Writer Willie Weir of Adventure Cyclist magazine makes his living loading up his panniers and touring exotic locales like Africa by bike. But for his most recent vacation, he and his wife spent five days just biking around Portland, camping in backyards and exploring Forest Park.

The article is a geared toward Portland newbies and is a little annoying because Weir focuses on the most touristy parts of the city (zOMG! Voodoo Donuts! Zoobombing! Saturday Market!) but it's cool to remember what our city looks like to new eyes:

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We put our bikes on the 17 bus at the Sauvie's Island Park and Ride the next morning. The bus driver sees out panniers and gives us "Larry's Special" (a free day pass). We take light rail out to the burbs. Yes, you can hang our two fully-loaded bikes in a light rail car. We arrive to wide roads and strip mallsโ€”Anywhere, USA. Where are the bike boulevards and bike route signs? We quickle pedal back into the city, descending via one of the Zoobomb routes. It's much easier in the daylight.

Download the whole article in pdf here.