Shanghai Tunnel

I heard about it on the Travel Channel. One of America's MOST HAUNTED PLACES was right here in Portland, the famous Shanghai Tunnels. When a group of my husband's co-workers organized a Halloween trip, of course I had to go. The guide as very good at speaking. He had me a bit chilled, I must admit. He knew his facts and his history and he would have been okay as a standalone without the tunnels to support his stories. Of course being in the tunnels made it all the more eerie. My only problem with the tour was that the tunnels were little more than dug out areas under Portland. There were no winding mazes or labyrinths to journey through, which I found a bit disappointing. The guide said that some of the tunnels had been closed for repair, so maybe that has something to do with it. If you want something fun and spooky to do this is a great time with a group, especially if you go to a bar or restaurant afterward. If you are looking to become totally immersed in the afterlife, you might want to save your dollars for a different tour. more

This could easily be my favorite bar in downtown Portland if it weren't for a few minor issues. The name plays off the fact that in Portland's early history, it used to be this incredibly dangerous city where people would just disappear off the streets. They were kidnapped and dragged down into the infamous shanghai tunnel network that crisscrosses the underbelly of downtown only to be sold off as labor for ships coming in and out of port. Thus the bar, fittingly enough, is underground. Keeping with the Shanghai (the city, not the act of kidnapping) theme, the innards are lit by red paper lamps that throw eerie shadows on the jet-black walls. The food (Asian themed, of course) is good for an appetizer or two, but I don't think I'd plan to have dinner there. Shanghai proffers a decent enough beer selection and the cocktails are usually pretty strong. The only trouble is actually getting an order through to the bartender. Sometimes when it hasn't even been busy, I've been flat-out ignored. There's also the issue of sound, or rather, blaring, ear-splitting Industrial clash metal. If you need a respite from smoke and music, there's a bar counter near the street-level entrance. Unfortunately, the atmosphere isn't nearly as fun, so it's a toss up. This is a fantastic bar to get to before the hordes arrive. more