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Portland offers free places of tranquility

Experience Portland on a college budget




Kylee Jo Flenner and Lina Tablanza soak up some autumn sun while they still can on The Triad, a sculpture by Evelyn Franz, in Laurelhurst Park.

A siren wails along Glisan Street as an ambulance hurries to take someone to the hospital. Car exhaust hangs in the air as yet another car stalls on the Banfield freeway. On Multnomah Bible College's campus, students hear the sirens almost every day and can smell the car exhaust whenever they leave campus.Where can a student go to escape the sound, sights and smell of the city?

Imagine sunlight falling between leaves and landing on unsuspecting individuals. Wind or rushing water is the only sound. Students searching for peaceful places to study, spend time with God or merely escape the humdrum of city and campus life can find them in Portland and for a very affordable price--free.

The Four-Dimensional Madonna of Orvieto Shrine squeaked on its mountings as onlookers stared. Each of the four slabs of stone that comprised the box-shaped shrine turned to reveal an ornately painted side. Each slab corresponded to the front, back, right and left sides of the Madonna.

The National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother, or The Grotto, is the home of the huge Madonna of Orvieto. The turning of each slab of the shrine is one of the loudest sounds at this Catholic shrine and botanical garden.

A peaceful and meditative atmosphere has always been one of The Grotto's most distinguishing characteristics since its opening in 1924. When the Archbishop Christie dedicated The Grotto at its opening, he called it "a place of solitude, peace and prayer."

Fir, ferns and large deciduous trees cover the 62 acres of gardens and paths that thread their way in and out among the trees. The path's themes focus on different aspects of the Catholic faith. "The Fifteen Mysteries of Christ" is one theme. "Via Matris, the Way of Our Sorrowful Mother" is another.

"Over the decades, nearly 8 million visitors of all faiths and from around the world have marveled at The Grotto's peaceful environment," stated a brochure distributed in The Grotto's visitor's complex. A sign near a pole dedicated to international peace attests that The Grotto is not only a place for those of the Catholic faith but also for those seeking peace.

Meditation on the scriptures or on the glories of God seem fitting in a place such as The Grotto. A $2 elevator ride takes visitors to the top of a cliff overlooking The Grotto. There, the glass-enclosed Marilyn Moyer Meditation Chapel offers a panoramic view of the Columbia River and the City of Roses.

If a person desires a gorgeous view but a $2 elevator ride sounds unreasonable, Mt. Tabor Park provides a perfect solution to the problem.

Mt. Tabor Park, located at Southeast 60th Avenue and Salmon Street, is a large, grassy, volcanic hill in the heart of Portland. Mt. Tabor's name comes from Mt. Tabor near Nazareth in Palestine.

A paved road made of volcanic rock wraps around to almost the very top of the hill. A paved path and several staircases lead to the top.

The top of Mt. Tabor offers a 360-degree view. A large statue of former Oregonian editor Harvey W. Scott presides over the view and "keeps the peace in the park," according to locals.

The park also contains several picnic areas and a playground. Trees covering most of the park shade visitors from the heat. The shade encourages visits from city dwellers on hot autumn days when indoors is unbearable.

Visitors can observe bikers and runners traveling up and down the paths that encircle the park. Most park visitors stroll along, casually enjoying the weather. Despite the high amount of traffic, a visitor can easily find a secluded place in the more than 195 acres that constitute the park and spend time undisturbed.

The only threat to seclusion would lie in a misguided Frisbee or the loud laughter of children as they play. A fair amount of exercise is required of any visitor. Climbing steps or hillsides is to be expected on a hill in Portland.

If a person is in search of solitude but lacks the ambition to climb steps, the atrium at The Embassy Suites at 82th Avenue and Airport Way provides a tranquil setting without rock staircases.

The atrium, located in the courtyard of The Embassy Suites, contains a small brook with white and orange fish and a small cascading waterfall. Natural light pours in from a huge skylight that covers the entire courtyard.

Couches scattered along the edge of a white and green marble walkway and three glass-enclosed elevators overlooking the atrium add to the atrium's aesthetic appeal.

The atrium is quiet. The prevalent sound is the cascading of the waterfall into a pool beneath the elevators. No interruptions threaten to inhibit prayer or Bible reading.

The atrium's decorations reflect peace and culture. Modern paintings with splashes of color adorn the neutral-colored walls. The paintings express culture, while the atrium expresses peaceful nature or pseudo-nature.

If pseudo-nature is no substitute for the real thing, check out Laurelhurst Neighborhood Metropolitan Park. Laurelhurst covers a little more than 34 acres at Southeast 39th Avenue and Stark Street and includes a walking path and a three-acre pond.

The pond is home to ducks, turtles and a variety of fish. On most sunny days, an assortment of dogs explore the park with each owner hanging on to their dog's leash.

Lamps dot the park's walking path, which winds around the natural pond and a large grassy area. Sunbathers, hacky sack players and bongo drummers make the open field their hangout on most sunny days.

The park contains a few pieces of art, including a sculpture called The Triad by Evelyn Franz. The Triad is a large hunk of stainless steel metal sculptured into a twisted shape. Most curious visitors either climb atop this stainless steel sculpture or stare, examining The Triad on each side.

Benches dot the landscape. From the benches, visitors can observe artists using the backdrop of the pond in a painting, dogs chasing the ducks in the pond or rollerbladers and runners maneuvering the curves in the park's walking path.

The Grotto, Mt. Tabor Park, the Embassy Suite's atrium and Laurelhurst Park are all free. Anyone who wants to study, spend time with God or experience Portland in a peaceful setting can visit these places. Even a student on a college budget can afford these places and find a free place of tranquility.