EXPERIENCE PORTLAND DURING ATA65!

Big conferences, such as the ATA Annual conference are exciting, but also overwhelming for some. If you need a break from networking or presenting, Portland offers different ways to decompress. Let’s start with a list of Portland’s most peaceful places.

• Perched atop Rocky Butte, The Grotto comprises more than 62 acres of lush, treed gardens. Constructed in 1924 as an outdoor Roman Catholic sanctuary dedicated to Mary, Our Sorrowful Mother, the nonprofit center now hosts 300,000 visitors of all faiths each year. The Grotto’s unique aesthetic, which features tranquil paths dotted with intricately carved Catholic shrines, combines a traditional forested park with profound meditative bliss. Visit the upper level to access the meditation chapel and walk the labyrinth.

• The Lan Su Chinese Garden is an authentic Ming Dynasty-style garden built by Suzhou artisans that brings together art, architecture, design, and nature in a 2,000-year-old Chinese tradition. The garden takes up an entire block of the city’s historic Chinatown district. Its covered walkways, bridges, open colonnades, koi-filled ponds, pavilions and richly planted landscape framing the man-made Zither Lake have created an urban oasis of tranquility and harmony. It’s an inspiring, serene setting for meditation, quiet thought, and tea, served in the authentic teahouse at Tower of Cosmic Reflections.

• The Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden was founded in 1950 as a rhododendron test garden. Today, the park boasts more than 2,500 rhododendrons, azaleas, and other plants spread across 9.5 acres. Small placards identify the flora for visitors, and self-guided tour booklets are available on-site. One of Portland’s best waterfowl-watching spots, the garden is home to nearly 100 types of birds and other wildlife. Settle in on a bench by Crystal Lake and enjoy the sight of dozens of ducks and geese. Listen for the trills and squawks of scrub jays, red-winged blackbirds, songs sparrows, green-backed herons and many other bird species.

• The Portland Japanese Garden provides tranquility and inspiring views at one of the most authentic Japanese gardens outside of Asia. The end of October brings beautiful autumn colors to the garden, and you will not want to miss it while in town. Founded in 1963 as a symbol of healing between World War II adversaries, the grounds feature five separate garden styles, working in harmony to create a sense of peace. The lush Tea Garden is focused on a stone walking path designed to help visitors shed their concerns about the outside world. The Strolling Pond Garden reflects the rich landscape, with a bridge zigzagging through beds of Japanese iris by the waterfall, Heavenly Falls. Designed before Zen Buddhism became popular in the U.S., the Sand and Stone Garden uses the elements as focal points for quiet contemplation.

• Go forest bathing in the Hoyt Arboretum. The 189-acre arboretum features 12 miles of trails and more than 2,300 species of plants from six continents. It is home to three species of redwoods—totaling 70 trees in all. Most can be viewed from the park’s scenic Redwood Deck, which sits surrounded by the giant trees. In fall, colorful foliage covers large swaths of the park in bold hues of orange, yellow, and red. The Maple Trail is ground zero for leaf peepers and offers a close-up look at nearly 130 species of maple tree that grow at Hoyt Arboretum.

• If you don’t enjoy the great outdoors, get your pampering on at Portland’s fanciest spa, Knot Springs, located just one stop away riding the Portland Streetcar or the bus from the OCC. There’s a ritual to the Knot Springs spa process, which also includes enjoying the views of the Willamette River and downtown Portland skyline. A couple of more affordable options for pampering are the Everett House and Common Ground.