OMG! This hotel bed is probably the most comfortable hotel bed I have ever slept in! Also, they provide you with four huge pillows, each with a different level of density. Adding to the hotel’s concern for their client’s comfort, the walk-in shower has separate heads and, separately, there is a nice deep tub. A comfortable plush robe and spa-quality toiletries add to the ambience. The room is spacious, clean, and well-appointed. Adding in the free happy hour each afternoon, the friendly and knolwedgable reception personnel, gym, bar and restaurant on premises, pet-friendly, and its ideal location, I give it four or even five stars. I am very happy here and I think I picked well.
Anyway, I decided that today I wanted to visit Portland’s famed Japanese Gardens, approximately two miles from my hotel. So, using my phone’s GPS, I set off walking. It was mostly an uphill walk and, at times, a steep one. It was worth it! A deep sense of serenity envelops me as I wandered through the twelve acres of exquisitely planted and landscaped gardens, fountains, and pools. The intoxicating smell permeated my senses giving me tranquility. Many times I sat on wooden benches strategically placed throughout the gardens giving one privacy for the experience.
Within the garden, at The Umami Café, a place to relax and refresh, I experienced the pairing of world class Japanese tea with traditional gracious, attentive service, and delicious edible delights. I selected Matcha with Ukishima, a traditional green tea with a somewhat grassy flavor paired with a steamed sweet cake made from red and white adzuki beans.
As I left the Japanese Garden, I came upon a massive rose garden The Rose Test Garden covers 4.5 acres and is on several tiers showing over 10,000 rose bushes of approximately 650 varieties. Cultivars of new roses are continually sending bushes to the garden from many parts of the world which are evaluated on several characteristics, including disease resistance, bloom formation, color, and fragrance.
Knowing that my trip back to the hotel was primaily downhill, I decided to leisurely walk back and look for a place to eat dinner as it had been several hours since I had eaten. I found a menu that intrigued me at Southpark Seafood. I settled in with a glass of house chardonnay and ordered a small bowl of clam chowder, a delectable concoction of seven clams, together with braised bacon and gnocchi. I also decided to try their dungeness crab roll mixed with a tabasco herb mayo, celery, and Old Bay served on a buttered bun. YUM! Yes, it was good but Maryland crab still is my preference
Meandering Catie 