"Third-generation-owned Powell’s City of Books occupies an entire city block on busy West Burnside. When the Powells founded their (now-iconic) family business in 1971, they had a simple, straightforward business model: put new and used hardcover and paperback titles all on the same shelf, stay open 365 days a year, and only hire people who were truly, madly, and deeply in love with books. Today it is world’s largest new and used bookstore, with nearly a million books in stock. Like most landmarks, Powell’s flagship Burnside store offers free behind-the-scenes tours; they’re first come, first served, 45 minutes long, and held every Sunday at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. The shop also hosts some of the world’s most renowned authors in the Pearl Room’s Basil Hallward Gallery; check the events calendar to see who’s reading during your stay. Some of the better known authors read at the Cedar Hills Crossing store, so double check the location." - Jen Stevenson