China, in Portland?

We woke up today and headed down town on the MAX, the Portland light rail system. We arrived in Pioneer Square and went to see a spectacular flower display. In the square, a map of the entire world was laid out in flowers. Each of the countries were in different types of flowers.

After walking around the area for a little, we ate lunch at Paradise Bakery. We then went to the visitor center to get a map of the city and ran into a couple from New Jersey. We talked to them a little and they told us we had to visit the Chinese Garden. As we were already planning on going there, we headed off to Old Town Chinatown to see the Gardens.

As we waited for the tour to begin, we visited Union Station. After we RAN back to the gardens (Jacqueline had to use the facilities) the tour began. It really is impossible to describe the beauty of the garden. We were able to get a real sense of why Jacquelines' mother's appreciates this culture so much. She really would have loved the garden. It was so mind stimulating to listen to all of the detail that went into building one of the most authentic Chinese Gardens outside of China. The garden engaged all of your senses and brought a sense of peace and tranquility over you. The tour guide told us stories about yin, yang and qi which were very interesting. After the informative tour, we then had tea in the tea house. Michael had a rose tea and Jacqueline had a peach tea. We also shared Mangos and a bean pastry (the beans were not Michael's favorite).

Next we took the MAX streetcar to the Oregon History Museum. The exhibit about the history of the state as well as the present day challenges that Oregon faces was especially interesting. In Oregon they do not have a sales tax, which makes education funding a bit dicey. They also have extremely stringent urban growth laws that limit urban sprawl, something NJ should have learned a long time ago. There is also a distinct competition between rural and urban, with 80% of the Oregon population living within a city. However with a significant culture linked to their farm and expedition heritage, the rural aspect is not lost but does add controversy.

After the museum we headed towards Michael Graves' Portland Public Service Building (had to add some architecture just for Jordan :)). As we walked we stopped into a quaint Irish Specialty shop. Again another stop Jacqueline's Mom would have loved. Amazingly enough, the owner's best friend has a sister shop in Denville on Broadway. New Jersey connections are everywhere!!!

We took pictures of the Graves Building and headed to Chipotle for a cheap dinner. Then on to the MAX back to the hotel.

See you tomorrow for more Portland fun!