It isn’t always rosy
In 2015 I loaded up my Nissan Xterra with all my possessions, and drove across the country to Portland, OR. Being born in the Midwest, I became very excited when I first saw the snowy peaks of the Cascades. Then came the Columbia River Gorge, which further amazed me. Many coworkers from the area were perplexed by my fascination, as they grew up around the scenery and thought nothing of it.
In any case, I lived in Portland for over three years. Portland is known as the City of Roses. This reputation for roses was self-created. The Portland Rose Society was created in 1889, and members simply planted roses in their gardens for the joy of it. In 1905, during the Lewis and Clark Celebration, people planted roses up and down all the streets. From that point on, the nickname stuck.
Portland is also the Bridge City, as it is bisected by the wide Willamette River. In most river towns, it is pretty obvious that the best place to take a walk is at the Riverfront Park. Portland has a Waterfront Park, and it is popular. To say its the best though, is a stretch. Portland has a large population of homeless and drifters, many of whom congregate in this area. Chances of having a real problem with them are low, but it still puts people on edge. The first time I walked in downtown Portland, a woman screamed at the top of her lungs only a few feet from me, for no apparent reason.
Rose Test Garden
The actual best place to go for a city walk in Portland is, go figure, the International Rose Test Garden. Up in the West Hills, it offers great views of the area. If memory serves correct, there are views of the towering Mt. Hood on a clear day. However, the primary appeal is not the views but the garden.
There are roses beyond roses; red roses, pink roses, purple roses, and even yellow roses. There is no official count, but it is definitely over 10,000. To top it off, it is the oldest rose test garden in the world, established in 1917. What distinguishes a rose test garden from a regular rose garden? Test gardens carry brand new rose varieties. The gardeners are “testing them out”.
Here’s the best thing about the Portland Rose Garden; it’s free. Considering many of the other botanical gardens I’ve visited, it really is an amazing thing. Besides the Rose Garden, there are many other cool places in the area. Up the hill there is a Japanese Garden and an Arboretum. Down the hill there are forest trails. Portland is also famous for Forest Park, a massive forest in the West Hills stretching from the city center all the way north to Sauvie Island. That is hiking though.
Gertrude Stein said, “A Rose is a Rose is a Rose.” The Rose City, like any other place in America, is not always rosy. However, the Rose Garden certainly is, at least May through September. If you find yourself there in the Winter months, there’s always the Zoo.
