Walk 39: Mississippi & Overlook (2.5 miles)

Subtitled: "I crossed the Failing Bridge and lived to tell about it!"

This walk started at Overlook Park, notable for a soft track to walk dogs, a picturesque view of the Albina rail yards and river, and another sighting of the elusive “pukatron.”




I left the park, headed toward Kaiser Permanente, turned up N. Interstate, took a right on Failing Street, and crossed the dreaded Failing Street Pedestrian Bridge over I-5. The bridge, along with the street and a former school, were named after Portland mayor (1853-1854) Josiah Failing.



An interesting bit of trivia: Mayor Failing was a Republican delegate to the 1864 National Convention, and helped nominate Abraham Lincoln for a second term. Yay, Republicans of the 1800's!

Before leaving Failing Street, I passed another "Hummel-figurine-filled window - it sure looked like an antique store from the outside but there was no sign posted. Another mysterious quirk of Portland. Note the can of "vandal mark remover" spray on the right.



Turning down Mississippi, here's where the walk got REALLY GOOD for me. In sequence, I passed a comic book store, a CD/Game Exchange, and an ice cream shop. I haven't read many comic books since my childhood, but looking around I found a "new era begins" Legion of Super-Heroes from 2010 and had to check it out. That was my favorite series when I was a kid and spent many rainy days reading them with my sister.



The ice cream at Ruby Jewel Scoops was interesting: Thai peanut curry, which was the only really odd flavor on the menu that day. Had a nice kick to it, and tasted great! Next time I think I'll have the caramel & chocolate, though.



Carrying my goods, I passed by the ReBuilding Center, which according to the Walk There book is the "largest nonprofit used building materials resource in North America." It's fun to step inside and see sections like "Appliance Alley" and "Tub Town."




This place is BIG. Just up the street from the toilet-laden entrance is an impressive "enchanted forest" type entrance to the place:



Turning a corner and heading back up Albina Avenue, I spotted my first pink dogwood tree of the spring. I love how these just explode and brighten the street.



I passed some modern-looking apartments before reconnecting with Mississippi.



Joy of joys, a second music store, this one a records-only small and funky one. They didn't have any rock music, but they did have a nice selection R&B, funk and soul. I picked up a 1976 Kool & The Gang, which has never been issued on CD, called Open Sesame.



Two landmarks of note: First, the John Palmer House, an 1898 Queen Anne home:



And on Interstate Ave, the St. Stanislaus Church, "the heart of Portland's Polish Community," which turns out tens of thousands of pierogies at the annual Polish Festival.



While much of this area is undergoing a renaissance, with new food places, shops and buildings, as I walked past The Palms Motor Hotel sign, I was reminded that there's still a way to go. But hey, they've got "phones, hottub room, microfridges and king beds," so it can't be all bad, and I'm sure things aren't as run down on the inside as out here!



Finally, back to Overlook Park for one final spin on the pukatron: