Southeast Loops 1: Two Bridges and Bushwhacker

I've wasted endless hours trying to diagram my walks around town on Google Maps. There's just too many lines and points; pretty soon the map is unreadable, unless you want to save a new map for each loop, which is also impractical. So I'm going to describe them as posts on this blog and link to the places on a Google Map. Open the links in a new tab or window so you can refer to the map without toggling between map and text constantly. For a map to take with you, I recommend the very good and free maps from the Portland Department of Transportation. They show fairly all the features that are important to a pedestrian: food, drinking water, bathrooms, sidewalks, signals, and many other points of interest (including Heritage Trees- see below).

The first walk on the list is also probably the one I take the most: the Two Bridges/ Bushwhacker Loop. It takes you through some quiet neighborhood streets and even a little industrial: you get to cross the rails twice on two different pedestrian overpasses.

Start at SE Milwaukie and Mall. Cross Milwaukie at Center and walk down the hill to SE 15th St. Head north through Brooklyn Elementary park, then turn east on Lafayette. Cross SE 17th and climb the stairs of the footbridge there. At the other end of the bridge walk north up SE 20th. At Division cross to Ladd and walk northwest to Ladd's Circle. Follow the circle west to SE 16th and walk south through the south square. Worth a look there is the impressive old brick structure on the St. Philip of Neri lot. At Division you'll find a nondescript tan building that I suppose is a garage, based on several muscle cars I've seen there in the past. Cross Division and walk south on 16th. Follow 16th to SE Brooklyn St. Here Brooklyn ends at another footbridge that crosses the tracks behind a lumber yard. Take the steps and turn right, or northwest, up Brooklyn, then turn left on SE 13th Place. Turn left and cross Powell at the crosswalk in front of Southeast Grind coffee. Walk south through the Subway parking lot to find Bushwhacker cider and have a pint (or two, or four). If you can still see straight, turn south on SE 12th and walk to SE Pershing. Turn west and cross Milwaukie at the light. Walk south along Brooklyn Park and turn west again at SE Haig, a narrow cobble street that really ought to be one-way but isn't. Admire the hot rods and various collectible cars in Majhor Murray's lot. Walk up the steep hill to SE 10th and turn south. On 10th see some interesting architecture: a rolled-eave craftsman, a handsome roman brick veneer home and, if you look one block east at Center, the 1901 Sacred Heart church. Walk down 10th to Cora, then head east to 11th. Turn south and walk to SE Mall St. Don't miss the handsome China Fir that was recently designated a Portland Heritage Tree. Turn east on Mall and end at Milwaukie. The whole loop is about 2 1/2 miles.