by Alan K. Lee
The Circles in the Sand labyrinths began appearing on the beach at Bandon, Oregon in 2011. Created by Denny Dyke part of his ministry, Sacred Journeys, the labyrinths are intended as a form of walking meditation. Over the next few years Dyke created hundreds of labyrinths.
In 2014 Dyke’s efforts evolved into the Dreamfields labyrinths, larger and more elaborate than his original creations. The labyrinths are not mazes – there is one path and there are no dead ends or wrong turns.
The labyrinths are true works of art, each unique, each washed away by the next high tide. The sand is carefully groomed by a group of volunteers to a design by Dyke. Driftwood, kelp, shells, and other things left behind by the retreating tide are incorporated into the designs. Other shells and rocks are brought in and purposely incorporated into the design by the labyrinth builders, and the sand is raked into intricate and beautiful geometric designs.
The Circles in the Sand labyrinths are created on the beach below the Face Rock Wayside in Bandon. The beach there is a mix of flat sand and soaring sea stacks and off shore islands that is one of the most beautiful beaches on the Oregon coast.
Together with the rock formations at Coquille Point, a short distance north of the Face Rock Wayside, this stretch of beach is truly spectacular, well worth a visit at any time of the year. Combining a visit with the opportunity to experience Circles in the Sand makes for a unique and memorable experience.
Thousands of people walk the labyrinths each year. The labyrinths can be walked by anyone, free of charge. Circles in the Sand is funded entirely by donations. The 2022 schedule runs through August 15. For more information, click here.
Originally posted July 24, 2019. Updated and re-posted June 18, 2022.
All photos © Alan K. Lee
Powells Wood Garden is located at 430 S. Dash Point Road in Federal Way. The garden is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 3pm. Admission is $7 per person (children 12 and under are free). Tickets can be purchased online on the Garden’s 
If you visit Powells Wood Garden, you might also want to stop in at 
While Powells Wood Garden is probably not worth a trip to Tacoma on its own, the Tacoma area has a lot of other attractions, not the least of which are the Museum of Glass and the Tacoma Art Museum, both part of the 
Nearly 300 different forest plants and flowers grow in the park. Blacktail deer, raccoons, coyotes, red foxes, beaver, and more than two dozen other mammals roam the park. More than 70 species of birds have been seen in the park. And cutthroat trout, coho and chinook salmon, and steelhead can be found in Tryon Creek.
The area was saved from development in the late 1960s and early 1970s by a combination of dedicated citizens, the 
Many, if not most, of the park’s visitors come to hike the nearly fifteen miles of hiking and mixed use trails. Some bring their horses to ride the three and a half miles of equestrian trails. There is also a three mile paved bike path running through the park and a paved all abilities trail. The Nature Center, with a friendly staff, interpretive exhibits, a small store, and public restrooms, is a popular starting point for many visitors.
Many of the events and programs sponsored by the park were cancelled or available only online during the majority of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Nature Center was closed and entrance to the park was limited at times. While we’re still living with Covid, most, if not all, of the park’s programs have been restored, and the Nature Center is open again.
Originally posted July 29, 2020. Updated and re-posted May 25, 2022.
After Hulda’s death, her family put the farm up for sale. The local garden society succeeded in having Hulda’s gardens declared a state and national historic site to prevent them from being bulldozed for a proposed industrial site.
Start your tour of the gardens at the Visitor Center, where you purchase your tickets. Pick up a free map of the gardens and check out the gift shop. The Visitor Center also houses the Little Leaf Cafe (soups, sandwiches, and other lunch items). And there is a retail nursery located adjacent to the Visitor Center where you can purchase plants grown by the garden staff and volunteers.
If you are making a day of it, dining options include the Little Leaf Cafe and the Garden View Restaurant and the Fireside Lounge at the Oregon Garden Resort. Or you can bring a picnic lunch and enjoy it in one of the designated picnic areas. A variety of dining options are also available in downtown Silverton.
And if you’re visiting from outside the area, a trip to nearby
Originally posted October 6, 2019. Updated May 12, 2022.
Today, the arboretum features more than 100 collections of trees and plants, organized by taxonomy and geography, spread over 189 acres in Washington Park in Portland’s West Hills. There are more than 2300 species native to six continents represented in the arboretum collections.
More information on the arboretum, directions, and parking and public transit information can be found on the arboretum’s website (linked above).
Originally posted April 8, 2020. Updated July 15, 2020 and May 5, 2022.
The Connie Hansen Garden in Lincoln City, Oregon is one of the smallest botanical gardens in the Northwest, at just 1¼ acres, but don’t let the size fool you, it’s also one of the best.
Connie Hansen grew up in Oregon, but moved to California to attend the University of California at Berkeley, where she earned a degree in botany. She moved back to Oregon late in her life, after her husband’s death and her retirement from the faculty of UC Berkeley.
She began creating her garden in 1973 and she tended and continually expanded it for the next 20 years. After her death in 1993 a group of neighbors and local gardeners formed the 
The garden is located at 1931 NW 33rd Street in Lincoln City. It is open daily from dawn to dusk. Admission is free, but donations are welcomed. The Garden House, Hansen’s former home, now houses a small gift shop where you can find gardening supplies, books, and souvenirs. There is also a small art gallery. It is open from 10:00 to 2:00 Tuesday and Friday through Sunday from March to mid-December.
The Conservancy conducts spring, summer, and fall plant sales, and there are usually plants for sale at other times as well. Garden memberships are available through the conservancy website for those that want to support the garden.
Originally posted June 17, 2021. Updated and re-posted April 27, 2022.
Both the Stone Cabin and the Manor House still stand. The Manor House now houses the garden’s gift shop and is a popular wedding venue and event space. (The part of the garden south of Johnson Creek, including the Stone Cabin, is currently closed to the public).
Lilla Leach was an amateur botanist and discovered five plants previously unknown to science. One, Kalmiopsis leachiana, is named after her, and the southwest Oregon wilderness where she discovered it is now known as the Kalmiopsis Wilderness. Over the years she planted many native plant species, some of them rare, on the estate they called Sleepy Hollow.
There is currently no admission charge, but donations are encouraged and go to support operation of the garden and the garden’s educational programs. You can also register for a garden tour on the website, which is currently the only way to visit the Stone Cabin and the historic Outdoor Kitchen on the south side of Johnson Creek..
The garden came about through Portland’s sister city relationship with Suzhou, in Jiangsu Province, China. Suzhuo is noted for its Ming Dynasty gardens, and Lan Su Garden was created by artisans from Suzhou following a 2000 year old tradition that melds art, architecture, and nature into a harmonious and serene whole.
Entering the garden, you come first to the Courtyard of Tranquility. The courtyard (and the whole garden, for that matter) is designed to be a peaceful and soothing place to escape the problems of everyday life, and it succeeds in that remarkably well. It’s surprisingly quiet, and once inside it’s easy to forget that you are in the middle of a busy city.
From the courtyard, you pass through the Hall of Brocade Clouds, traditionally the place where a family entertains guests, and then onto the Terrace. This is a great place to just sit and take in the view. Most of the garden can be seen from the Terrace. The various pavilions and the Tea House (the “Tower of Cosmic Reflections”) are beautifully reflected in the central pond known as Lake Zither.
From the Terrace, wander at will through the Painted Boat In Misty Rain pavilion, past the Rock Mountain and Waterfall, across the boardwalk to the Moon Locking Pavilion, Scholar’s Study and Scholar’s Courtyard, and the Knowing the Fish Pavilion. Take some time to visit the Tower of Cosmic Reflections teahouse where you can enjoy a cup of tea and learn a little about the Chinese social art and culture of tea.
Throughout the garden you will see Lake Tai Rocks. These large, fantastically shaped rocks were imported from China – 600 tons of them. The rocks were formed underwater through the erosive action of Lake Tai’s acidic waters, and are highly prized by landscape architects.
The garden exhibits more than 100 species of trees, shrubs, and plants native to China, including the Pacific Northwest’s largest collection of lotus. The plants found in the garden were not imported from China due to import restrictions, but were found in botanical gardens and nurseries in the United States and transplanted to the garden.
Part of the mission of the Lan Su Chinese Garden is to promote better understanding of Chinese art, history, tradition, and culture. Classes and demonstrations of Chinese calligraphy, brush painting, paper folding, poetry, music, horticulture, wood carving, and other arts such as kite making, are held throughout the year at the garden. And public tours of the garden led by trained docents are held several times a day.
The Lan Su Garden is small, taking up only one city block, but it is one of Portland’s premier gardens (along with the 
Lan Su Chinese Garden is open from 10:00 to 4:00 daily except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Admission is $12.95 for adults, $11.95 for seniors (62+), and $9.95 for children 6-18 and college students. Children five and under are free. There are currently no Covid-19 restrictions. You can find more information about the garden at the Lan Su 
The serenity and transcendent beauty of the Portland Japanese Garden make it one of my favorite places in the Pacific Northwest. Located in Washington Park in Portland’s West Hills, the garden overlooks downtown Portland, but it is worlds away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The tranquility that the garden aspires to is somewhat compromised by the 450,000 annual visitors that it attracts, but the beauty of the gardens make it more than worth visiting despite any crowds.
Former Japanese Ambassador to the United States Nobuo Matsunaga has called the Portland Japanese Garden “the most beautiful and authentic Japanese garden in the world outside of Japan.”
The Portland Japanese Garden came out of the sister city relationship between Portland and Sapporo, Japan, which was created at least in part as an effort to heal the wounds of World War II. The garden website says it best: “Born out of a hope that the experience of peace can contribute to a long lasting peace. Born out of a belief in the power of cultural exchange. Born out of a belief in the excellence of craft, evidence in the Garden itself and the activities that come from it. Born out of a realization that all of these things are made more real and possible if we honor our connection to nature.”
The site, once the location of the Washington Park Zoo, was dedicated in 1961. Construction of the garden began in 1963, and the garden opened to the public in the summer of 1967. Designed by Professor Takuma Tono of Tokyo Agricultural University, the garden originally consisted of five different garden styles spread over 5.5 acres.
Over its more than half a century of existence, the garden has evolved and more than doubled in size. The Kashintei Tea House was built in Japan in 1968, dismantled, and shipped to Portland. But it wasn’t until 1980 that it was reconstructed on its present site. It was dedicated on May 18, 1980, the same day that Mount St. Helens erupted.
The most recent expansion, completed in 2017, added a new entrance and entry garden, a courtyard garden, a bonsai terrace, and a Cultural Village consisting of three new buildings designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma: the Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center; the Garden House; and the Umami Cafe. Today, the Portland Japanese Garden consists of eight gardens covering 12 acres.
The garden is open Wednesday through Monday. Summer hour are 10:00 to 5:30. Admission is $18.95 for adults, $16.25 for seniors (65+), $15.25 for students (with ID), and $13.50 for youths (6-17). Children under six are free. Group tickets (for 15 or more people) are offered at a discount. Tickets must be purchased in advance through the garden’s 
Covid-19 update (April 2022): The garden is open to everyone, and masks are required only on the garden shuttle that runs from the parking area up the hill to the old garden entrance. (You do not have to take the shuttle and masks are not required if you walk). Some of the paths are one way only, and entrance to the Umami Cafe requires proof of vaccination. all garden staff are fully vaccinated.
The Portland Japanese Garden is, in my opinion, a must see for anyone visiting Portland. And you’ll probably also want to visit the 
Other gardens featured on this site include Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, Butchart Gardens, Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens, Lan Su Chinese Garden, and the Connie Hansen Garden. Those and other Northwest gardens have been or will soon be featured on this site. Check the Recent Posts list or click on the Upcoming Posts tab at the top of this post for gardens to be featured this spring.
Originally posted August 13, 2018. Updated December 20, 2020 and April 4, 2022.
Photographers and early risers can purchase sunrise passes for $25 that allows entry to the farm at 5am. Drone operators can purchase a drone pass for $10 (sunrise day pass or season pass required) that allows drone flights from 5-8am. All tickets must be purchased online. Tickets can be purchased through the 
Tickets include parking, and transportation from the parking lot to the fields is available for those with mobility issues. And there are tram and hay wagon rides that run from the main building through the fields. There is also a tulip tour train ($10 per person) that runs from the main building around the fields, with photo stops, that runs from noon to 5pm daily. 
Tethered hot air balloon flights are also available on weekends (adults 12+ $20, children 5-11 $10). Untethered early morning flights flights are also available starting at $229 per person with a two person minimum. All balloon flights are weather dependent. Check the Wooden Shoe webpage for details on balloon flights and other events and activities.
Cut flowers and potted bulbs are available for purchase at the farm, and flower bulbs can be ordered for fall delivery. 
Jeanette (Jenny) Butchart created the gardens in the early 20th century. Her husband, Robert, owned a cement manufacturing business. He was drawn to Vancouver Island because of its abundant limestone deposits, a key ingredient in Portland cement. Near the turn of the 20th century he purchased the site of what is now Butchart Gardens and began mining limestone and manufacturing cement. In 1904 the Butcharts built their estate on land adjacent to the quarry. Shortly thereafter, Jenny Butchart hired Isaburo Kishida to design and build the Japanese Garden at the estate.
Numerous improvements and additions to the Gardens have been made over the years. In 1953 Ian Ross added lighting to illuminate the Gardens at night, and in 1964 the Ross Fountain was installed in the lower reservoir in the Sunken Garden. The two large totem poles next to the Fireworks Lawn were erected in 2004. In 2009 Robin-Lee Clarke added the Children’s Pavillion and the Rose Carousel.
There have been a few reviews that have called the Gardens overpriced and under-whelming, but that’s definitely a minority opinion. And I’m siding with the majority here. Butchart Gardens may not be my favorite garden, but in my opinion the Gardens reputation and World Heritage Site designation are well deserved. And the Gardens are so beautiful that the cost of admission and the crowds shouldn’t dissuade anyone from visiting. If you have never been to Butchart Gardens, they should be on your bucket list, if they aren’t already. And now is as good a time as any to start planning a trip to 
Portland, Oregon is known as the Rose City, and has long had a love affair with roses. The Portland Rose Society has been in existence for more than 130 years. Portland’s premier festival is the annual Rose Festival, held in June every year since 1907. And one of the city’s best, if not the best, botanical gardens is the International Rose Test Garden.
The International Rose Test Garden was conceived in 1915 as a safe haven during World War I for hybrid roses grown in Europe, and rose hybridists in England began sending roses to Portland in 1918. Over the years, other hybridists have sent roses to Portland from all over the world.
The primary purpose of the Garden is to serve as a testing ground for new rose varieties. The Garden is home to a variety of formal rose evaluation programs in designated test beds. Rose companies send potential variety introductions for evaluation. How each variety performs determines if it makes it onto the
Today, the 
The Rose Garden is located in Washington Park, west of Portland’s downtown. Admission is free. To get there from downtown, take Burnside Street west, turn left onto Tichner Drive, then right onto Kingston Avenue. The Rose Garden will be on your left, behind the public tennis courts. Parking is limited, though, and will be hard to find on a summer weekend. Come on a weekday, if possible, and come early in the day to have the best chance to find a spot. Or consider parking in the downtown area and taking the Washington Park 
If you want a souvenir of your visit, or information on growing roses, check out the 
Posted March 16, 2022
The altitude also means that nights can be cold there even in the middle of summer. And in spring and fall, it’s not uncommon to encounter cold weather even in the middle of the day. (The photos here were taken in early May and, as you can see, there was still snow in places). Winters are cold, sometimes very, and can be snowy. Many of the trails are closed in winter. But winter also has its charms. Most of the best photos I’ve seen of Bryce Canyon have been taken when the hoodoos were covered in snow.
The good news is that you don’t have to hike very far into the hoodoos to get away from the crowds. There are a number of loop and out-and-back trails that will get you away from the crowds, some of them fairly easy hikes. The rim trail along the edge of the Bryce Amphitheater can also get you away from the worst of the crowds without actually descending into the hoodoos. And if you don’t want to (or can’t) hike into the amphitheaters, there are mule rides available. Check at the visitor center when you arrive. Some of the trails in the park are also paved and wheelchair accessible.
The only road in the park (other than a section of Utah Hwy 12 that cuts across the far northern end of the park) runs north to south along the top of the Paunsaugunt Plateau from the park entrance to Yovimpa Point and Rainbow Point at the southern end of the plateau. Because the park receives so many visitors in the summer, traffic congestion can be a problem. Consider parking your car at the visitor center or the lodge and taking the free shuttle that runs the length of the park. The buses run frequently and you can hop off at any of the viewpoints and catch a later shuttle if you want to do some hiking or just sit and enjoy the scenery for awhile. Taking the shuttle also makes point to point hikes possible without having two cars.
Besides being a spectacularly beautiful place during the day, Bryce Canyon is also great place to star gaze. It’s far from any light polluting urban areas, and the night skies in the park can be incredible. The park offers both astronomy programs and guided full moon hikes. Check the Bryce Canyon National Park 
The park website is a good place to begin when planning a trip to Bryce. The 
The Covid-19 pandemic is still with us as I write this (Feb. 2022), but the park is open with only a few restrictions. Masks are still required for everyone, regardless of vaccination status, in all NPS buildings, crowded outdoor spaces, and all forms of enclosed public transportation. But there are no other restrictions and all facilities are open. Additional details are available on the park website and at 
If you’re not ready to begin traveling again, though, here are links to a short video by 
Originally posted March 20, 2020. Updated and re-posted February 19, 2022.
The name Chelly comes from the Spanish spelling of the Navajo name for canyon, tseyi, which translates literally as “within the rock.” Over time the Spanish pronunciation, “chay-ee”, has evolved into the current pronunciation, “shay”.
Located a couple of miles east of Chinle, Arizona, the monument’s Welcome Center is a good place to start your visit. Pick up a free map of the monument and watch a short film about the monument to orient yourself. The park rangers can answer any questions you have about tours of the canyon, accommodations, the canyon’s history or geology, what plants and animals you’ll find in the park, or any other questions you might have. There is also a gift shop where souvenirs of your visit can be purchased.
Canyon de Chelly is worth a visit just for the spectacular scenery it affords, but it is also an important cultural and historic site. The canyon is one of the longest continuously inhabited places in North America. The Ancestral Puebloans (also known as the Anasazi) first settled in the area some 4,000 years ago. The canyon was later occupied by the Hopi, descendents of the Ancestral Puebloans, and more recently by the Navaho.
Originally posted May 14, 2020. Updated and re-posted February 14, 2022.
Originally posted April 28, 2020. Edited, updated, and re-posted February 5, 2022
The Plaza is an ideal place to begin your exploration of Santa Fe, particularly if you are an art lover, as my wife and I are. The New Mexico Museum of Art and the 
Of course there are plenty of things to see and do in Santa Fe beyond just the visual arts and local history. The Tourism Santa Fe 
Puebloan history and culture is an even more pronounced component of modern day Taos than it is in Santa Fe. The nearby 
Boise is Idaho’s capital and largest city, with a metropolitan area population of around 750,000. It’s large enough to have many of the amenities of a big city, but small enough to still retain something of a small town feel. And it’s a surprisingly modern and cosmopolitan city, blending elements of both West Coast and Rocky Mountain cultures.
Many fine Victorian houses and architecturally interesting buildings can also be found in the downtown area.
Anne Morrison Memorial Park on the south bank of the river, and the Julia Davis Park, just south of the downtown area on the north bank, are large urban parks with a variety of open spaces and tree lined paths along the river.
Julia Davis Park is also home to the Boise Rose Garden and Zoo Boise. Idaho Botanical Garden, a mile or so southeast of downtown, is also definitely worth a visit.
Boise is definitely worth visiting, and southwest Idaho has many truly unique, beautiful, and enjoyable places to visit, all within a short drive of each other. For more on those, check out my other Exploring Southwest Idaho posts: