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The Ultimate Guide to Christmas lights in Oregon 2021
Christmas lights held extra magic in Oregon in 2020. Some neighbors put their lights up a little earlier than other years. Others kept their lights up a little longer than normal, well into January or February.
In the PNW, many of us were waking up in the dark. Going to work in the dark. Spending all daylight hours indoors working. And coming home in the dark. In the darkest months of the year, during one of the darkest years we have seen, it was as if we as a community knew we all needed that extra light and hope. And what light and hope we had, we did our best to share and spread to those around us.
To continue in the spirit of spreading cheer, I’ve gathered some of the best places to view Christmas lights in Oregon this holiday season.
ZooLights at the Oregon Zoo
Traditionally, ZooLights at the Oregon Zoo has been an animal-themed walk through experience. However, last year due to COVID, they offered a drive through experience instead. This year, the Oregon Zoo is offering the best of both worlds—a walk-through option and a drive-through option.
Walk Through Nights
Bundle up warm for a one-mile stroll through the zoo, as you marvel at the sparkling 1.5 million lights. The traditional walk-through option allows you to move at your own pace, but I would plan to spend about an hour and a half there.
Take time to stop and explore the food trucks, ride the carousel, and pause to take some fun photos. Be sure to make time for a ride on the light-adorned train for a unique view of ZooLights. You can eat dinner, snack on elephant ears and kettle corn, or warm up with a hot coca.
Drive Through Nights
The drive-through option is perfect for those who don’t tolerate (or simply don’t like) the cold nights or long walks. You will see mostly the same lights as on the walk-through nights. The 30 minute drive leads you through the zoo and sometimes even through behind-the-scenes areas you can’t see during normal zoo hours.
But don’t worry, you can still enjoy the snacks and drinks! Place an order for your snacks when ordering your tickets online, and they’ll be delivered to you at check-in. Come in your sweats or pajamas, snuggle up in a blanket, and enjoy the lights from the comfort of your seat.
Dates: November 24th, 2021, to January 9th, 2022, starting at 5pm (closing time varies dependent on the night). The drive-through option is available Tuesday through Thursday night for 4 select weeks. All other nights are walk-through nights.
Cost: $16-29/person (walk-through option), $65/vehicle (drive-through option). Although Zoo Lights is not included in your Zoo membership this year, a 20% discount is offered to Zoo members.
TIPS: You must purchase your tickets online in advance, and don’t forget your mask. Arrive 25 minutes early for drive-through nights.
Winter Wonderland at the Portland International Raceway
Opening the day after Thanksgiving at the Portland International Raceway, this will be Winter Wonderland’s 29th year running. Proceeds from this event go to the Sunshine Division, which provides healthy meals for Portland families in need, year round.
For bicyclists and dog-lovers, this year there will be two special car-free nights open to view the lights. November 29th is Bike the Lights Night, and November 30th is Lights & Leashes Night.
Dates: November 26th, 2021, to January 1st, 2021. Opening and closing times vary, depending on the night.
Cost: Pay per vehicle; prices vary depending on vehicle size, with tickets starting at $46/car. Admission is $15 for adults ($5 for kids 6-12; free for kids 5 and under) on special nights.
TIPS: It’s best to attend this light show early in the evening, weeknights, or early in December. Peak times are later in the evening, weekends, and the week of Christmas, when wait times can be as long as an hour.
Lightopia in Hillsboro
Lightopia is a new Christmas light show as of last year, founded by Hillsboro firefighters bringing Christmas and meals to local families in need. It’s located in Hillsboro at the Gordon Faber Recreation Complex, right off highway US-26. I find this light display to be the most enjoyable and relaxing, as this half mile, 15-20 minute drive-through is less trafficked compared to other light shows (for now).
Dates: December 9th, 2021, to December 31st, 2021, starting at 5:30pm
Cost: This is a free event. However, you’re encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy or non-perishable food item. Donations will go to the Hillsboro Firefighters Toy & Joy Drive and the Hillsboro School District Food Pantry.
TIPS: Although it is free, you still must make reservations online in advance. Reservations open on Wednesdays for the following week. First Reservations open December 1st.
Christmas Festival of Lights at The Grotto
This event is located at The Grotto, or the National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother, in Northeast Portland. The Grotto covers 62 acres and is a shrine of the Roman Catholic Order of the Friar Servants of Mary.
An astounding 2 million lights illuminate a quarter mile walk through the Grotto. Plan to spend about an hour to an hour and a half enjoying the lights and outdoor Christmas carols. Also, be sure to check out the online schedule, as concerts are offered indoors, every night of the event.
Dates: November 26th to December 30th, 2021 (Closed Christmas Day) 4:30 or 5pm to 10pm
Cost: $16 for adults, $8 for children (3-11), free for children 2 and under. Order in advance online to save $1-2/ticket.
TIPS: You must provide proof of COVID vaccination or a negative COVID test within the past 72 hours at entry.
Pioneer Courthouse Square Tree Lighting
Don’t miss the 37th annual tree lighting at Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland. It will take place the day after Thanksgiving at 6pm. This year’s tree lighting will be celebrated virtually this holiday season and broadcast on KGW as a safety measure during the pandemic. At 75 feet tall, this Douglas fir will be a beautiful sight to see!
Date: November 26th, 2021, 6pm
Portland Christmas Ships Parade
The Portland Christmas Ships Parade began with just one boat in 1954. Hosted by the Columbia and Willamette River fleets, it now includes 55 to 60 boats in the Christmas Ship Fleet.
There are multiple options for viewing this parade. You can simply find a spot to stand on the river bank and watch. However, a cozier option many people choose is to watch the parade from one of the restaurants or hotels that line the Columbia and Willamette Rivers in Portland.
If you visit the Christmas Ships Parade website, you’ll find a schedule listing the parade route, as well as good restaurants and hotels along the route. Just be sure to make your reservations early, as some may start to fill up as much as a year in advance!
Dates: December 3rd to December 21st, 2021
Cost: Free to $$$?, dependent upon where you choose to watch the parade from. The Christmas Ships Parade is supported solely by donations, so if you go, considered making a donation online.
Pittock Mansion Christmas
Lions, reindeer, and polar bears, oh my! Ok, so this is not exactly Christmas lights in Oregon, but Pittock Mansion has a beautiful holiday display each year. This year’s theme is “Critters Make Merry,” where you’ll find reindeer, mice, and more. Explore Henry Pittock’s Mansion decorated for the holidays and catch a breath taking view of Portland from the mansion’s grounds.
Dates: November 22, 2021, to January 4th, 2022. 10am-4pm (Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day)
Cost: $13 for adults, $9 for children, free for children 6 and under and to members
Silverton Christmas Market at the Oregon Garden Resort
The Silverton Christmas Market is an event that has got it all going on. Where do I even begin?! I suppose I’ll start with the Christmas lights, since this is a post about Christmas lights in Oregon, after all. The light display includes 1 million lights, starts at the Oregon Garden Resort main lodge, and winds through the grounds.
You can book an over night stay at the Oregon Garden Resort to make the most of the experience. Explore the traditional German Christmas Market, sip on some glühwein, meet Santa and Frosty, and go snowless tubing. There’s even Biergarten serving local brews.
The Silverton Christmas Market is partnering with Silverton Area Community Aid (SACA). Bring non-perishable food items to donate to their food drive from December 1st through 23rd, for a chance to win a free overnight stay at the Oregon Garden Resort.
Dates: November 26th, 2021, January 9th, 2022, 5-9pm
Cost: $15-18 for adults, $5 for children (6-12), free for children 5 and under. Week days are less expensive than weekends, and Silverton residents receive will receive a discount with proof of residence. Snowless tubing is $3-8. Parking starts at $15.
TIPS: No cash accepted at this event.
Seaside Parade of Lights and Tree Lighting
Do something unique this holiday season and head out to the Oregon coast for a parade. The Seaside Parade of Lights will start on Necanicum Dr and move through downtown Seaside. The tree lighting takes place after the parade.
*A little side note: Did you know this year (2021) marks the centennial anniversary of the Seaside Promenade? Take a stroll down the promenade and enjoy the smell of the ocean while you’re in the area.
Date: November 26th, 2021. Parade starts at 7pm, Tree Lighting at 8pm
Cost: Free
Further Reading
I hope this guide to Christmas lights in Oregon was helpful. If you’re looking for Christmas lights in Washington, Flannels or Flip Flops has got you covered! Looking for more things to do in the PNW? Check out these 10 PNW travel blogs you need to read in 2022.
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102 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire your Wanderlust in 2022
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For all those out there with hearts full of reisefieber (that’s German for travel fever), this post goes out to you. I’ve collected the 102 best travel quotes to fuel your wanderlust, caption your Instagram posts, and inspire your next adventure. I hope you enjoy.
This post was updated November 2021.
Quotes That Define Travel
1.”Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things—air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky—all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” -Cesare Pavese
2. “Traveling is like flirting with life. It’s like saying, ‘I would stay and love you, but I have to go; this is my station.’” -Lisa St. Aubin de Teran
3. “Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” -Mary Ritter Beard
How Travel Defines Us
4. “If you want to know the truth of who you are, walk until not a person knows your name. Travel is the great leveler, the great teacher, bitter as medicine, crueler than mirror-glass. A long stretch of road will teach you more about yourself than a hundred years of quiet.” -Patrick Rothfuss
5. “So much of who we are is where we have been.” -William Langewiesche
“So much of who we are is where we have been.” —William Langewiesche—102 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire your Wanderlust in 2021 Click To Tweet
6. “You get a strange feeling when you leave a place. Like you’ll not only miss the people you love, but you miss the person you are at this time and place because you’ll never be this way ever again.” -Azar Nafisi
7. “One of the great things about travel is that you find out how many good, kind people there are.” -Edith Wharton
8. “The more I traveled the more I realized that fear makes strangers of people who should be friends.” -Shirley Maclaine
Quotes About Why We Travel
9. “I’ll never be content to stay forever in one place. I’m too madly in love with all the places I haven’t been, the people I haven’t met, the food I haven’t tried, and the streets I haven’t danced on.” -Brooke Hamptom
10. “We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.” -Robyn Yong
“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.” —Robyn Yong—102 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire your Wanderlust in 2021 Click To Tweet
11. “We travel initially to lose ourselves; and we travel next to find ourselves. We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate. We travel to bring what little we can, in our ignorance and knowledge, to those parts of the globe where riches are differently dispersed. And we travel, in essence, to become young fools again—to slow time down and get taken in, and fall in love once more.” -Patrick Rothfuss
“We travel initially to lose ourselves; and we travel next to find ourselves.” —Patrick Rothfuss—102 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire your Wanderlust in 2021 Click To Tweet
12. “To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.” -Bill Bryson
13. “We travel because distance and difference are the secret tonic of creativity. When we get home, home is still the same. But something inside our minds has changed, and that changes everything.” -Jonah Lehrer
14. “Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.” -Jack Kerouac
15. “I travel because I’d rather look back at my life, saying ‘I can’t believe I did that’ instead of ‘If only I had…’” -Florine Bos
We were made to move
16. “I always wonder why birds choose to stay in the same place when they can fly anywhere on the earth, then I ask myself the same question.” -Harun Yahya
17. “A ship at harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” -John A Shedd
“A ship at harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” —John A Shedd—102 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire your Wanderlust in 2021 Click To Tweet
18. “If we were meant to stay in one place, we’d have roots instead of feet.” -Rachel Wolchin
“If we were meant to stay in one place, we’d have roots in steady of feet.”-Rachel Wolchin-102 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire your Wanderlust in 2021 Click To Tweet
Quotes About How Travel Changes Us
19. “Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.” -Ibn Batutta
20. “At its best, travel should challenge our perceptions and most cherished views, cause us to rethink our assumptions, shake us a bit, make us broader minded and more understanding.” -Arthur Frommer
21. “A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” -Oliver Wendell Holmes
“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” —Oliver Wendell Holmes—102 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire your Wanderlust in 2021 Click To Tweet
22. “Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” -Gustave Flaubert
“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” —Gustave Flaubert—102 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire your Wanderlust in 2021 Click To Tweet
23. “Travel sparks our imagination, feeds our curiosity and reminds us how much we all have in common.” -Deborah Lloyd
24. “I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” -Mary Anne Radmacher
“I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” —Mary Anne Radmacher—102 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire your Wanderlust in 2021 Click To Tweet
Travel Quotes About Home
25. “You will never be completely home again, because part of your heart always will be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place.” -Miriam Adeney
26. “We are torn between a nostalgia for the familiar and an urge for the foreign and strange. We are homesick most for the places we have never known.” -Carson McCullers
27. “A great way to learn about your country is to leave it.” -Henry Rollins
“A great way to learn about your country is to leave it.” —Henry Rollins— 102 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire your Wanderlust in 2021 Click To Tweet
28. “There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.” -Robert Louis Stevenson
29. “Wild hearts find a home in every place they roam.” -C. Churchill
“Wild hearts find a home in every place they roam.” —C. Churchill—102 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire your Wanderlust in 2021 Click To Tweet
30. “A man does not belong to the place where he was born, but where he chooses to die.” -Orson Welles
“A man does not belong to the place where he was born, but where he chooses to die.” —Orson Welles—102 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire your Wanderlust in 2021 Click To Tweet
Proverbs From Around the World
31. “Your feet will take you where your heart is.” -Irish Proverb
“Your feet will take you where your heart is.” —Irish Proverb—102 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire your Wanderlust in 2021 Click To Tweet
32. “He who is outside his door already has the hardest part of his journey behind him.” -Dutch Proverb
33. “Don’t listen to what they say. Go see.” -Chinese Proverb
34. “Who lives sees much. Who travels sees more.” -Arab Proverb
On the Journey, the Road, the Destination
35. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” -Lao Tzu
36. “I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.” -Susan Sontag
“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.” —Susan Sontag—102 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire your Wanderlust in 2021 Click To Tweet
37. “I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.” -David Bowie
38. “The best journeys are the ones that answer questions that at the onset you never thought to ask.” -Rick Ridgeway
39. “A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” -Lao Tzu
40. “Because the greatest part of a road trip isn’t arriving at your destination. It’s all the wild stuff that happens along the way.” -Emma Chase
41. “Two roads diverged in a wood and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” -Robert Frost
42. “There are roads left in both of our shoes.” -Death Cab for Cutie, Soul Meets Body
Travel Quotes About Tourists v. Travelers
43. “When a man is a Traveler, the world is his house and the sky is his roof, where he hangs his hat is his home, and all the people are his family.” -Drew Bundini Brown
44. “Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travelers don’t know where they’re going.” -Paul Theroux
45. “The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see.” -G. K. Chesterton
46. “Please be a traveler, not a tourist. Try new things, meet new people, and look beyond what’s right in front of you. Those are the keys to understanding this amazing world we live in.” -Andrew Zimmern
Travel Quotes From Explorers and Travel Writers
Freya Stark
Freya Stark (1893-1993) was a British/Italian explorer and travel writer. She traveled extensively in the Middle East, Mediterranean, and Asia. In fact, she was one of the first non-Arabs to cross the Arabian Desert.
47. “To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world. You are surrounded by adventure.” -Freya Stark
48. “Travel does what good novelists also do to the life of everyday, placing it like a picture in a frame or a gem in its setting, so that the intrinsic qualities are made more clear. Travel does this with the very stuff that everyday life is made of, giving to it the sharp contour and meaning of art.” -Freya Stark
Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Bourdain (1956-2018), chef, travel writer and documentarian. This is a man who needs no introduction. He taught us about other cultures and countries, unapologetically examining both the good and the bad with raw honesty and respect.
49. “Travel is not reward for working, it’s education for living.” -Anthony Bourdain
“Travel is not reward for working, it’s education for living.” —Anthony Bourdain—102 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire your Wanderlust in 2021 Click To Tweet
50. “Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown.” -Anthony Bourdain
51. “Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.” -Anthony Bourdain
Pico Iyer
Pico Iyer (1957–) is a contemporary British travel writer. He tends to focus his writing on often over-looked topics. For example, he examines the disconnect between local tradition and global pop culture, the cultural repercussions of isolation, and how travel can help us find a calm and stillness in today’s busy pace.
52. “A person susceptible to ‘wanderlust’ is not so much addicted to movement as committed to transformation.” -Pico Iyer
53. “Travel is not really about leaving our homes, but leaving our habits.” -Pico Iyer
“Travel is not really about leaving our homes, but leaving our habits.” —Pico Iyer—102 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire your Wanderlust in 2021 Click To Tweet
54. “And if travel is like love, it is, in the end, mostly because it’s a heightened state of awareness, in which we are mindful, receptive, undimmed by familiarity and ready to be transformed. That is why the best trips, like the best love affairs, never really end.” -Pico Iyer
55. “Anybody who travels knows that you’re not really doing so in order to move around—you’re traveling in order to be moved. And really what you’re seeing is not just the Grand Canyon or the Great Wall but some moods or intimations or places inside yourself that you never ordinarily see when you’re sleepwalking through your daily life.” -Pico Iyer
Travel Quotes From Naturalists
56. “Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.” -Henry David Thoreau
57. “The world is big, and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark.” -John Muir
“The world is big, and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark.” —John Muir—102 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire your Wanderlust in 2021 Click To Tweet
58. “Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.” -John Muir
59. “Most people who travel look only at what they are directed to look at. Great is the power of the guidebook maker, however ignorant.” -John Muir
Travel Quotes From Great Literary Authors
60. “To move, to breathe, to fly, to float, to gain all while you give, to roam the roads of lands remote, to travel is to live.” -Hans Christian Anderson
61. “For always roaming with a hungry heart, much have I seen and known.” -Alfred Tennyson
“For always roaming with a hungry heart, much have I seen and known.” —Alfred Tennyson—102 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire your Wanderlust in 2021 Click To Tweet
62. “Live life with no excuses, travel with no regret.” -Oscar Wilde
“Live life with no excuses, travel with no regret.” —Oscar Wilde—102 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire your Wanderlust in 2021 Click To Tweet
63. “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.” -T. S. Elliot
64. “It’s a funny thing coming home. Nothing changes. Everything looks the same, feels the same, even smells the same. You realize what’s changed is you.” -F Scott Fitzgerald
65. “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” -Mark Twain
66. “Bizarre travel plans are dancing lessons from God.” -Kurt Vonnegut
67. “Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all people cry, laugh, eat, worry and diet, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.” -Maya Angelou
Travel Quotes From Books
68. “It is not down in any map; true places never are.” -Herman Melville, Moby Dick
“It is not down in any map; true places never are.” —Herman Melville, Moby Dick—102 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire your Wanderlust in 2021 Click To Tweet
69. “It is a big and beautiful world. Most of us live and die in the same corner where we were born and never get to see any of it. I don’t want to be most of us.” -Oberyn Martell, Game of Thrones
70. “Travel far enough to meet yourself.” -David Mitchel, Cloud Atlas
71. “I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.” -Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest
72. “Would you like an adventure now or shall we have our tea first?” -Peter Pan
“Would you like an adventure now or shall we have our tea first?” —Peter Pan—102 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire your Wanderlust in 2021 Click To Tweet
73. “Not all those who wander are lost.” -J.J.R. Tolkien
“Not all those who wander are lost.” —JRR Tolkien—102 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire your Wanderlust in 2021 Click To Tweet
74. “It’s a dangerous business…going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” -J.R.R. Tolkien
Travel Quotes on Books and Education
75. “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” -St. Augustine
76. “I read, I travel, I become.” -Derek Walcott
“I read, I travel, I become.” —Derek Walcott—102 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire your Wanderlust in 2021 Click To Tweet
77. “Of all the books in all the world, the best stories are found between the pages of a passport.” -Saber Ben Hassen
78. “With age, comes wisdom. With travel, comes understanding.” -Sandra Lake
79. “Don’t tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you have traveled.” -Muhammad
Travel Quotes About Wealth
80. “Travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer.” -Anonymous
81. “I would rather own a little and see the world than own the world and see a little of it.” -Alexander Sattler
82. “Own only what you can always carry with you: know languages, know countries, know people. Let your memory be your travel bag.” -Alexander Solzhenitsyn
83. “To travel is to possess the world.” -Burton Holmes
Quotes on Adventure
84. “Blessed are the curious for they shall have adventures.” -Lovelle Drachman
“Blessed are the curious for they shall have adventures.” —Lovelle Drachman—102 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire your Wanderlust in 2021 Click To Tweet
85. “If happiness is the goal—and it should be, then adventures should be a priority.” -Richard Branson
86. “Nothing adventured, nothing attained.” -Peter McWilliams
“Nothing adventured, nothing attained.” —Peter McWilliams—102 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire your Wanderlust in 2021 Click To Tweet
87. “You must go on adventures to find out where you truly belong.” -Sue Fitzmaurice
88. “We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” -Jawaharlal Nehru
89. “Travel doesn’t become adventure until you leave yourself behind.” -Marty Rubin
Travel Quotes That Offer Advice
90. “Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.” -Dalai Lama
91. “Live your life by a compass, not a clock.” -Stephen Covey
“Live your life by a compass, not a clock.” —Stephen Covey—102 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire your Wanderlust in 2021 Click To Tweet
92. “We must travel in the direction of our fear.” -John Berryman
“We must travel in the direction of our fear.” —John Berryman— 102 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire your Wanderlust in 2021 Click To Tweet
93. “Cover the earth before it covers you.” -Dagobert D Runes
“Cover the earth before it covers you.” —Dagobert D Runes—102 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire your Wanderlust in 2021 Click To Tweet
94. “Travel while you’re young and able. Don’t worry about the money, just make it work. Experience is far more valuable than money will ever be.” -David Avocado Wolfe
95. “When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money.” -Susan Heller
96. “Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time.” -Aliyyah Eniath
“Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time.” —Aliyyah Eniath—102 Best Travel Quotes to Inspire your Wanderlust in 2021 Click To Tweet
97. “If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears.” -Cesare Pavese
98. “When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.” -Clifton Fadiman
99. “Do yourself a favor. Before it’s too late, without thinking too much about it first, pack a pillow and a blanket and see as much of the world as you can. You will not regret it. One day it will be too late.” -Jhumpa Lahiri
Travel Memories
100. “We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone.” -Travelermentality
101. “I have worn the dust of many foreign streets, but to brush it off would surely be a crime. I have the memories of many foreign adventures, but to forget them, would surely be a sin. So, breath in the dust, and keep the memories in.” -Rowland Waring-Flood
102. “Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me, I want people to know why I look this way. I’ve traveled a long way and some of the roads weren’t paved.” -Will Rogers
Without a doubt, there are a lot of amazing travel quotes out there. However, I’ve only shared a few of them. Do you have a favorite quote I missed? I’d love to hear from you. So tell me, what are your favorite travel quotes, and why do they speak to you?
Also, if you’re looking for a little more travel inspiration, check out Clarice’s Travel Bucket List. Or if you’re looking for more quotes, you can check out 13 John Muir Quotes for the Adventurers at Heart, too.
Did you find this post helpful? Then please pass it on and give it a share!
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Barefoot in the Portland Lan Su Chinese Garden
We park the car in downtown Portland and step out to the buzz of traffic. Car horns, bicyclists whizzing by, conversations of the people around us. It’s a chaotic symphony of noises. The Portland Lan Su Chinese Garden sits nestled amongst the tall buildings and cacophony of Portland, Oregon’s China Town.
And yet, once we enter the graceful white canvas walls of the gardens, the outside world quickly fades from existence. We are greeted by two intricate stone lions, and a line of poetry on the entry gate.
All nature’s splendors captured in this gourd-heaven.
Overhead inscription on entry gate
The Portland Lan Su Chinese Garden is one of the most detailed and beautiful works of art I have seen. In addition to landscaping, it incorporates sculpture, painting, wood carving, architecture, and even poetry. And with all of that, I’m sure I’ve still missed some mode of art they’ve managed to include. It offers a truly holistic experience.
Most cherished in this mundane world is a place without traffic; truly in the midst of a city there can be mountain and forest.
Portion of illustrated panel, Flowers Bathing in Spring Rain
Sister Cities
Portland’s sister city Suzhou lies on the eastern coast of China in the Jiangsu province, and they declared themselves sister cities in 1988. I can immediately see why, as both are cities known for their bridges and waterways.
In an exchange of sisterhood, Portland and Suzhou built each other gardens. First, the Suzhou Rose Garden opened in 1994, and then the Portland Lan Su Chinese Garden opened in 2000.
The Lan Su Chinese garden occupies a full city block. It was built by 65 Suzhou artisans and modeled after a traditional Chinese home from the Ming dynasty. Lan Su translates to “Awakening Orchids,” so it is known as the “Garden of Awakening Orchids.”
Lan Su Chinese Garden Guided Tours
During previous visits, guided tours of the Lan Su Chinese Garden were offered by volunteers. And I am always amazed at how knowledgeable the volunteers are; I learn something new every time, without fail. Here are some of the things I’ve learned from previous visits for example.
An Optical Illusion
Every where you look in the gardens, there is something nestled just beyond it, giving the illusion that the gardens are larger than they actually are. During a time when land meant wealth, and the more land you had, the richer you were, it’s easy to see why this technique was adopted.
Each Window is Like a Snowflake – Completely Unique
To be truly authentic, the white wall surrounding the Lan Su Chinese Garden ideally would not have had windows. However, Portland city code required them. But that didn’t dampen the Suzhou artisans’ creativity one bit. When you visit, pay attention to the windows, and you will notice that each window is completely unique.
A Painter’s Canvas
A traditional Chinese garden is a work of art, a masterpiece. And no detail is over looked. A tree, bush, or rock stands as an artist’s painting, while the white walls surrounding the garden act as the canvas upon which the artist paints. As you explore the gardens, keep this in mind as you and you’ll see them with new eyes.
Mosaic: Plum Blossoms on Cracked Ice 
Tai Hu Rock
Straight from China
Many of the ornamental rocks throughout the gardens were flown in all the way from Tai Lake in China. These Tai Hu rocks take their name and shape from the lake they originate from. Underwater erosion created their intriguing appearance.
Beneath Your Feet
When you visit the gardens, pay attention to the earth beneath you. Let yourself be grounded in the present experience. Can you imagine walking through the Lan Su Chinese Garden barefoot? The beautiful stone mosaics would act as a peaceful massage for your feet.
Now notice how the mosaics under foot differ from one space to the next. Each pattern has its own name, for example, Plum Blossoms on Cracked Ice, a line of poetry in its own rite.
The flowing stream reflects its shadow; The seasonal birds bring it beautiful songs. When flowers blossom along its railings, The willow bows low.
Portion of illustrated panel, Flowers Bathing in Spring Rain
When is the best time of year to visit the Lan Su Chinese Garden?
The Chinese gardens are beautiful any time of the year, regardless of the weather. However, my favorite time to visit may be on a cool day with a light drizzle. The rain creating ripples on the small lake within the garden is soothing. And nothing is more satisfying than stopping by the tea house before leaving, to warm up over tea and cookies. So don’t let the weather deter you!
What to Expect When Visiting Lan Su Chinese Garden during COVID
Yes, the Lan Su Chinese Garden is open during COVID! And yes, it is 100% worth the visit, even with current restrictions. That being said, it helps to be prepared and to know what to expect once you get there. So here’s a few tips before you go.
1.Book your tickets online in advance to be sure there is an available time slot.
2. Admission will be timed entry, with an hour window to explore, in order to observe capacity limits.
3. Be sure to show up on time. If you are more than 15 minutes late, you will have to wait for the next available time slot, if one is available that day.
4. Follow the arrows for one direction traffic. A couple of loops are built in to the flow of traffic so you won’t miss anything!
5. Don’t forget to bring a face mask.
6. Audio guides will be offered from the website or with a QR code instead of an in-person tour guide. So be sure to bring a smartphone!
7. Play one of the scavenger hunts in addition to the audio tour! (Smart phone required.)
8. The tea house was open for take out only when we visited. Be sure to check with Multnomah county dining restrictions before your visit.
Planning Your Visit to Lan Su Chinese Garden
Before you plan your visit, be sure to check their website for special events. Over the years, I have seen art exhibits, bonsai displays, yoga sessions, and Lunar New Year celebrations, all offered within the peaceful walls of Lan Su Chinese Garden.
With all the the special events through out the year, it’s well worth considering a membership if you live nearby. Or maybe even if you just visit Portland frequently!
Available amenities: ADA accessible, bathrooms, gift shop, tea shop.
Lunar New Year
My most recent visit to the Lan Su Chinese Garden was during the Lunar New Year celebration. The entire garden was decorated with festive, bright red lanterns. It was beautiful.
The Lunar New Year starts with the first new moon between the end of January and the end of February and continues for 15 days until the next full moon. It is called the Lunar New Year as opposed to the Chinese New Year, as it is an important celebration in many Asian cultures.
Each Asian culture celebrating the Lunar New Year has its own traditions. But I really love the Chinese traditions surrounding this holiday.
To begin the celebration, the Chinese do a thorough deep-clean of their homes to chase away any bad luck that may have culminated over the past year. That’s a tradition I may have to adopt—I love the idea of starting the New Year with a clean slate! New clothes, long noodles for longevity and fish for abundance. And it all ends with a lion and dragon dance!
The Lion Dance
The Lion Dance is a tradition that started over 2,000 years ago and is based off a Chinese legend. As the legend goes, a small village in southern China found itself tormented by a great beast that ate all their crops each year. Then one year, the villagers decided to take action. They created their own beast. They created a lion.
The next time the dangerous beast visited the village, it met loud drums, firecrackers, and a great and colorful lion. The villagers’ lion scared off the beast for good. Today, the lion dance represents the warding off of evil and spreading of good fortune.
Don’t listen to what they say. Go see.
I could go on and on about the topic of the Lan Su Chinese Garden, but I want to leave some thing for you to discover on your own! And trust me, there’s so much more to see experience there. Have you been there before already? What was your favorite part?
For more vacation ideas in Oregon, check out my post 10 Reasons You Have to Visit Seaside, Oregon.
