The other night Adam and I hiked up Congress Street (stopping at Rosemont Bakery for refreshments) and made our way to the gorgeous Eastern Promenade. Here we lingered for a while on a park bench, sipping our drinks and soaking in the most beautiful view in the city. But as the sun dipped lower, we got up to try and find our real destination: The new Fort Allen Park Trail.

We located the recently opened trail just below the gazebo in Fort Allen Park (which is near the southern most end of the Eastern Prom park). Here I am taking a quick rest before we begin our descent.

This trail connection is really a curving granite staircase, which appears to be made from old curb stones. We all know that Portland Trails maintains an amazing network of pedestrian and bike connections throughout the city, and this short trail is just the latest example of how this nonprofit is helping local people get around the city without a car.

At the bottom of the stairs, the trail dumps onto the Eastern Prom Trail. This popular trail runs between the Back Cove Trail and the Old Port and offers parallel paved and stone dust paths, making it ideal for both roller bladers and runners. It was clear from the number of people we saw walking and biking in work attire that it's being used as an alternative way to commute between downtown and the East End.

And with views like the one above, you can see why loads of Portlanders opt to leave their cars at home and hit the trails instead.