Literary Travel

The summer is now in full swing, and perhaps you're thinking of where to go on vacation.  Relaxing by the lake?  Hiking up a mountain?  Camping in the forest?  These are your traditional outdoor summer vacations, but maybe you're into something non-traditional, something different, something...bookish.

Should you be looking for literary spots to visit this summer in the Northwest, allow your friendly neighborhood perch librarian to make several suggestions:

Auntie's Bookstore (Spokane, WA)--This one's local, so you don't need anything other than gas in your car or a bus ride to get downtown.  It's located in a historic building at the corner of Main and Washington, so it has that old time feel to it--wooden floors, retro lighting, columns, and high ceilings. When you step inside, you just want to lose yourself in a good book.  This independent bookstore is an institution in Spokane, and it stocks a number of books by local authors.  Time flies too quickly whenever I go there.

Powell's City of Books (Portland, OR)--If you're a book lover and you happen to be in Portland, then you MUST go to Powell's City of Books.  Here you can get lost not only in a book, but also in the bookstore, which claims itself to be the largest independent bookstore in the world.  Make no mistake about it--this place is GIGANTIC!  It takes up a whole city block and has more than an acre and a half of retail space.  There's floor upon floor of books, and there's even a rare books room where you can get first editions (I once saw a first edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for $500).  Go and experience walking in one of the largest bookstores around.

Seattle Public Library (Seattle, WA)--Sure, when you're in Seattle you have to see the Space Needle and Pike Place, but in my ever so humble opinion, you also have to see the main branch of the Seattle Public Library.  It's nothing short of a Mecca for book lovers.  The architecture is simply stunning, and there are great views of the main floor (and the street outside) from 10 floors up.  There's artwork on the walls made from old card catalogs, and there's a cool red corridor on the 4th floor.  What I really envy, though, is that magical conveyor belt on the 1st floor that transports books from the book drop outside, up across the ceiling, and down to the circulation desk.  One word--awesome!

Sylvia Beach Hotel (Newport, OR)--I hope Santa or the Birthday Fairy will be good to me one of these years because this is the ultimate bed and breakfast for book lovers.  Located right on the ocean on the Oregon Coast, this hotel has rooms named after famous authors and decorated according to the time periods of those authors or their books (I'd go for the Herman Melville room--a room on the sea for a writer of the sea).  There's no Wi-Fi (after all, you're there to read books), there's a library open around the clock (bliss!), and a restaurant called the Tables of Content (don't you love it?).  For peace, quiet, and a whole lot of book-loving, this place is truly a treat.

Wishing you a book-filled summer from the perch.