Portland Japanese Garden: The Flat Garden

It was brutal. Portland was suffering through an atypical hot summer week that was registering 95 degrees and above. My friend and I decided to come around 5PM when the day should start getting somewhat cooler. I wasn't sure about spending some time in the garden. I wanted shade, will there be shade, please let there be shade. We were waiting at the parking lot for the open air shuttle bus to bring us to the garden entrance, otherwise it would be a 10 minute climb up in very hot weather. I consider myself a delicate, hothouse flower, I am waiting for the van. We paid our $8 entrance fee, got a map and walked in. The very first building we saw was a small gift shop. Okay, keep walking. We walked to our left to look for the Pavilion typically made of wood and Shoji screens and it has a verandah. Inside was another gift shop, forget that, because in front of the pavilion was The Flat Garden.

Now to me a garden has lots of flowers and bushes. But looking at The Flat Garden, your eye looks first at the sand design and then you notice how the shrubs and small trees and additional sculptures frame it. The sand is raked smooth except around some bit of ground which has some shape. You are immediately made to ponder over this garden in serenity. You just can't help it. It's stunning. The Pavilion provided some shade and there were chairs on the veranda to encourage you to sit and contemplate. In the heat, the white sand got me thinking about vanilla ice cream.

I'm not sure that was what the gardeners had in mind, but I thought that eating an ice cream cone on a hot day looking at the garden was a nice way to spend a few minutes.

From there I sauntered over to the other gardens.  This five acre park seems so secluded.  You wouldn't know that you're in the middle of the city.  Granted, Portland is not urban by New York City or Chicago standards but it is still a city of some size.  Approximately 200,000 people live here.  traffic is not bad at all.  You can go from one end to the other of the city in approximately 20 minutes.

There are four other parks within this enclave.  I've attached pictures which of course doesn't do justice to it but it gives you a good idea of what you can find which I hope will encourage you visit Portland's Japanese Garden.

Two Days in Portland, Oregon

I thought Portland was going to be like Seattle, only smaller. I was wrong. Portland is quirky, relaxed, ecologically conscious, and earnest. People are friendly but not overly so. Bike lanes abound and are used regularly and not as some kind of highway decoration. Cars stop for pedestrians -- that was a shock for me. I'm used to letting cars get their way, but in Portland, they have considerately waited for me while I considerately waited for them, until I figured out that they wouldn't drive until I walked across and our mutual consideration would create a traffic standstill. You see many Portlanders carrying their aluminum bottles filled with water or some other beverage. Portland has an Oldtown, a Chinatown, as well as other ethnic neighborhoods, and many computer venture capitalists that have escaped California.

So what did I do in Portland, well I only had 48 hours so I chose the things that Portland was famous for: gardens, beer, and chocolate. Well, Portland should be known for them. Portland has the finest Japanese Garden outside of Japan as well as the largest Chinese Classical Garden based on the gardens of Suzhou. In addition they have a beautiful terraced rose garden where over 400 different varieties of roses grow. After all that nature, you can imbibe a byproduct of nature. Beer. Portland has a lively microbrewery scene and you can visit many pubs that have their own brands and they are not all expensive. After a meal and some suds you should also check out several gourmet chocolate shops that can be found in this small city. I'll write individual reviews of the above but I would rather have you experience Portland, Oregon itself. There's more than enough to do in the city for a weekend, and even more to do if you take advantage of the recreations that can be found outside of Portland. So for those of you who haven't thought of Portland as a destination. Consider putting it on your list.

LeSportsac Travel Tote

I love LeSportsac. I like their colorful designs. I love how the material is so light and airy that it doesn't feel like you are carrying a big tote bag, yet these bags are so sturdy. They are perfect for travel as a second carry on bag to have with you in case your checked bag is overweight. When it's empty you can roll it up and stick it into a handbag but if you have a lot of things to carry it can expand and let you carry so much. And you don't have to worry about it bursting at the seams! Another plus is pockets. Pockets, pockets, pockets. You can never have enough when you travel and this tote has many. Also as a girlie girl it's great that it comes in all sorts of patterns and colors. They are eyecatching, convenient, fresh.

Enjoy 2 days for the price of 1 at Universal Studios Hollywood!

I am a kid at heart and I still love going to theme parks as an adult without kids. And I know I'm not the only one. That's why I was excited to find out about the 2 days for the price of 1 deal at Universal Studios Hollywood and I'm passing it on to you. If you are going to or near Los Angeles you might want to take a break from all the stargazing and spend a couple of days being a kid at heart. Buy a 1 day ticket for $67.99 and get a second day free! This deal is for a limited time only and tickets must be bought online.

One-way flight from Cancun was only $89 on AirTran!

I saw that AirTran was having a sale and couldn't believe the prices from Cancun to my base airport. I fly on a space available basis because I work for an airline. It's never a problem trying to get to a destination, it's more of a problem trying to get back from a destination. So when I saw the fares, I had to take advantage. When you include all the charges and fees, the price increased to a little over $160. Also, I do have a layover at Atlanta but that's okay.

Of course as soon as the transaction was processed, I saw that American Airlines was also having a fare sale. Well you know what that means, as soon as 1 or 2 airlines start slashing fares there will be a fare war. That's all good for the passenger and it's good for the industry because it keeps us employed. Bring it on!