The new, six-part IFC mini-series Portlandia is proving to be a draw for a local bike tour operator. Evan Ross, owner of Portland Bicycle Tours, says the new show has spurred a group of tourists to request a special, Portlandia-themed route that takes them to locations they saw in the show.
Ross, a “big fan” of the show himself, says a recent tour on the Eastbank Esplanade (where the “Dream of 90s” sketch was filmed) got folks talking about the show. A few days later, Ross got a phone call from a couple in Maine who were planning a trip to Portland and wondered if he might be able to put together a “Portlandia Show Tour.” Always looking for new routes that give visitors “cultural experiences,” Ross obliged.
On the Portland Tour, Ross and his clients visited The Gilt Club in northwest, then rolled over to the Esplanade and then to a small, independent bookstore on SE Division. They also visited a local farm that provides produce for restaurants downtown and a food cart pod in southeast.
“I’m hoping that we’ll see a food cart scene in an upcoming episode or a Santacon reference,” Ross says, “I love this city.”