I got lost in Powell's and more adventures in Portland

I am falling behinder and behinder in my vacation reporting.
I got lost in Powell's. I had heard all about Powell's, how the store is as big as a city block. The rooms are up and down and all around and identified by colors such as "the purple room or the blue room." My daughter called me while I was in Powell's and said something like "what are you doing?" and I said "I am literally lost in Powell's."

A lot of books are discounted and I love to buy discounted books. I would have bought more, but I had to bring them home on the plane. I bought Auden's As I walked out one evening, Bryson's Dictionary of troublesome words and a book of Oregon poetry entitled Deer drink the moon. Auden is my favorite poet with Mary Oliver in a close second.

After Powell's, we visited the Portland Rose Gardens. While they were beautiful in October, I cannot imagine what it might be like to visit in the summer.

Here are a few photos of the stunning roses.

After the rose gardens, we visited the Japanese garden.

Greg and Doug. Two wild and crazy guys.

We liked the twine and bamboo fences

and wondered if we might do something similar at home with branches and twigs.

The garden was very tranquil.

We found the stone with Greg's parent's names on it.

Then we went to McMennamin's. While Doug parked, Greg and I waited. I liked this building and Greg pointed out what the billboard said.

End Petlessness, there is a furry soulmate for everyone.

Then we went to McMennamin's for lunch.

The Crystal Ballroom

In the spirit of the season.

Wilbur's jumbo deluxe- burger with bacon and egg.

It was no challenge for this Hoosier.

Upstairs, a tour of the ballroom.

Amazing restoration.

Old-time bar, upstairs.

Beer making. Doug had a sampler and I liked the terminator stout.

I liked Portland. It seemed to me to be a city of one-way streets and exits. It almost seemed as if the city had grown at such a rate that the infrastructure and roads could barely keep up. I was impressed with the amount of trees. We will have to return so we can go to the famous farmer's market.