The Lan Su Chinese Garden, smack dab in the middle of downtown, has a sweet story behind it. Portland's official sister city in China is a place called Suzhou, not far from Shanghai, whence some 65 workmen came to Portland in 1999 to build a 40,000-sq.-ft. Suzhou-style garden. They brought huge pieces of wood and hulking rocks from the homeland to make sure it turned out just so. Impressive! The garden is a tranquil break from the day-to-day grind, and there's a teahouse where you can sip some hot stuff and soak in the vibe. Plus, you can get some great gardening ideas for that scraggly backyard of yours.

• 1. Lan Su Chinese Garden
  NW 3rd Ave., at Everett St., Portland, OR 97209; 503-228-8131 45.5252829-122.6734624 lansugarden.org