Portland Things to Do Tips by glabah Top 5 Page for this destination

Classical Chinese Garden / Lan Su Chinese Garden Chinatown Review

For quite some time I have been attempting to find my photographs of Portland's classical Chinese garden. They were taken soon after it was opened in 2001, but alas I have not yet been able to find these photographs.

However, the Classical Chinese Garden is a special place, because it is an attempt to restore respectability to what is called "Chinatown". The fact is, most of the Chinese and other Oriental businesses have moved to the 82nd Avenue area because they found the business climate there to be far better than that in "Chinatown". After decades of neglect, the effort was made to put some money into Chinatown. A new "entrance gate" was created at 4th and Burnside, but little else was done to attract anyone to this part of town.

Then, in 2001 the sister city relationship with a community in China came to fruition when the Portland Classical Chinese Garden opened up, as it restored some bit of Chinese culture to an area that was fast becoming a very run down part of the city.

The garden is walled off from the rest of the city - in order to help keep noise and other troubles of the area out. The area has been walled off into a number of different sub-gardens. On the north side of the garden is a "classical Chinese tea house" which has been modified only slightly from its Chinese design to accommodate modern building codes (it has an elevator for wheelchair access, for example). The pond is a primary feature of the gardens, and helps very much provide a bit of charm in an area that has all too much concrete (today this is somewhat less true with the new parks developed northwest of here, but still the area around the garden is particularly void of much else of beauty).

There are walkways, benches, and many many plants of various types, as you would expect.

I was especially interested in the special rocks that have been used here to decorate the garden. They are a special water-worn type that is only found in one part of China, and each has unique eroded hole patterns in it. These unique rocks lend a very other-world feel to the garden.

I can't say that this is a place that I visit very often due to the fairly high prices of the tickets and not really having that much to do once inside - it isn't really a place to spend vast hours of time. However, to visit once during your trip it may be worth considering if this sort of cultural attraction is your "cup of tea" as the saying goes.

Winter Hours (Nov 1 to March 31) are currently 10 am to 5 pm, and Summer Hours (April 1 to October 31) are 10 am to 6 pm. Admission is currently $8.50, with $7.50 for seniors, and $6.50 for students. Ages 5 and under are free of charge.

Unfortunately, there isn't too much anywhere near the Chinese Garden that is of additional interest. There are now a few tourist shops selling Chinese art type articles, but really there isn't a huge amount around the garden that would be of interest to most people. Several blocks to the southeast there is the Saturday Market on weekends only, and several stores near there are eccentric enough to be worth visiting. Powell's Books is up on 10th and Burnside.

Address: NW 3rd and Everett

Directions: North of Burnside onto 4th - one way street going north. Parking is available streetside, but in many cases will be already occupied. MAX is on 5th and 6th avenues and many bus routes on Burnside.

Phone: (503) 228-8131

Website: http://www.portlandchinesegarden.org/

Sand Sculpture Contest in the Middle of Town Downtown Review

For the past few years, there has been Sand in the City - a sand sculpture contest in the middle of downtown Portland. This event is held in early July, has no admission price, and usually has at least one or two entertaining sculptures.

See link below for a page that has a link to a description of the event and a photo gallery from last year.

The event is sponsored by the Kids on the Block Awareness Program, which works to improve the lives of children through education.

Address: Pioneer Couthouse Square - each summer

Wildwood Trail: McLeay Park to Newberry Road

There was a time, and it wasn't really that long ago, that I could go out on the outer reaches of the Wildwood trail and not see anyone else for hours. Those times, however, is now gone, and even the remote regions of the Wildwood Trail are now very popular.

However, the basic fact remains that the further north you go on the trail, the fewer people you will see.

Running from the Washington Park Zoo north to Newberry Road, the complete length of the Wildwood Trail is approximately 35 miles (58 km). The Marquam Trail is basically an extension of the trail running south and adding another 7 miles or so, depending on where you consider its start and end, as that trail has several branches.

I have split the trail into two sections: Washington Park to Lower Macleay park, and Lower Macleay park to Newberry Road. This tip covers the section from Lower Macleay park to Newberry Road.

From the "Stone House" in Lower Macleay park, the trail climbs up the edge of a ridge, and eventually makes its way into Forest Park. You will not notice the difference between Lower Macleay park and Forest Park, as both are heavily forested. However, Lower Macleay park is a more urban park where houses are much closer to the trail. Forest Park is quite a bit wider in most sections, and therefore the trail is further from surrounding houses.

The trail will gradually get quite a bit narrower than it was between Washington Park and Lower Macleay park, and that is how the trail exists through the entire length of Washington Park.

There were trail maps at many of the major trail junctions in Forest Park, but the maps have been either vandalized or otherwise damaged. Many of them have been replaced, but maintaining these maps is a major undertaking considering the circumstances, and therefore don't rely on being able to find a map at the junctions.

While the trail does have elevation gain from one end in Lower Macleay park to its north end at Newberry Road, there is nothing like the up and down hill that was involved in the southern end of the trail. From Lower Macleay park northward, the trail is reasonably slightly sloped, except for the cllimging section to get out of the canyon of Lower Macleay park.

Between the end of the trail at Newberry Road and the trail junction in Lower Macleay park, the trail only crosses one road open to automotive traffic: Germantown Road.

There are a number of trails in Forest Park, but they are dirt and narrow, rather than the wide gravel trails you find further south in Washington Park and the Macleay park complex.

Past Lower Macleay park, there are no restrooms along the trail, nor is there safe drinking water.

Trailheads at Germantown Road and Newberry Road are really only wide spots in the road onto which you can pull off, and therefore parking is very limited at those locations. If you wish to explore the outer end of Forest Park and the Wildwood Trail, I suggest parking at Germantown Road and the bike trail created by Leif Erikson Drive. Parking is still limited, but it is much less so than further up the hill. There are a number of trails that connect Leif Erikson Drive to the Wildwood Trail further up the hillside.

Highway 30, at the bottom of the hill, is served by TriMet bus route 17, and Lower Macleay park and the far southern end of Leif Erikson Drive is served by bus route 15. Therefore, it is possible to take a one-way hike through the park. However, Germantown Road and Newberry Road are narrow rural roads with no shoulder, and are dangerous to walk on. Therefore, go downhill to highway 30 on one of the local roads or one of the file lanes. The local roads, such as Saltzman Road, are also narrow and dangerous to walk along, but those roads only see occasional local traffic rather than the horrific constant through traffic Germantown Road and Newberry Road see. There are several trails that connect the Wildwood Trail to local residential streets, and those make good trailheads as well.

As the trail is in dense forest, don't expect there to be much in the way of spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. However, what you will find is bird life, and depending on the time of year you can expect to hear Swainson's Thrush, Varied Thrush, and many other small song birds. You may come across deer or hear a red tailed hawk hunting above the forest as well.

The Forest Park Conservency have created a map of the trail systems in Forest Park, including the Wildwood Trail, and offer it for sale. See their web site below.

Directions: It is really better that you buy the map if you don't know the area too well. See Forest Park Conservency web site, below.

Website: http://forestparkconservancy.org/

Wildwood Trail: Washington Park to Lower McLeay Pk Washington Park Review

The Wildwood Trail used to be a famous Portland feature, connecting Washington Park and the Portland Zoo to a number of attractions, and then leading deep into Forest Park, and eventually ending at Newberry Road. The section from Lower McLeay Park into Forest Park is mostly the same as any of the other trails in Forest Park, but the section of the trail from Washington Park to Lower McLeay Park passes by a number of attractions and deserves a bit more extensive a description.

The most difficult problem that you face on this section of the trail is where the trail crosses Burnside. For years this wasn't a problem, but the rude fashion in which people drive now means that it is extremely difficult to get across Burnside at this location today. Also, people drive quite a bit faster than the speed limit now than they did only just a few years ago, meaning that you have much less warning before getting run over by drivers at this road crossing. You are better off trying to cross at this location during low traffic periods (such as very early in the morning) rather than during peak travel periods.

Officially speaking, the trail starting point (milepost 0.0) for the Wildwood Trail is up hill from the Washington Park MAX station and zoo. It is near the near Vietnam memorial, and reasonably well marked if you are coming from the MAX station uphill to the trail. There are quite a number of local trails in this area, and if you keep following them up the hill eventually you will intersect the Wildwood Trail. If you start at the Vietnam memorial and simply follow the trail there up the spiral and continue on the main trail up the hill you will eventually run into the Wildwood Trail as well.

If you are coming into the area on the Wildwood Trail, the way to the MAX station and Zoo are not marked that well, but walking down the hill from there should be pretty obvious.

Unfortunately, there are relatively few mile post markers on the trail, so it is somewhat hard to give good directions in terms of the mile posts on the Wildwood Trail.

You can make the trip a bit shorter by cutting over the top of the hill on several trails in the Hoyt Arboretum, but you'll want to use the local maps for the arboretum for that as it is not easy for me to describe what you need to do there. The trail system in the arboretum is a bit of a tangle. Also, doing that cuts out the loop of the trail that goes over to the Japanese Garden and Rose Garden. The Wildwood Trail makes the whole route along the end of the ridge, but the trails inside the Hoyt Arboretum can bring you directly over the top of the ridge if you so desire.

Most everything is reasonably well marked, but the signs have had a nasty habit of being vandalized or completely disappearing in the last few years.

There are signs for the Japanese gardens, and the Rose Garden is across the street. Getting back to the Wildwood Trail from there depends a bit on where you wind up, as there are several options. The easiest option for going south on the Wildwood from the Rose Garden is probably going to be to go to the Elephant House (a rentable children's play and party house near the playground at the south side of the Rose Garden) and take the trail that is across the street from there. It climbs back up the hill and re-joins the Wildwood trail. This trail actually goes to the downhill side of the Rose Garden but it isn't easy at all to find from the Rose Garden itself, so finding it by the playground is probably your best bet. At worst, you will have to go back the way you came.

To go north on the Wildwood from that area it is easiest to start at the Japanese Gardens. At the gate at the top of the hill of the Japanese Gardens (there is a lower and upper gate. The upper gate, where you want to start this process, is where you actually pay to enter the garden) there is a paved road that connects the two gates. Follow this road slightly north, and be looking for signs on the uphill side of the road just outside the Japanese Garden area that mark a trail leading from this gate to the Wildwood Trail.

The Pittock Mansion is not particularly well marked, but the Wildwood trail delivers you to the parking lot. Just walk down the hill in the parking lot and you will come to the mansion. This is the parking lot that you come to at the top of the hill between crossing Cornell Road and crossing Burnside.

The trail between the Wildwood Trail and the Audubon Society is only about 100 feet long, but doesn't have a sign in it. On the north side of the Cornell Road crossing, you will come to a small open area with a picnic table and some out of service restrooms. This is Upper MacLeay Park. By the concrete restroom buildings, follow the unmarked trail down the very slight hill through the grass area and you will come to the Audubon Society office, store, entrance to their trail system, and the wildlife care center they operate.

Downhill from the Audobon Society the trail runs along a creek and eventually arrives at an abandoned stone building. Continuing on the Wildwood Trail continues north into Forest Park, while going straight and downhill goes to the trailhead at Lower MacLeay Park.

The following attractions are located along this route of the Wildwood Trail, and research into the various attractions may help your walk:

the Audubon Society of Portland site includes a bird sanctuary with a few trails
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tp/1aea3e/
And their wildlife care center
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tp/1aea44/

The Pittock Mansion features views of downtown Portland and the mountains.
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tp/b07f1/

Hoyt Arboretum has plants from all over the world
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tp/1b2088/

The Rose Garden
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tp/b07e8/

The Japanese Garden
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tp/1ca1d0/

The Vietnam Memorial
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tp/1b1eaa/

The Oregon Zoo
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tp/d2502/

You could easily spend an entire day just visiting all of those attractions along the route, so the length of time that you need for this section of the Wildwood Trail depends a lot on how long you spend visiting all these different sites.

Directions: Accessing the trail has a huge number of options. This set of instructions are designed primarily for starting at the Washington Park MAX station.

Website: http://www.40mileloop.org/trail_forestpark.htm

Rose Garden (Washington Park, Not the Arena) Washington Park Review

There is a new arena in town, and it may be called "The Rose Garden" (which has few, if any roses anywhere near it), but the much older and at one time much more famous rose garden located in Washington Park is used for some of the official Rose Festival activities, and is where the plaques giving the past Rose Festival Queens are located.

The true rose garden features views of Mt. Hood and downtown, a few items of public art, and roses. In fact, there are some 10,000 plantings and over 550 varieties of roses here.

The official name of this Rose Garden is actually the "International Rose Test Garden" and it is one of several rose gardens operated in city of Portland parks by the Portland Rose Society.

The Rose Garden is broken down into a number of smaller gardens. The Shakespeare Garden has been the most popular place in Portland to have outdoor weddings for a number of years. These sections of the Rose Garden are separated by lines of larger bushes, and so you can't see the entire Rose Garden from a single spot. Therefore, be sure to explore the grounds thoroughly, as you might have missed an entire sub-garden.

Getting Here: There is a bus that comes from downtown Portland to the Rose Garden, but bus route 63 has been severely cut back to the point where it doesn't operate very often at all. Parking is very limited, and even during weekdays during peak tourist season trying to find a place to park can be quite difficult. This is a popular tourist attraction among garden and flower fans! However, during the summer months, it is possible to take MAX to the Washington Park / Zoo station, and the "Washington Park Shuttle" (which only operates during the summer months) from the zoo MAX station to the Rose Garden. If you are going to visit the Portland zoo as well as the Rose Garden, it is also possible to take the zoo train from the Portland zoo to the Rose Garden station, but you must pay zoo admission to take the zoo train, and pay an additional fee to ride the zoo train.

Bus route 20 runs fairly frequently on Burnside, which isn't too far away, so that might be a good option as well depending on your willingness to walk a little ways. Follow signs from Burnside that say "Washington Park".

Driving: I don't recommend it due to the complicated nature of the roads, and the difficulty in finding a place to park near the garden, but here are some options:

+ from Burnside going west, turn left at the sign that says "Washington Park" after you start climbing the hill and enter the forest. This is approximately 24th, but is named Kingston. You will have to carefully follow the signs, as it is a bit of a maze in there.

+ from Burnside going west, turn left onto SW 23rd (you may want to make 3 right turns and go around the block rather than attempt to turn left off of Burnside) going south. After several blocks, turn right onto Park, which is the first traffic light. When you get to the one way streets, turn right at the large stone staircase. Continue around the circle and follow the signs to the Rose Garden and Japanese Garden. You may find some parking places near the traffic circle, which is about a 10 minute walk from the Rose Garden.

+ from SW Taylor Street downtown, turn south onto SW 17th Avenue, then right onto Salmon Street. Continue climbing the hill after you go past the Multnomah Athletic Club. There will be a slight northward jog in the road as you cross King Avenue, and continue climbing the hill on Park Place. When you get to the one way streets, turn right at the large stone staircase. Continue around the circle and follow the signs to the Rose Garden and Japanese Garden. You may find some parking places near the traffic circle, which is about a 10 minute walk from the Rose Garden.

+ Highway 26 to the zoo exit. From the zoo, go up the hill until you are at the uphill side of the parking lot. There is a small road to the right at the very upper end of the parking lot before the steep climb uphill begins. A small triangular shaped parking lot will be on your right just before you need to turn. Follow this road, and the signs to the Japanese Garden and the Rose Garden. After much winding around, this road dumps you into the parking area for the tennis courts that are just up the hill from the Rose Garden.

+ from eastbound on Burnside, turn right onto SW Kingston, and follow signs to Washington Park and then signs to Rose Garden.

The Other Rose Gardens:

While it is much smaller, the Peninsula Park Rose Garden should be considered one of Portland's hidden and nearly unknown treasures. If you are headed through town on Interstate 5 during June, this might be worth your stopping to see.

The tiny rose gardens that make up Ladd's Addition Rose Gardens (there are four small Rose Gardens scattered through the neighborhood) might be worth a stop if you are visiting Portland in June, and happen to go to the Hawthorne District or other inner east side neighborhoods.

Address: 400 Southwest Kingston Avenue, Portland, OR 97205

Directions: see above, as it is a bit more complicated than allowed in the 255 characters allowed for this field.

Phone: (503) 227-7033

Website: http://www.rosegardenstore.org/thegardens.cfm

Willamette Shore Trolley

This heritage streetcar ride starts at Moody Avenue and Bancroft Street in Southwest Portland (near the end of the Portland Streetcar, and within 200 feet or so of the parking lot for Old Spaghetti Factory). The car currently in use is one of the "Broadway" type cars used in Portland in the later years of streetcars in Portland.

The line ends in downtown Lake Oswego, after running along the Willamette River and passing through some areas with great scenery. In places Mount Hood is visible (though only the top portion) on very clear days, and views of the Willamette River that are not available through any other means are also available. There is a 1200 foot (410 meter) long tunnel. The line also runs beside the Willamette Greenway Trail in places.

As there isn't any overhead wire yet, all of the streetcars that have been used on this line over the years have had generators tied into their electrical system. Such is the state of the current operation.

Operation of this line as a heritage streetcar started in 1986, just after it had been purchased from the Southern Pacific Railroad. The first car used on the line was a double deck car from Blackpool, England. This car has since been moved to the Oregon Electric Railway Museum in Brooks (located at the Antique Powerland museum). Operating of this trolley is by the Oregon Electric Railway Historical Society, which also operates that museum and the associated short trolley line in Brooks.

Address: SW Moody Avenue and Bancroft Street

Directions: Moody Avenue and Bancroft Street in Portland, or Macadam Avenue and the railroad crossing in Lake Oswego.

Website: http://oerhs.org/wst/

Mt. Tabor Park

The most imposing feature of East Portland is Mout Tabor. This extinct volcano is a prominent feature of east Portland. The hill serves as a storage location for Portland drinking water so that even in the worst circumstances the city still has several days of gravity fed water. The running water sound from the reservoirs is part of the pleasant nature of the park.

The park has a playground, two sets of tenis courts (one on the east side and one on the west side of the hill) a covered picnic area, hiking trails, and roads closed to auto traffic for bicycle users. Of greatest interest to the tourists and other visitors are probably the wonderful views of downtown Portland and Mout Hood that can be seen from here.

For visitors to the park, I certainly suggest that you see the wonderful views of Portland that are available from here. Looking west into downtown Portland is quite good from the roads near the middle level reservoirs. There are also some beautiful views that can be seen on the east side, particularly if Mt. Hood is showing through the clouds.

On Wednesdays, the park is almost completely closed to auto traffic so that people can enjoy the park in peace, as well as allowing bike riders and skateboarders a complete top to bottom run at the hill without interferance from vehicles.

The park covers perhaps the equivalent space of 100 city blocks, so giving an exact address is difficult. The easiest way to get there from downtown is go east on Belmont until the road ends at SE 69th Ave. Turn right and go several blocks south until you enter the park. Bus route #15 - Belmont (NOT #15 - NW 23rd Ave) goes within several blocks of the park.

Near the south side of the park there is an off-leash pet area.

Directions: Go east on Belmont until the road ends at SE 69th Ave. Turn right and go several blocks south until you enter the park. Bus route #15 - Belmont (NOT #15 - NW 23rd Ave) goes within several blocks of the park. Entrance also from 60th & Salmon at light.

Website: http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/finder/index.cfm?PropertyID=275&action=ViewPark

Watch the Sky

Due to the various weather currents that hit Portland, we can have some spectacular cloud and sky formations, particularly during sunset or sunrise.

During sunrise, it is a particularly good time to get the light rising behind Mt. Hood.

The nice sun setting (2 hours before actual sunset) photo shown here makes me feel somewhat sorry for those blasting past on I-205 who can't take the time to appreciate the beauty that this area has to offer.

Of course, watching the sky can also be useful: if you know what weather is coming, you know if you need to run for cover or not.

Japanese Garden (Washington Park) Japanese Garden Review

The Portland Japanese Garden is located on a hill overlooking the city, inside Washington Park near the Rose Garden (the actual Rose Garden, not the big concrete arena on the east side of the river). While much of the facility is in forest, the garen includes one of the famous photo locations in Portland, as for decades any time you would look up Portland, Oregon in the encyclopedia or other location the photo of the city would be of the Rose Garden overlooking the city, from a location near the Rose Garden. The most popular of those locations overlooking the Rose Garden is located inside the Japanese Garden.

As you can see in the first photo, the city view from here is today still very popular with photographers and tourists.

As much as possible, the garden is modeled after a true Japanese garden, and even Japanese visitors marvel at how authentic it is made. Portland's sister city in Japan has a bit of credit to take for that, as well.

Water features, including ponds, fountains, a Japanese bird chaser (water powered noise maker) and waterfalls are scattered through the garden. There is a house modeled after a Shinto temple which sometimes features special art shows and art sales. Near the house there is a Japanese style rock garden.

Photo 2 shows one of the ponds in the facility, and photo 5 shows people on one of the stone walkways watching the fish in the pond.

Watch your step!: many of the pathways are irregular genuite stone pathways, just as are found in Japan, and as such are not what the average American is used to having in such a public facility.

The management of the facility says "the Portland Japanese Garden requires the location credit "Portland Japanese Garden, Portland, OR" in all uses of Garden photos in print, on the web, in broadcast, and in any other public medium," and thus you will notice all of my photos carry this caption.

The gift shop features a number of "Japanese" type items, but unfortunately they are mostly Chinese made imitations.

NOTES: There is a $2 fee for tripods, and there is a strict photography policy (including no potrait photography - for details see their web site, below).

This part of Washington Park has a lot of popular attractions, including the Rose Garden, the Japanese Garden and several playgrounds, plus an outdoor theatre that occasionally sees concerts. If you are physically able to do so, I highly recommed taking TriMet bus route #63 up the hill. If it is a nice day, you will most likely not find any parking places anywhere near the Japanese Garden.

Unfortunately, bus route #63 only operates on a sporadic timetable now - it was cut back recently, and possibly will not be reinstated. There is talk of cutting the route completely. However, during the peak tourist season, there is also a "Washington Park Shutte" bus that operates from the Washington Park MAX station to the Rose Garden, and is as close as you will get to the Japanese Garden by public transit.

If you don't mind walking, you can walk from the Goose Hollow MAX station as well. Go up the hill on Jefferson Street (the street MAX runs on, and goes under the arch bridge). As the road starts to go around the curve to the left, enter Washington Park (continue going straight on a road that is now disused). You can then weave up the side of the hill on this old road. Follow the signs to the Rose Garden. Once in the Rose Garden, continue climbing to get to the Tennis Courts. From the Tennis Courts, cross the street and small parking area and the entrance road to the Japanese Garden is right there. As the garden is located on the ridge above the Rose Garden, there is a Japanese Garden shuttle van that operates on peak weekends to take visitors the extra way to the entrance, but if you are physically able to do so I suggest taking the pathway.

Address: 611 S.W. Kingston Ave. Portland OR 97205

Directions: Take bus #63 from downtown Portland. Parking is extremely difficult to find anywhere near the Rose Garden or Japanese Garden. See above for more details.

Phone: (503) 223-1321

Website: http://www.japanesegarden.com/

Off-Leash Pet Areas

A number of the larger Portland parks have areas where free roaming pets are allowed. This is good for those who wish to play fetch with their dog, but don't have a big enough yard to allow their dog to really run.

For travelers, this would allow you to exercise your pet quite well.

Bags for picking up your pet's waste are almost always available in these places as well.

For current regulations and locations, see the city of Portland parks web site, below.

Probably the two most popular off-leash areas that are near tourist routes are Laurelhurst Park (near Interstate 84) and Mt. Tabor Park (near the east end of the Hawthorne district, and popular due to the views from the top), but there are dozens more. For those traveling on Interstate 205, Lents Park also has a fairly popular off-leash area as well.

Address: Available in a Number of Parks

Website: http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/