Jerod Goss, market manager for eTuk Ride Portland, has a unique claim to fame: He holds the record for the highest number of hours behind the wheel of an e-tuk, a 100% electric version of a tuk-tuk (a three-wheeled vehicle commonly spotted throughout Southeast Asia).
But in my book, he has another designation — as one of the best local tour guides of quirky-and- progressive Portland, Ore. And, because locals prefer to “Keep Portland Weird,” riding around the city in an electric tuk-tuk only garnered a few curious looks — and many more smiles and waves. My mom and I booked eTuk’s The Ultimate Urban Portland City Tour, a customizable, comprehensive overview of Portland’s city highlights (from $56 per person).
Over the span of nearly three hours, Goss, my mom and I rolled to Mill End Park (the world’s smallest city park), Lau Su Chinese Garden, Portland’s famous International Rose Test Garden, The Pearl shopping district, the Warehouse District and much more. The entire trip was made even more enjoyable by Goss’ expert and hilarious commentary along the way. And, because the sides of the e-tuk are open, our views of the city remained unobstructed. (For Portland’s many rainy days, the e-tuk features heated seats and rainflies to shelter clients).
To close the tour in the sweetest way, Goss took us to a Portland staple: Voodoo Donuts. But, because we were with a true Portlander, we bypassed the winding line of the chain’s Old Town location in favor of the one in Portland’s Davis neighborhood. Just five minutes after parking, we were snacking on warm, gooey donuts.
Note: In addition to The Ultimate Urban tour, Goss also operates the Drink Portland Craft Brewery Crawl, and a unique hybrid of the two: The Ultimate Portland City and Brewery Crawl. Both start at $59 per person. Tours max out at six people, and custom pickup and drop-off locations are available for a small fee (otherwise, all eTuk tours begin at Directors Park at the corner of Park and Taylor streets).
The Details
eTuk Ride Portland
www.etukride.com
