Media Update: June-July 2007

Greetings from Portland, Oregon. Below is an update on the area’s newest travel-related developments. We hope you will find this information useful. If you prefer not to receive future media updates on Portland, please click here.

JUNE-JULY TOPICS

Tours – Ghostbusting in Portland

Cultural – Museum of Contemporary Craft Reopens in New Space

New – Portland Aerial Tram Extends Service to Sundays

Shopping – Portland Shopping/Design Blog Debuts

Ghostbusting in Portland

Unexplained mysteries, ghostly adventures and spooky stories fill the new “Beyond Bizarre” evening tour from Portland Walking Tours (tours begin July 1). Armed with real ghost-hunting equipment, walkers venture down shadowy streets to catch glimpses of ghosts, expose psychic hoaxes and duck through haunted passageways. Tour highlights include wielding an electromagnetic frequency meter to search for supernatural activity at the entrance to the legendary underground Shanghai Tunnels, one of “America’s top ten most haunted places,” according to the Travel Channel; visiting the site of a deadly cholera outbreak while trying not to disturb the sleeping spirits lurking in nearby burial grounds; and tiptoeing through the top floor of Portland’s most haunted hotel.

Family-friendly versions of the Beyond Bizarre tour are offered daily at 7 p.m.; tours for the over-21 crowd start at 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. All tours start at Old Town Pizza, located at 226 N.W. Davis St. in Portland’s historic Old Town neighborhood. Portland Walking Tours’ walks regularly sell out and advance ticketing is required to reserve ghost-hunting equipment. For more information and online ticketing, visit www.portlandwalkingtours.com.

Media Contact:

Erica Erland, Maxwell PR Studio, 503.231.3086, erica@maxwellpr.com

Museum of Contemporary Craft Reopens in New Space On July 22, 2007, the Museum of Contemporary Craft will reopen in its new home on Portland’s North Park Blocks. This new location doubles the size of the 70-year-old museum, providing generous space for the museum’s permanent collection, an assemblage of more than 1,000 craft objects, including works in ceramic, glass, metal fiber and wood. The galleries will also support significant traveling exhibitions and large-scale installations. Of special importance to the community, the site will offer flexible, dedicated space for lectures, artist demonstrations, tours, special events, and hands-on art classes for adults and children. The museum’s new location is at 724 N.W. Davis St., Portland, Ore. 97209; 503.223.2654. For more information, visit www.contemporarycrafts.org.

Media Contact:

Wendy Miller, Museum of Contemporary Craft, 503.223.2654, ext. 225, wendy@contemporarycrafts.org

Portland Aerial Tram Extends Service to Sundays

In response to public enthusiasm, the Portland Aerial Tram, which opened on Jan. 27, 2007, will operate this summer on Sundays. (When the tram first opened, it was closed on Sundays to allow for maintenance during winter daylight hours.) The increasing number of requests for Sunday service, however – especially from visitors eager to soak up the tram’s stunning views – persuaded the tram’s operations committee to approve an expanded service schedule. Sunday rides will continue through Sept. 16. Providing one of the city’s best photo opps, the tram offers a bird’s-eye view of Portland and the Willamette River, as well as a regional panorama that includes Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens. Tram hours: Monday-Friday, 6 a.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 1-5 p.m. (summer only). Tram rides are $4 per person round-trip, although children ages 6 and younger are free. For more information, visit www.portlandtram.org.

Media Contacts:

Gerri Lutes, OHSU, 503.494.4156, lutesg@ohsu.edu

George Mason, OHSU, 503.494.8231, masong@ohsu.edu

Portland Shopping Blog Debuts

Portland’s no-sales-tax shopping has always been a draw for visitors. But with so many neighborhood shopping districts packed into Portland – from sophisticated Nob Hill to funky Hawthorne to the stylish Pearl District – where’s a visitor to start? “Writing” to the rescue is Lisa Radon, fashion editor for ultra, a website focused on fashion, design and culture in Portland. Radon’s new blog, Discover.Portland.Shopping., is an up-to-the-minute shopping guide with the inside line on the newest and best boutiques, upcoming sales and shopping events, and emerging designers and creative entrepreneurs. To find the boutiques and stores most suited to your shopping style, click on “Choose Your Flavor.” Here you’ll find a list of top magazines; find your favorite and read the accompanying descriptions of places whose shopping options best fit each magazine’s profile. For shopping inspiration and more information, visit www.discoverportlandshopping.com.

Media Contact:

Lisa Radon, ultra, radon@ultrapdx.com