They have such a wide variety of items to look at and explore. I'm a big fan of Lilly Pulizter, and…read moreI always find my fix here. Their prices can vary from being a bit high to having some really great sales. Everyone who works there are so friendly and I've never had a bad experience.

Too familiar Mayberry meets port Austin. However this small town just takes advantage of tourist…read more This place just like rest of the local establishments jack up the prices. I can say this the service here locally is really uptight. They charge 3.99 % for every credit card or debit purchased robbery. Their cook is lazy too I mean it was 10:48 in the morning and would not open the evens for hot sandwiches. The vibes here are just like a bad disturbance in the force. I can also figured out when I am in a establishment where race plays a big factor. Well what I can expect around here it's Trump country. The only good thing about this place it's nostalgic but it's not Hispanic friendly. That is all. The Chief Always walk in like you owner the place . That way everyone in place will move their own business.

This store is a combination of hardware and unique merchandise. Hubby and I were driving by on the…read moreway to Port Austin when I saw a bunch of bright yard art outside the building. I told him that store looking interesting so we decided to stop on the way back. There was plenty of parking on the side of the building. When we walked in we were greeted kindly and met by signs about wearing masks and hubby was asked to put his on. That's fine as it's the "law" right now so he obliged. The cute items were in the front of the store and on the patio area. The rest of the store was hardware - tools, paint, yard products, etc. Although there were some cute items, I didn't find anything I had to have. The prices were a little high too. I can see how this little store would be nice for folks that live in the area as you can get what you need and shop some cute things. Good for both husband and wife.

Cute hardware store and garden accessory gift shop along Main Street in town…read more We stopped off at the Port Hope mercantile and hardware shop in town. Bought a metal sun and metal poinsettia garden decoration for my mother. She will love these two items. We bought some clearcoat to protect the metal, as it will rust over time. The staff here are so friendly and warm and easy to talk to and were extremely helpful and made you feel comfortable too. The metals are artisan crafted and are reasonably priced too. Drop in and you will not leave empty handed.

I love this place! Not only did I get these awesome bird houses at a great price. They have other…read morethings from local suppliers like maple syrup and pierogies. Surprisingly, they import food from Italy so now it's my go to place for REAL olive oil, sauce, pasta, etc. Definitely check out this place.

Super nice & unbelievably cute!!!! The variety of items were great, candles, some clothing, and…read moreother items, too many to name. Love that I got my Market on 23 sweatshirt on sale too! Bonus! Will definitely be back next time we pass through!

I stopped in here to check things out and I was impressed with how many awesome gift ideas I could…read morecome up with! The store is so unique and even has a fenced-in back yard to enjoy a baked good from Tim's Bake Shop next store. I loved the t-shirts that represent the 7 Lakes and I ended up buying a little something special for someone else besides myself and a cool bracelet for my arm:-) Thank you 7 Lakes Gifts! xi

Great gifts! Nice little place with merchandise for all surrounding lakes very reasonable pricedread more

My favorite Bay City shop. I love the mix of vintage and new gift items. They also have lovely…read morejewelry and Troll beads. There plants are beautiful inside and out. Just a perfect mix of sweet treasures. Love the owners and staff also.

A fantastic, lovely boutique tucked away in historic downtown Bay City - Violet's Blue sells home…read moregoods, plants, and a multitude of European inspired designs and aesthetics. On Forth Street between Water and Saginaw, this small boutique has great curb appeal. The side of the shop has a fantastic courtyard and garden, adorned with various plants and gardens. The interior style falls to Vintage European, with additions of primitives and contemporary. The store is adorable inside. The staff are very friendly, and they often a wide variety of quality brands. Stop by during early September and early November for seasonal open houses, a great time to visit downtown.

The store commits to the community by showcasing locally produced items. I've always successfully…read morefound unique gifts as well as surprise items for myself! My favorite purchases include a metal flask etched with a shape of Michigan as well as a riveting historical fiction book about the community. The owners are incredibly helpful with gift suggestions, intimately knowledgeable about the source of all of their goods, as well as good sources of interesting conversation. Support local and shop here for all your gift needs!

I was in town for their pink lady's slipper festival. It's a small fair held at the nature center…read morewith live music, food, and vendors. It was pretty fun! The pink lady's slipper is an orchid that is native to the eastern United States and is abundant near the center and it's also the logo of the center. The volunteers mentioned there were over a hundred spotted near the trails and you were sure to see them (which we did, over 20+ sightings!). The nature center itself has dioramas about the ecology of the area, bathrooms, a water fountain, and a bird feeder where you can watch wild birds and chipmunks. There were so many goldfinches and mourning doves at that time of day. There's also a tank with a rescued turtle to look at too. It's very family friendly and the trail I went on near the center was paved with a bunch of signs, although there's also more trails which are unpaved. This is a neat little place and I would recommend it!

This place is a hidden gem in Port Austin not only does it have a great nature walk and agility…read morecourse it is free! I never knew that it had a little indoor Research Center that teaches about the wildlife and history of the county it was very interesting and the highlight of going here was for my daughter to be able to pick out a fossl that was local to the lake they even have a little gift shop in the back that you could buy bookmarks, books, birdhouses, bird feeders, and much more if you're going up here to vacation please take the time to check this out it will not be a disappointment.

It's a rare event that I go away stunned by a new visit experience. However that's what I felt…read moreafter leaving White Church Gallery in Grindstone Michigan. Located in rural remoteness of an old church in what was the heart of a long abandoned 1800's grindstone quarry operation, the owners Michael and Carrie Zaitz have created an artist oasis at the tip of the thumb. We stumbled upon the White Church Gallery while exploring Grindstone City's two popular ice cream shops; the Grindstone General Store and Rybak's Ice Cream Store. The gallery is across the street from Rybak's. Little did I know but the gallery opened this year on July 7, 2015. Doing a search on Yelp showed that White Church Gallery is the sole Art Gallery in the Thumb. The uniqueness of the restored church and remoteness of location makes it an amazing place. Carrie told me that they had to totally renovate the church. "Mother Nature had taken over." She indicated. They have been working on the Gallery for over three and a half years. The center piece of this renovated church is a beautifully restored quatrefoil stained glass window at the front of the gallery crafted by Tom Newton. You can sit on a the pews of the old church at Rybak's Ice Cream on the front porch. Carrie has pictures of the renovation process on her gallery's blog. The gallery has works displayed of fifteen artists in various mediums. Most notable are Joe Flosky's stained glass, Pat Hardin's cartoons, Duane Bilyeu's woodwork and turnings, Laura Landrum's jewelry, Susan Drescher's eco-friendly furniture and decorative products, Carolyn Kinnison's textured paintings using layers of paint and finishes over molding compound on wood Bill Stolpin's paintings and resident artist, Michael Zaitz abstract and surrealism works. When you first walk into the gallery it's like stepping into a different world. The unique colors and subtle light treatment show off the various art work. Everywhere you turn there is something to explore. I'm certain that the White Church Gallery will not be the sole art gallery in the Upper Thumb for long. However it will stand alone as being the first in the area with a powerful debut. The gallery is located five minutes east of Port Austin at 8686 Rouse Road.

From the owner: We are an art gallery.We carry acrylic and watercolor paintings, prints, photographs, jewelry,…read morefurniture, wood items, stained glass and more.

I don't want to overdo it here. But this is kind of a delightful little store. It kind of…read morespecializes in items that are specific to the state of Michigan. The staff is kind in the place is clean and stocked with a sort of stuff that you probably would not predict. Not completely to my needs, but there were some things about it. I appreciate it. One of the things it's difficult to get at this time is obscure DVDs since Best Buy has scaled back their selection, and there really aren't DVD stores anymore, but they actually have a DVD section that has some fairly obscure stuff that is worth at least checking out if you're having a hard time finding stuff in town . Maybe they won't have anything that's really your thing, but I would say the store is definitely worth a browse