Portland, Orygun, mid-late '50s, the seawall on the Willamette River in downtown Portland. The U.S. and Canadian Navies and Coast Guards sailed in 12-18 ships for shore leave and public tours of the ships. This happened every year during Rose Festival. Suuuuper popular with the public, kids and teenaged girls loved the tours, and the sailors loved Portland! A lot of short-term romances blossomed during that week. Portland has multiple drawbridges across the Willamette, and during the days the ships came in, and went back out, traffic backed up really bad, but it was worth it!! Unfortunately, with downtown 'improvements' and road changes, nowadays only two or three smaller ships come in. Oh, the good old days!
The Jalopy Journal
