling Portland "Beer-vana;" Mother of Pearl District: "This tour explores both the old and new in the thriving Pearl District;" Walk Through Time: "Step back through over 150 years of history!" Lost in the Roses: "The Ladd's Addition neighborhood is"Portland's oldest (1891) planned community."
Check out the various 'hunt' tours as well, such as: Hunt: Artistry in Motion: "You'll never look at art the same again!" Additional hunts: City Quest, Pearl Hunting and Check It Out; Special Hunt at your location:
On Friday, June 13, this writer participated in the Beyond Bizarre tour. Even with a respectable background in Portland history, lore and architecture, this writer was both excited and impatient to get going. The walking, standing, a short trip on MAX and a few stairways were not beyond the ability of a 57-year-old disabled, oxygen-deficient "Born At Emanuel Club" member.
Tour guide, David Schargel, who shepherded nine of us through the process, was well-versed in the documented history and folklore of Portland; he clearly stated which was which and explained why. Some stories about Portland are fact, some are "fact-based" and some present a content that is as ephemeral as the people and events they claim to narrate.
The 10 p.m. Beyond Bizarre Tour (and the 2 p.m. Portland Underground Tour, mostly above ground), meets outside Old Town Pizza at 226 N.W. Davis St. For these 21-and-over nighttime tours, on-street parking is free but limited and popular for everyone who wants to go downtown on a Friday night. This writer decided to take advantage of a parking lot at N.W. 4th and Davis. It is well-lit and the attendant was still present when the tour was over, around 12:30 a.m. It cost $8 and, for this writer, it was worth it. Others may prefer the MAX or bus lines.
This tour began with an explanation of what to expect and how it differs from the 2 p.m. family-friendly tours. First stop was an antique store with a reportedly haunted item visible through the front window of the then-closed store. Tour guide Schargel is efficient, well-practiced and witty. He welcomed questions and was prepared to answer them. This writer occasionally jumped in with her own information, which amounted to an interruption (sorry!); it is hard to suppress sincere enthusiasm for the topic!
This tour provided use of EMF meters (Electro-Magnetic Field, present at differing levels) and where needed, flashlights. This writer brought her own EMF meter (Dr. Gauss), digital camera and a sound level meter. (Recording is not allowed.) The camera was the most useful tool, especially with its ability to switch quickly between flash and ambient light modes. The provided EMF, or gauss meters, were also interesting and educational. The human body usually measures around 1.2 milligauss (gauss is the measurement of the lines of flux in a magnetic field), so when meters shoot up to 3 mG and above, it is of special interest. (Note: If you get this device too close to your microwave oven, the meter will scream.)
Mostly, in older buildings, the increase in EMF was due to massive and sometimes older amounts of electrical wiring and the electrical field around old iron pipes as well. It's easy to see how quickly this tour becomes informative and educational. No technical knowledge or ability is required.
At one well-known location on the east side of the river, some tour members experienced various kinds of physical sensations and one person got a photo of an "orb," said to be the camera flash reflecting on dust particles, etc. Schargel frequently cites Occam's Razor, which says the simplest explanation is usually the most accurate. Just the same, certain long-dead subjects and their various life-ending events are documented. Individual discernment is encouraged; see photo this page.
Portland Walking Tours vary from historical to gustatorial, as the listings on the web page set forth.
For more details about all the tours, please visit www.portlandwalkingtours.com , or call 503-774-4522. Their Customer Care folks are exceptionally good. These tours offer an exciting and educational presentation of the rich heritage that everyone (including native Portlanders) can enjoy.
As a subset of Hometown Advantage LLC, Portland Walking Tours are an inviting and totally satisfying experience. Pick your favorite and contact the Customer Care Team for an admirable launch into the Portland Walking Tours world of camaraderie, experience and just plain fun.