Below is our latest Google map!  We have made it Portland and had a lovely day exploring Chinatown and the Hoyt Arboretum.  Click HERE for PHOTOS from the day.

First stop was the Lan Su Chinese Garden, built in 2000 in the Chinatown area of downtown Portland. Almost all of the materials used to construct the garden was imported from China (including more than 500 tons of rock). We visited during “Passion for Peonies,” and there were some amazing examples on display in various places within the gardens. While not quite as impressive as the Japanese gardens in Washington Park, Lan Su is quite peaceful and inspiring. Sixty-five Chinese artisans moved to Portland during construction, and the garden is considered one of the most authentic outside of China. We especially enjoyed looking for the repeated motif of “The Three Friends of Winter” (plum, bamboo and pine) and learning about the symbolism behind the art, architecture, plants and garden scenes.

We both liked the following famous conversation between two Chinese philosophers, which inspired the name of one of the structures, the “Knowing the Fish Pavilion.” It went like this:

Zhuangzi : “Look how happy the fish are just swimming around in the river.”

Huizi : “How do you know they are happy? You are not a fish.”

Zhuangzi: “And you are not me. How do you know I don’t know the fish are happy?”

We had lunch at Good Taste there in Chinatown. The restaurant was complete with roasted whole ducks and pork ribs hanging in the window. Of course there was a bit of each included in our meals. Afterward, a long walk was in order, so we head to the Hoyt Arboretum. There were some lovely, well-used trails leading through the 187 acres of over 1000 tree and plant species. Everything was clearly marked, and divided into areas by taxonomic families (oaks, redwoods, bamboo, magnolia, etc.) Four miles took us around the whole perimeter and gave a good overview of the arboretum as a whole.