My Oregon Trail (Part 6)

And now to the bookstores (and purchases)! First stop, Allegory Books & Music at the Marketplace at Gleneden Beach. This little outdoor mall has several lovely boutiques that I always enjoy wandering through. They're a little pricey since they cater to the Salishan guests, but a nice change from the usual stores one finds in malls all over the country.

Apologies for the terrible lighting in the interior shots of the store. I should have tried to correct for the overhead lights, but didn't think to. Too busy looking at the books.

Remember to click on the photos to enlarge to a full-screen size.





I was very good and only bought one book. I just have so many to read at home that I decided rather than add more to my towering stacks, I'd just look for a regional cookbook to get as a souvenir. Dungeness Crabs & Blackberry Cobblers is a charming cookbook full of diverse recipes from the Northwest. There are over 200 historical pictures and line drawings, as well as little bits of local information and remembrances. I confess, I have not yet tried a single recipe, but you can be sure I will. My only complaint is that there are no color photographs of the recipes. I really prefer to see what the final dish should look like, but that will just give me more reason to try the recipes myself. The keepers will wind up on my cooking blog with a picture!

The next bookstore was Canyon Way Bookstore in Newport. It's a funky store with lots of nooks & crannies and creaky old wood floors. There's a wonderful restaurant at one end of the bookstore that has, among other choices, the most delicious crab melt sandwich I have ever tasted. Unfortunately, we'd already eaten (at the Chowder Bowl in Nye Beach, where else?) so this was strictly a shopping adventure. There is so much to look at in the Canyon Way Bookstore. Lots of wonderful local books, as well as the usual best sellers and favorites. They also stock a fair amount of gift items and greeting cards. Oh, and music! I bought a marvelous cd for my folks. I'll post more about that in a day or two.



Again, trying to be good, I settled for just one book. I happened upon On Island Time in the regional section and thought the title sounded vaguely familiar. I think it's one that my stepmom mentioned on our recent visit to Washington. I love the cover and can't wait for a quiet weekend to curl up on the couch and read it through, cover to cover. The subtitle reads: Stories and drawings about island life and the small wonders of the natural world. Doesn't that sound lovely? The pen and ink drawings are beautiful and I'm sure I'll treasure this gem of a book. Of course, once I've read it, I'll probably want to sell our house and move to Quadra Island. I may just have to compromise and plan another vacation. Don't think I'll get much resistance from my hubby!

Speaking of Rod, he didn't find anything he had to buy, but I could not resist getting him this t-shirt. Isn't it fabulous?! And the middle dog looks so much like our old Sid. I love it. You can find more shirts like this one here.

So, that's all for our Oregon book store visits. Well, unless you count the last-minute visit at Powell's Books in the Portland Airport. I found a couple of books on their bargain tables and couldn't resist! (So much for those toppling stacks at home, right?) I've been anxious to read Cody McFadyen's Face of Death (sequel to Shadow Man) and was thrilled to find an ARC for just $7.50.

I also found a copy of Jim Lynch's The Highest Tide and, having heard great things about it, decided it was a good choice, especially since it's by a Washington State native, writing about the ocean. It was meant to be. ;)


Now to find the time to read these lovely books. I still haven't read any from our previous trip! At least the shirt and cd are getting good use!