By the numbers

• -35% | Percent change in walking trips in Oregon, -37% in Washington
• -36% | Percent change in walking trips in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
• 67 | Portland’s score out of 100 on Walk Score’s walkability meter

Where to walk the walk

• Mt. Tabor Park, Southeast 60th Avenue + Salmon Street | Get a sweat going as you climb this forested hill — your reward is a fantastic view of a distant downtown Portland.
• St. Johns, North Lombard Street | Do some shopping and check out Mike Bennett’s Wonderwood Springs; you can even add some elevation by starting at Cathedral Park.
• Hoyt Arboretum, 4000 SW Fairview Blvd. | No matter the season, taking a stroll through nature is sure to help relieve some stress.

• Bingo! | Wednesday, Jan. 3 | 7 p.m. | Creekside Brewing, 8840 SW Hall Blvd., Portland | Free | Have a pint and play a game hosted by Stumptown Trivia.

• Learn to Play Pickleball | Thursday, Jan. 4-Sunday, Feb. 18 | Times vary | Sellwood Community House, 1436 SE Spokane St., Portland | $70 | See what the craze sweeping the nation is about by learning the basics; all equipment is provided.
• 50 First Jokes | Thursday, Jan. 4 | 8 p.m. | Show Bar, 1300 SE Stark St., Portland | $15 | Start the year with a laugh at this “fun, fast, and loose show” that features 50 comics.

• Pokémon Regional Championships | Friday, Jan. 5-Sunday, Jan. 7 | Times vary | Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Portland | $15 | Travel across the land (or over the river) in your quest to catch them all with several different events for even the most casual Pokémon fans.
• Wild Oregon First Friday Artwalk | Friday, Jan. 5 | 5-7 p.m. | Sidestreet Arts, 140 SE 28th Ave., Portland | Free | See works from artists Tom Skelly and Jeanne Steffan that incorporate the natural beauty of our state.

• “Plant and Sip” Kokedama Workshop | Saturday, Jan. 6 | 2:30-4:30 p.m. | Cornell Farm, 8212 SW Barnes Rd., Portland | $80 | Practice the Japanese art of growing plants in a suspended moss ball while you enjoy drinks and hors d’oeuvres from the cafe.
• “Unf#ck Your Stress,” Dr. Faith G. Harper | Saturday, Jan. 6 | 3 p.m. | Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W. Burnside St., Portland | Free | Hear from the author of popular self-help books and learn how stress affects your body (not always in a bad way).

• “Disney’s The Lion King” | Sunday, Jan. 7-Sunday, Jan. 28 | Times vary | Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay St., Portland | $34.75-$149.75 | It’s the circle of life and it’s a Broadway spectacle that plays out right in front of you on stage, featuring intricate costumes, exciting choreography, and beloved characters.

• Bauman’s Cider will soon move its headquarters and large-scale production facility into the former home of Ecliptic Brewing’s Moon Room in Southeast Portland. The ~10,000-sqft space will also host the business’s first full-service taproom. The move will increase capacity and alleviate strain at Bauman Farms in Marion County. (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

• Only 12 minutes into 2024, Portland welcomed its first newborn baby of the year at OHSU Hospital — a yet-to-be-named girl, born to parents Pooja Kotadia and Rounak “Ron” Gandhi. Welcome to the world, little one. (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

• Scenes of steam bubbling up from a street near Rocky Butte set social media ablaze with rumors that the extinct volcano might be waking up. Thankfully, there’s no reason to worry. Portland Bureau of Transportation crews determined the source was a steam pipe on private property that heats nearby apartments. (KOIN)

• Some see assisted migration as a solution for mitigating climate change in Pacific Northwest forests. Although there’s no consensus on the risks or benefits, Portland’s Urban Forestry program is experimenting with trees seen farther south, like California black oak, to combat species decline. (OPB)

• Mount Hood’s snowfall has so far been less than ideal for skiers and snowboarders, but that didn’t stop Mt. Hood Meadows from debuting two new lifts recently. They are the Shooting Star Express and Mt. Hood Express, a six-seat lift that shortens wait times for the resort’s “backbone.” (Portland Tribune)

• Need to get out of the house after the holidays, but don’t have the time or energy to head out of town? A staycation could be just what you need. From The Nines Hotel to Jupiter Next, Portland has plenty of options for you to get some R & R without going far. (Portland Monthly)

• Cheers to an even year — Fuji to Hood is coming back to Portland this summer. On July 20, the collaborative beer and cider festival that alternates between here and Japan, will make its return to the Redd on Salmon Street. Keep an eye out for a brewers announcement this month.