Oregon

Summer 2019

During my summer in Seattle, a friend and I went on a three-hour drive to Portland for a day trip. It's a city full of culture and unique places to explore.

We first visited the Japanese Garden in Washington Park. The architecture of the ticket and administrative buildings immediately stood out. Although not traditional Japanese design, it blended with the park design well, creating an aesthetic that I thought worked really well.

From the outside, the garden looks deceptively small. In the middle, there is a large Koi pond with at least a hundred fish. As we were watching them calmly swim up and down the pond, a staff member came up and hit the dock with a stick. All the Koi suddenly swam towards her as she started to throw food into the pond. Watching the Koi fight for food was a stark contrast to the tranquil state we had seen them in just moments before.

After that, we drove into downtown and stopped at Voodoo donuts. It was a thirty-minute wait to get in, with the line stretching almost the entire block. However, just a few feet from the door, we could smell the delicious donuts and knew it was worth the wait. They were creatively decorated with unique flavors, but that was reflected in the price. Oh well, it was for an experience. It was fun to see the creativity that transformed a staple dessert into something so unique.

Only a block away was Stumptown Coffee Roasters. The aesthetic was beautiful, and with no crowd, we could focus on the drinks being made. The baristas were amazingly helpful, talking us through which beans to buy. Not to mention, the coffee was great.

We drove back to Seattle right before sunset. This was perfect, the golden hour light was passing by the trees, creating a fantastical feeling.