Reporter – Amos Hunter
Ride – Fallout Shelters of Portland
Date – Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Report
A great group of around 50 joined up at the Lloyd Center to hear the history of fallout shelters and the civil defense program in Portland. After a bit of history we bombed through the underground parking labyrinth and emerged on the other side where we visited our first stop: the designated and signed fallout shelter in the Lloyd Center Macy’s building.
We visited a few other similar structures in town and talked cold war history along the way, and then made our way up to our final destination: an underground civil command center built to be used as a city hall in the case of nuclear attack in the side of Kelly Butte. The shelter has had a history of visitors and modifications since it was made defunct, so it was well sealed and it took us a while to find the front, but we had a good time rummaging around looking for air vents, escape hatches, and buried cold war treasure.
It was a great group, and almost everybody stuck around to the very end (even with the long ride and very steep hills at times). I think I will make this an annual event!