Starting Aug. 1, Portland Walking Tours takes visitors and natives on a journey of shady characters, dark alleys and hidden tunnels littered with tales of past- and present-day corruption and debauchery.

Walkers will be treated to the details of Portland's clandestine cultures, sordid history and less-than-proud moments including:

• Scandals from bawdy brothels, gambling rings, murder, mischief and the police pay-off system that kept the city's squeaky wheels silent;
• Unsuspecting sailors "Shanghaied" after hazy nights of heavy drinking and coerced out to sea;
• A journey into the bowels of the city to view entrances that once led to the legendary "Shanghai Tunnels" and learn the facts from below the floorboards of neighborhood landmark Old Town Pizza;
• Obscure shops selling Chinese medicines and herbs that even today face hassles from skeptics;
• Storied sites and buildings, once host to illicit deals and doings, that survived countless floods and remain today as some of our treasured restaurants, clubs, bars and office spaces; and
• The somber truth of efforts to isolate and evict more than 3,500 Japanese Americans during World War II and Portland's present commitment to remembering this transgression and honoring the victims.

"The Rose City wasn't always such a shining example of civic engagement and community," said David Schargel, Portland Walking Tours founder. "Even Portland natives will be shocked by the city's scandalous history and tawdry characters."

Offered daily at 2 p.m., Aug. 1 - Nov. 30, the "Underground Portland" tour begins at the Visitor Information Center in Pioneer Courthouse Square, is approximately 2 1/2 hours and costs USD$15 for adults and USD$12 for seniors and youth. Though less than 1 1/2 miles, this tour is rated PG-13 and is not for the faint of heart.