I was impressed with the Chinese Garden in downtown Portland.  However, I was even more impressed with what I saw in the city's Japanese Garden.  It was big and beautiful.  Really beautiful.  Seeing the garden in the freezing cold made it quite a unique experience.  I have been to Japan many, many times and I have visited many gardens all over Japan from north to south.  The one in Portland looked very authentic.  Just like the Chinese Garden, I highly recommend a visit to this place.

This was my first view of the gardens.  This path lead to the main garden area which was without a doubt stunning.

This was nothing compared to what awaited us in the main part of the garden

I loved the greenery.  In fact, the whole area was green, green, green.

In the Japanese Garden, freezing but happy to be in Portland

Marc was right when he said our visit to very cold Portland was a dress rehearsal for our winter vacation in equally cold Beijing.

A small bridge

Another view of the same bridge

The interior of a small Japanese hut deep in the heart of the Japanese garden

A tiny bench right outside the hut

A Japanese garden is not complete without a gate

A stone lantern

The pond and fountain

Pretty, ain't it?

Marc in the Japanese Garden road testing his most recent North Face winter jacket for our forthcoming trip to Beijing, China in three weeks.

A stone carving

A Zen garden within the Japanese Garden.  This tiny garden has the look of the centuries old Roanji Garden in Kyoto

This gate opens to the downward flight of stairs leading to the Zen Garden down below.

Here's the stairs