Though the results weren’t what they hoped for, each of the Powell Junior All-Stars certainly had a trip to remember on their journey to and from the Little League West Regional in Vancouver, Washington.

The Brown brothers, Jesse and Nate, had traveled to southern California when they were in the first grade, per their estimation, but hadn’t done much other traveling.

Similarly, Colin Queen had visited Minnesota when he was around the same age, and other than playing in baseball tournaments around the state and up into Billings, none had played in such a far off place — which may have been a bit of a factor, especially in their opening loss to the team representing Oregon.

“It was a lot to take in, and our pitchers were having trouble throwing strikes,” Nate Brown said. “I was getting mad at shortstop, wishing we would throw strikes, then I got called in and I couldn’t throw strikes either.”

They could be forgiven the initial bit of nerves and frustration, as the team hadn’t been behind in any game during its recent run to the state championship, and they recognized in hindsight the things that can be improved upon.

“They weren’t better than us, they were just more experienced and used to good competition,” Queen said. “We got frustrated being down early, we made mistakes and we started getting mad and not playing well. We know we have to just stay focused and not get down on ourselves.”

The team had plenty of diversions along the way to ease the tough losses, including stops to practice at the stadiums of both the minor league Spokane

Indians and University of Portland.

“It was amazing being able to play in stadiums like that,” Jesse Brown said. “I’ve been to (Colorado) Rockies games, so I’ve seen bigger stadiums, but to be on the field was really cool.”

They also had the chance to take in a game of the Portland Pickles, a collegiate woodbat baseball team in the Great West League.

“That was so much fun and we were the loudest people there,” Jesse said. “We’d put our rally caps on and they would start to come back, and then they won it on a walk-off grand slam.”

The team got to do some walking around the city of Portland, which for lifelong Powell natives can be quite an experience itself.

“I got a little claustrophobic with all the tall buildings,” Queen said. “I’m more used to open spaces and mountains as scenery, and that was very different.”

They soon happened upon a weekly tradition for much of the year in the City of Roses, the Portland Saturday Market, rife with vendors and masses of people.

For city dwellers, it was likely just another day strolling with the crowds, but for the Powell boys it was another thing altogether.

“We were going to go to Voodoo Donuts, but the line was all the way down the block, so we walked into the market, which kind of seemed like a sketchy alley with a bunch of vendors,” Nate Brown said.

“We’re really not used to walking around with so many people and a lot of the kids were uncomfortable with that,” Jesse Brown said. “To people from there, I’m sure it was normal.”

“I actually liked it,” Nate said. “Walking around and seeing so many people, I thought that was really neat.”

The big city experience can certainly be a bit jarring for young men used to the slower pace and smaller population of Powell.

“It was an eye-opening experience,” Queen said. “I’m glad we were able to go and it’s something that we all shared and will remember. When we’re all 40 I know there will be parts of it that we will still talk about.”