Last weekend I finally made it to the Japanese Garden in Washington Park.
My plan was to take the bus out there, go to the garden, go next door to the International Rose Test Garden, walk down the hill through downtown and then either catch the light rail back or just walk the rest of the way home. I got on the bus and as we approached the hill the bus driver announces, “this is as far as I am going so you are going to have to get off.” What? Excuse me? I asked her when the next bus was coming and if it was going to go all the way down the road like she was supposed to. She said she didn’t know. Gee, thanks. I got off and called the TriMet phone number to see when the next bus was coming. 30 minutes. Maybe I would not be making it to the garden today.
While I was standing there I started looking around and realized that I was close to PGE Park, which is where the soccer games are played. The route I scouted out to walk down the hill after visiting the gardens had me walking right by PGE Park so I pulled out my directions and followed them backwards to go up the hill and find the gardens. Success!
It was raining off and on all day and this added to the mystique of the garden. I think it also helped keep people at home for it was not too crowded. I am going to have to go back in the spring when everything starts to bloom. Same thing for the rose garden for it was just a bunch of thorny bushes with very little flowers.
Here are some photos (or view the photos here):