Touch Grass: Take a Hike
Photo Credit: Adrian Keller Feld
Reed’s campus provides many opportunities for scenic walks; even just getting from dorm to classroom can include a magical venture through the Canyon. The scenery doesn't stop at Reed, however, as Portland is a city filled with so much green it overflows, with moss bursting through sidewalks and encrusting car doors. You’d be hard-pressed to take a walk around here and not touch some grass. This week’s “Touch Grass” is here to remind you that while parks and gardens are amazing, taking an arduous public transit journey or driving a car someplace is not the only way to get out in nature, at least around Reed. Even if you desire a park or garden, the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, Woodstock Park, Kenilworth Park, Berkeley Park, and Westmoreland Park are all under a 30 minute walk from Reed. To learn more about any of these places, check out their features in previous “Touch Grass” editions on the Quest website.
Life gets busy, and a trip to a green space may seem to be a daunting task, like forcing oneself to go to the gym…it's times like these where a nice, purposeful walk comes in handy. Woodstock has all the essential shops, like Safeway, but also hosts many nice restaurants and other offerings, some of which are covered in the Quest column “Woodstock Wanderings.” Woodstock is a great destination to shoot for from Reed’s campus, as the walk there is challenging uphill, but the return is downhill. This is also true of the walk to Woodstock Park, which could be combined with a trip down Woodstock for a picnic. As the weather gets nicer, spending time outside is easier than it has been in months. If you are looking for a longer walk, heading in the opposite direction to Sellwood provides another great miniature downtown neighborhood, and has its own small grocery store if you want to combine the walk with an essential chore.
Taking any of these walks is not feasible for everyone of course, and that is fine! Many “Touch Grass” articles focus on trips one can take with a choose-your-own-adventure approach to the level of physical activity required. In this spirit, there are some walks that may be more accessible, such as staying on campus. The two bridges at Reed provide great views into the Canyon, while remaining far more accessible than the muddy paths below. The Rhododendron Garden is also free to access for Reed students just by showing Reed ID at the ticket booth, and it has paved paths and benches that make it a far more accessible option than the Canyon, while being only slightly farther away. Even if all you can manage is the walk to class, there are still so many beautiful trees, flowers in bloom, and all manner of twittering birds and sunlight leaves to enjoy on even the shortest of outdoor ventures. To learn more, visit the outdoors. So, go out and touch grass all around you!