Still Celebrating Chinese New Year

Lunar or Chinese New Year runs for 15 days in China (and other Asian countries), but Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland has been running it the whole month of February and even extended it an extra week. I has been 20 years or so since I've been and I saw they were doing an event right now and thought it time to return. With Covid, tickets are very limited and timed, meaning we would be able to be spread out within the garden.

Beyond limited capacity, everyone must wear masks, they also had strict one-way path rules, hand sanitizing stations throughout, and 5-person limit inside any enclosed spaces. Since we missed out on the nighttime tickets where everything is lit up, I decided to purchase the first entry of the day. This turned out to be really smart on my part, because there were probably only 10 of us there.

You're greeted by a pair of Chinese lions (with babies even!) at the front gate, you check in and are briefed on safety protocols. You have the option of taking a paper guide, which you're encouraged to recycle at the end of your tour, or you can use the QR Codes at the front to get the guide on your phone.

There are lanterns everywhere, and I can only imagine how beautiful this is at night time. The gardens only takes up one full city block downtown in Portland's Chinatown, but they've made the most of the space and blocking out the city. 

Halfway through, there's a teashop, The Tao of Tea. Normally, you can grab a table and order from a long list of awesome teas and snacks. You can't sit inside and they limit occupancy to your group, but you can still order off their pared down menu to get something to-go. You're able to sit outside. I tried the chai tea, while Eric chose 8 treasures tea, and we split this red bean mooncake. Ordering was quick and easy, and our teas were up very quickly.

The teahouse is on the edge of the pond, allowing you to watch as other people stroll around and take photos. Here I am in the Moonlocking Pavilion. 

And here's Eric in front of the teahouse where we were sitting outside enjoying our tea. There's really no bad view in this place and I don't know why it took me so long to return, but we'll make sure this is a yearly tradition for us now.

You cross over several bridges and footpaths throughout the garden, allowing you to get a view of everything from many different perspectives. If you're lucky, you can catch a glimpse, or more, of the koi that call the water home. We were able to see a bunch of sizes, and seeing how much space they had to swim freely in. 

In the middle of the "lake" is a large dragon and a peacock. These are special for Lunar New Year and also lit up at night. They're absolutely gorgeous.

There are two main buildings that you can go into. The rooms are large, but you still can only have 5 people at a time inside. This wasn't a problem at all when we visited. We only had to wait a few minutes each time for them to clear out. Luckily, everything outside is lovely to look at, and the weather was really nice, so we didn't exactly feel like we were being held up at all. Inside the exhibits change. They showcase artist works and other traditional Chinese tableaus.

Right now, you'll find many interesting facts and photos surrounding the tradition of Lunar new Year, including this table with offerings for ancestors. You'll also find photos of those that are no longer with us, short poems called couplets, lanterns, fortunes, and more.

You might also like to take tea out by this very relaxing waterfall feature. There's a poetic inscription engraved in the rocks that says "Ten thousand ravines engulfed in deep clouds."

We took in the lanterns and other lovely celebratory decor like this wishing tree. Everything is very colorful and vibrant and really makes you feel like you have stepped into another place. Because 90% of the Chinese Garden is outside, this is a relatively safe activity right now. As you can see, there are hardly any people in my photos. This wasn't true the last time I visited, but I think visiting early in the day will enable us to get a less crowded experience, as well as the first nighttime ticket time. You can view more pics of my visit to Lan Su on my Instagram.

Now that the weather is getting warmer and more things are opening, you can expect more posts on what to do around Portland (and possibly your own town) during the pandemic that will keep you safe and healthy, but still get you out of the house.

Do you have a favorite outdoor attraction where you live?

Tips for Rental Vacation Holidays

Following the harsh and challenging winter season it's time to look forward to the spring and summer when you can enjoy the great outdoors in New and vibrant places. One of the best ideas for a vacation, especially this year, is a vacation rental. Vacation rentals are usually cabins, cottages, or boats that you can live on and explore the surrounding area, whether it's a natural landscape or an urban dwelling. 

Carolina Designs Carolina Design Realty

If you do decide to rent some vacation accommodation this year we can virtually guarantee you will forget a vital component of your travels. Everyone does this. Even the most organized people in the world have forgotten a phone charger or an important document that threaten the harmony and possibilities of your vacation. But it doesn't have to be like this, with the right planning you can stay secure and organized.  

If you want to plan your trip effectively and avoid forgetting important items, it's a good idea to separate what you will take into brand categories. These categories should include: General, Clothing, Gadgets, Kitchen, Bath, Sleep, and Kids. Create the categories in a notebook or an app that allows you to do this. Begin fixing in the first items that come to mind. 

Remember, don't start this process too close to your departure date. If you do it might prove counterproductive. You need to leave enough time between organizing the trip and leaving to reflect on what you really need. Guaranteed there will be items that come to mind while you wash the dishes or hang up the clothes.

Traveling with Your Friend

Travel is coming back. Vaccines are on the horizon, which means we might be traveling by the end of the year. While we've all been stuck in our house and not really up on our social skills as much as we'd like to be, it helps to be ready to learn to deal with other people again, especially if you've been waiting to see the world with them. Monday is International Women's Day, so I wanted to share some tips on how to make a girl's trip (or any trip really) more fun and easier to do.

Traveling with a friend can be awesome. It can also be stressful. More stressful than traveling with a significant other or family. If you know how to do it right, you'll still be friends when you return. It helps to plan trips with someone you know you have things in common with to begin with. Since you might be all excited about planning a trip with your bestie, I want to share my tips on how to travel with a friend, and not kill each other in the process.

Talk About Budget

We all hate to talk about money, especially with friends, but if you don't do this before your trip, I guarantee you will not be friends after your trip. Tell them what you're comfortable spending and find out what they're comfortable spending. 90% of the time, they will not be the same, and that is okay. It sucks if they are planning to spend twice as much as you can and you don't find out until you're on Day One of your vacay. It's always easier to spend less than come up with more, when you have bills and rent to pay. 

Set Expectations

Talk to each other about your travel styles. Are they chill about everything? Can they handle your micro-planning? Is it the other way around? If you are drastically different travelers, you may not work as travel partners. Of course, you could be like me and my friend who came with me to Disney last year. She was super chill and enjoyed that I am a super planner and planned all our days. I gave her an itinerary, made all the reservations, bought all the tickets, and she just went with it. 

Talk about the other stuff too. Are you a morning person? Is coffee a must before people talk to you after you wake up? Do long silences make you uncomfortable? Do they plan to help you drive? Are you unwilling to help them carry their bags because they're a chronic overpacker? It's easier to know these things before you leave home. That said, expect the unexpected.

Plan Together

Also known as knowing priorities and learning to compromise. Once you know your budget, talk about what your "must dos" are for your trip. If you're lucky, many of those things will be the same. You might also both find that the other wants to do/see/eat things you didn't know about, but actually want to to do/see/eat too! 

It's important that you're both happy on your trip. You can't both do things that only the one of you wants to do, because one of you will end up being bitter. Of course, compromising on things is important, too. Be open to new experiences. Do things that you only sort of want to do to make the other person happy. That brings me to this next tip:

Spend Some Time Apart

I get very worn out if I spend 24 hours a day with someone. I like to have my own space, my own room, some personal time. Just because you're on vacation with someone, doesn't mean you have to spend every waking moment with them. This could mean you get a two-bedroom to stay in, you keep up your morning run without them, or even that you go and do something alone for part of the day. It's possible they want to do something that you really don't. It's okay to tell them that they should still go do it and you'll do something else on your own. Time apart is good for you both. 

Be Honest

I really don't want people to tell me what I want to hear if they feel the complete opposite. If you don't want to do something I want to do, or I'm being annoying, tell me. I'd rather know than you be resentful. I'm not sensitive, so things like this won't hurt my feelings. And even if they do, I'll still know that it was probably hard for you to tell me, so I won't let it ruin our trip or friendship. If you need to just take a walk by yourself, tell your companion. If you don't feel like Italian food, tell your companion. If their incessant gum popping is making you want to punch them, tell them. Just maybe say it nicely and not threaten to punch them if they don't stop. 

Traveling with a friend (or friends) can be super rewarding and a great bonding experience. Of course, it can just as easily break your friendship if you don't prepare and communicate, so following the 5 tips above can help you manage all expectations. 

What are some ways you make trips with friends better?