Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
here for decades. He made so much beer and distributed it so widely
that at one point he supposedly offered to just go ahead and pump the
lager directly into Skidmore Fountain, so everybody could have some.
The brewery produced 100,000 barrels of beer a year in 1890. And, re-
markably, it survived Prohibition, temporarily adapting to the times
with “near beer.” But nothing lasts forever: in 1979, what was by then
Blitz-Weinhard was sold to Pabst, and Pabst sold it to Stroh's in 1996.
Three years later Stroh's sold the brand to Miller Brewing Co., and that
was the end of Weinhard's brewing in the brewery blocks. (Henry
Weinhard's beer is still made today, but in the Olympia Brewery in
Tumwater, Washington.)
Follow W. Burnside St. a few more blocks to NW 10th Ave. and the
main entrance of Powell's City of Books. As you'll know from having
just seen the back side of it, the place is massive—a whole city block and
multiple levels of new, used, and rare books and magazines. Go on in
and plan to stay awhile. (Powell's also has regular author read-
ings—check its website for a schedule.)
After you leave Powell's, continue along W. Burnside St. and turn left
on NW 9th Ave. This stretch includes another series of art galleries to
explore. At NW Glisan St., turn right, then right again on NW 8th Ave.
to walk along the North Park Blocks. Between NW Davis and Couch
Sts. is another building containing several galleries and the Museum of
Contemporary Craft. Affiliated with the Pacific Northwest College of
Art, it has both permanent and changing exhibitions.
At the far end of the North Park Blocks, between NW Couch and W.
Burnside Sts., is a 12-foot bronze sculpture of an elephant carrying a
smaller elephant on its back. This is a gift from a Chinese businessman
whose bronze foundry is licensed to reproduce Chinese antiquities. The
elephant is modeled after a much-smaller Shang dynasty wine pitcher.
(No wine inside this one, though, alas.)
From here, return to W. Burnside St., where you can catch a bus or
walk a few blocks farther to downtown.
BACK STORY: ESTHER LOVEJOY
