Vintage and China town!

The next day I awoke to, you guessed it, rain! So pocketing a handy umbrella and scarf I walked two blocks to catch the number 9 bus to downtown.  I had more gardens to see as well as vintage shops and book stores.  

My first stop was the Chinese garden, taking up a full city block at 3rd and Everett in Chinatown.  Very different from the 5 acres of the Japanese Garden it offered ornate wood carving, buildings built to model different periods in Chinese history focusing mainly on the Ming dynasty, and replicas of unique Chinese antiquities.  Much of the garden is built around a beautiful pond full of lily pads and lotus blossoms. There is also a tea house offering a variety of teas to sample with complementing snacks and small bites.  The tea is served in a variety of ways derived from the different periods in time that tea was introduced and developed.  After selecting your tea type and serving type there was a menu from edamame to noodles and moon cakes to pecan cookies. Even through the rain it was a beautiful sight, I will admit the Japanese garden is my favorite, though the two are of no comparison. 

The entrance and ornate carvings

The 'boat' house
 

The many views of the pond. The pagoda on the right is centered over a zig-zag bridge through the middle of the pond.

up close to the pagoda

 

As in the Japanese garden the pathways change in texture. The tour continued into another building representative of a wealthy family's 'escape' for men to come and do business or relax

The Tao of Tea - house

There are two floors both with beautiful views of the garden

My view

My starting course of edamame in soy sauce and ginger as well as a smooth green tea, like Jasmine, served in the traditional way first used in the preparation and drinking of loose leaf tea. I almost bought the three pieces, but no place to store them!! (nor a kitchen to use them!)

On down the main st that separates the city north and south, Burnside st, in search of the biggest new and used bookstore around, Powell's Books. They will also buy used books, but I couldn't bear to part with any of mine.

 

Just a few pictures of 2 rooms in this elaborate palace. I was lost for hours! But luckily surfaced with only 3 books to purchase, a triumph!!

After that it was on to vintage-Magpies on 9th and then Buffalo Exchange, just across from Powell's-It was a fabulous day complete with tea, books, and rain boots what more could a girl ask for?! Perhaps a closer bus stop home, that was a nice hike up Broadway, far past where I thought it was-thank goodness for good signs and a sturdy umbrella!! :) 

Still Raining

Just across the street from the rose garden 

was the Japanese Garden sitting on 5 acres of Washington Park

I arrived just in time for the 1:00 tour, it was a wonderful guided tour through the garden that lasted over an hour. I learned so much about the importance of balance and appealing to all the senses when designing a Japanese Garden.  It was built on the site of the old Portland zoo in the late 50's, though you would never believe it.  There were 5 separate gardens intertwined there including water, sand, and gravel.  The trees are pruned specifically to show space and appeal to people on their own level and height.  The pathways change to appeal to your sense of touch and cause you to stroll through the garden rather than rush.  Plants and trees offer various textures, shapes and heights.  

The entry 

  

Three pictures of the beautiful water portion that was connected by the full moon bridge. This is designed to be viewed in the night of a full moon so the moon can reflect into the water as you gaze upon it standing at the crest of the foot bridge.  

Japanese Maple...my favorite tree

A deer catcher designed to scare off beasts and evil spirits

A beautiful waterfall feeding into the coy pond

Its nemo!! :)

the zig-zag bridge through the coy pond

Iris blades were floated in the bath water of 5 year old Japanese boys to give them the strength of the Samuri

The large community house reserved for exhibits and lectures

The view from the house the two patches of earth are a sake glass and bottle. (this was formerly the monkey area of the zoo so it was a challenge for most things to grow in this area, hence the gravel)

the Zen garden-raked only when it is disturbed

There are 7 stones in strategic places meant to be interpreted as you wish. Islands within an ocean, mountains peeking through clouds, the beauty of Zen is that it is up to you.

The view from the back of the house overlooking the city. The fog and rain made that slightly difficult to see...but I swear its right there!

Its raining in Portland!

So I arrived in the afternoon after visiting Mt. St. Helens, expecting a nice change from Seattle, but the rain just followed me! :) I guess the northwest likes its rain! Lucky for me I had already adjusted to this rainy fall and winter with no snow. I know, I know just drive a few hours west and there is A LOT of snow! thanks guys:) 

   I had a great place to stay in Portland at a friend of Ambryns, Annie who lived with some great folks in a fabulous neighborhood on Alberta st. Alberta is full of coffee shops, restaurants, shops from trendy to artsy originals. There was an awesome community bike store with new and used parts, equipment, and bikes. I would love to see more of these in Boston and NH!! I visited one of the many local co-ops and gazed at the natural and local foods.  You could measure out just about anything you wanted in the open bins and there were aisles of organic cereals and chocolates and snacks.  Local yogurt, my only purchase, and cheeses galore.  Then I came across some strange cookies, that turned out to be 'raw' cookies...I kinda wanted to buy them just to taste.  Produce was the best with all local fruits and veggies and of course some free tastings-I tried yellow watermelon and my new favorite kiwi berries!! You guys have to try them...they are tiny bite size kiwis without all the furry, scooping mess of regular kiwis!!! 

My artistic picture of Alberta st

My first tour day I drove to Washington park to explore two gardens: the rose garden (Mom you would have never left this one!) and the Japanese garden.

A quick shot of downtown, hard to do while driving and in the rain

turning away from the city into the park

a beautiful escape

My first Redwoods!!

Welcome to the Rose Garden

I was so fortunate that it rained because all my pictures looked so much better! The flowers were amazing and clearly still in bloom in October! There were many exotic types...now I have some great types to request for the future!:)

The Rock n Roll Shrub

My new desktop picture - the Lagerfeld Grandflora

Red...need I say more.

The Dream Come True collection

'yellow' 

And yes they smelled as amazing as they look! 

Onto the Japanese Garden!

On the road to Portland, OR!!

Well it took over two weeks but I did it!! I left Seattle! I definitely found a part of me there but I must continue my search for the rest of me:) But really Seattle was great and only a tiny, tiny part of Washington! I will definitely be coming back to explore.  I would love to drive around the Olympic peninsula and attempt some hiking (notice I use 'attempt' here:).  So I decided seeing Mount Saint Helens was a must and lucky for me only 2 hours away and on the way to Portland!! So I left early (noonish:) and waved goodbye to Sally, Jerry, and Poppy.  I programed my beloved GPS to "Mt St Helens nat'l park" and off I went!! 

on the road again...

entering Toledo, WA

and beautiful scenery

Im getting closer

and closer

Crossing a beautiful bridge! The Hoffstadt Bridge-there is a whole viewing area for it and signs that explain its construction too.

I just found it beautiful to drive over!!!

There is Cherry Fit-Fit looking all outdoorsy in the Park!! 

And finally you turn a corner and you can see her...Mount Saint Helens in the distance!

Amazing! 

And when you look down along the river bed there is ash where water used to be! 

That is all lava and ash from the 1980 eruption! Water is flowing in small creeks down there too.

Here is another great shot of the river bed leading to the volcano

Up close and personal...its wasn't smoking or anything:( but you can clearly see the crater and wall that fell open from the explosion...So amazing!! (I find it even more cool b/c I covered earth science in my classes last year. Go science! I know, I know nikki = nerdy:)

One of my favorite views! 

I stopped to make a sandwich, from the last of my ham and cheese, and enjoy the most gorgeous volcano in America. Yum!

Making friends :)

The drive out of the park

After a nice leisurely visit I headed south to Portland. I drove through Vancouver, WA which is the town on the boarder that shares the Columbia River with Portland.

The Columbia River...Washington side

crossing the river

Hello Oregon!!!

I really am fortunate to have such great people in my life! Thank you to Ambryn for connecting me with Annie who has a great house and great roomates right off of Alberta st. in South east Portland!  

Tomorrow I will explore the city!