Portland's Japanese Garden, photo by Michel HersenIn Celebration of Oregon’s Urban Parks
Every city has one. A respite of green, a roadless gathering place, a patch cut out of the buzz and bustle of time. Urban parks: they drawn us in like bees to honey. I’m putting some thought as to why that is, besides the obvious, that they’re pretty.
1. They connect us to nature.
2. They connect us with each other, through planned events and happy happenstance.
3. They are often built near or around lakes, ponds and rivers, and water soothes us somehow.
4. They provide us with a break in the action, the eyes and the ears, offering expanses of green space where we normally have concrete and cars.
5. They drawn flora and fauna...
So, there you have five reasons, and below are five of my favorite urban parks. Tell me about your favorite city park, and what draws you there, and I’ll send you a free packet of pretty picture postcards.
1. Commonwealth Lake Park, Beaverton
This is a park for pretty much everyone, and a beautiful lake sits in the middle of it. You can fish, play soccer, goof off on the playground equipment, view wildlife (birds mostly), and walk the ~one-mile, ADA accessible trail that surrounds the lake.
See Michel Hersen’s fantastic images from Commonwealth State Park in the photo essay, Captured in Time.
2. Drake Park, Bend
This great gathering place hosts music concerts, occasional outdoor plays, the 4th of July Festival, the Great Duck Race, the annual library book sale, and countless private gatherings. It’s a great place to throw down a blanket and make out. Just one idea… The Deschutes River runs through it, creating Mirror Pond, where summer revelers splash and giggle the days away.
3. Japanese Garden, Portland
The 5.5 acre Japanese Garden is composed of five distinct garden styles. When we enter a Japanese garden, the desired effect is to realize a sense of peace, harmony, and tranquility and to experience the feeling of being a part of nature. In a deep sense, the Japanese garden is a living reflection of the long history and traditional culture of Japan. Influenced by Shinto, Buddhist, and Taoist philosophies, there is always “something more” in these compositions of stone, water, and plants than meets the eye.
4. Lithia Park, Ashland
In the hub of downtown sits Lithia Park, Ashland's crown jewel. Lithia is a 93-acre vista of emerald lawns, tennis courts, a sand-pit volleyball court, picnic area, colorful landscaping and playground equipment. The park follows Ashland Creek through undeveloped woodlands, and also includes a Japanese garden, two duck ponds, a formal rose garden, groves of sycamore trees and a number of secluded spots.
5. Marina Park, Boardman
I travel Interstate 84 frequently, from my home in Bend to my hometown in Montana. I always pull off at Boardman for a burger at C&D Drive-In. I take said burger, some dog treats, and Pippin (the Golden-on-the-Go), to Boardman Marina Park. In this small oasis of space, we stretch, relax, eat, and let the car sit for a little bit. Read more about Boardman and the surrounding area in "Meet Me on Highway 730."
