We split the sandwich and the flavor is off the chart. Can't wait to see everything in the store…read morehere.

I'm a transplant to Northwest Iowa, so when I discovered The Hen House years ago - with its…read morebig-city charm, gifts and home decor options in a small-town setting - I fell in love. I often tell the owners that if The Hen House ever leaves town -- I'm outta here, as welI! The Hen House is my favorite shopping destination in Spencer. I also love to bring my out-of-town company to experience it for themselves, because it's tons of fun! They offer amazing seasonal items, baby gifts galore (ear of corn chew toy is my favorite staple gift), house wares, kitchen/dining, funking jewelry, pillos, lamps candles. . . Oh, and to receive a gift card from The Hen House is like finding a little lump of precious gold in your pocketbook.

I love this gift and souvenir shop at OKOBOJI / Arnold's Park. I think it has the best selection of…read moreclassy, nice items including beach bags, sweatshirts, pillows, sundresses and more. They every had a deal for okoboji T-shirts 2 for $30. Perfect for a gift for Dad who needs new fresh T's! They even have a new dog section!! Dog scarves, leashes, collars, etc all with Okoboji written on them. So cute! The store is always clean and the customer people there are always friendly and folding or straitening something!! Go here for your Okoboji goods and more.

Books'n Things has now been around for several Summer Seasons. As time and the digital revolution…read morehave progressed, there are less Books here and many more Things. I make it a point to stop and look around every time I'm in Town. The best time is near the end of the Season when all the seasonal stores run sales. They have a nice selection of clothing and gifts, many of which Gayle and other family members have actually liked!

In the 1900s, there were 5 ballrooms on West Lake Okoboji: Manhattan Beach, Roof Gardens, The Inn,…read moreThe Casino and The Central Emporium, then known as the Central Pavilion. The Central Emporium is the only one that remains a part of today's Iowa Great Lakes. It was originally built in 1901 and by the 1960s, the building sat empty until it was purchased in 1967 and used as boat storage. In 1971, the building was remodeled and began leasing out space for stores. During that first year, there were only 3-5 businesses including The Diver's Den, the Outrigger and a jewelry store. I started hanging out at the Central Emporium about that time in the early 1970s. It's gone through ownership changes since then and many shops have also come and gone. The Building itself has also been stabilized from falling into the Lake and at during my visit this summer, the old Girl looks pretty good on the inside as well. There's still the expected collection of tourist based shops, but the Central Emporium also includes a couple nice dining and drinking establishments (with great views), a branch of Hill Avenue Books, and even a few shops (e.g., Life on the Lake) that I enjoy. You can also get here by foot or by boat. I could see how a developer would think of this property as a good condo or other resort opportunity. And I do wonder how the Central Emporium makes money within the confines of a summer vacation season. But as long as this historic Iowa building still stands, I'll be there whenever I'm in town.

Always a fun and nostalgic place to visit. I've been coming to Okoboji since the 1980's, and The…read moreEmporium hasn't changed a lot. You can still grab a bite to eat, buy a bag of candy, or load up on all those Okoboji sweatshirts to wear during the upcoming winter. Plus, if you show up just after the summer season has ended, you'll get everything at a great discount.

A wonderland of the most eye popping, healthy variety of plants in the most charming well cared…read morefor, cleanly maintained greenhouses I've been blessed to visit! The growers/ proprietors are talented, knowledgeable and ready to help you take these lovelies home to plant in the best site that will help them thrive and enchant! Go HERE! Load up and enjoy!

So fun! Pricing was great! $10 for 27 holes. Fun obstacles. There was ice cream for when you are…read moredone and it was awesome! Friendly staff! The hole had lots of fun a different challenges!

This was a last minute change of plans as we had planned on playing mini golf at Pirates Cove but…read morethere was an event at Arnold's Park and no parking for a mile. So we quickly looked to see if there was another option and this little gem popped up. 27 holes of mini golf all themed around Disney or fairy tales we all know and love. Not super hard BUT several holes had a special wheel to spin to add an extra to that hole. For example I got to move an opponent's ball to wherever I wanted to in bounds. My kids loved this and we would go back again and the people running it were very nice and attentive! Skip the commercialized mini golf place and head here!

When I visit a resort area, there's a certain schlock factor that I come to expect within the more…read moretouristy portions. Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco is a prime example and to a point where I simply won't go unless an out-of-town guest really insists. The Iowa Great Lakes isn't San Francisco, but for this Iowa Boy, it's a World Away that is close enough. As such, you'll find me here every Summer with my Family in tow enjoying another Blue Water adventure. As for shopping, I start with my favourite galleries - Bogenrief Glass in Spencer and Art on 16th and A Piece of Work in Spirit Lake. Arnold's Park and the more touristy shopping at the Central Emporium and the Queens Court come later and are covered quickly. World's Away is a notable exception to the model. It's clothing, art, and antiques makes this store a classy island within this sometimes schlocky sea.

We were recently faced with the loss of our father. We wanted to show how much of a loving and…read moreunique person he was. We contacted Tina and discussed the picture we wanted to portray at his memorial. With little more than 24 hours to accomplish this task, she really out did herself. She was able to take several little pieces of our dads things and create two arrangements that we were so proud to display at his memorial. We have been enjoying them for the past week as well at home. We Highly recommend putting your trust in Tina and she will surpass any of your expectations with your floral needs.

I recently got married in Okoboji, and hired Elements Design Studio to help with our event…read more I don't live in the area, and had to plan virtually everything via phone/email. Tina made this process incredibly easy! Elements provided all of the floral for our event, and Tina also assisted with day-of planning. She got to our venue early to make sure it was clean and ready for the day, set up all of our tables, chairs, ceremony site, floral, etc. and communicated with our other vendors to ensure everything was there on time and ready to go. My main takeaways from working with Elements are: 1) The floral was gorgeous. Truly stunning. 2) Tina captured our vision 100%. I had given her some pinterest photos that I liked, etc, and she created a look/feel that was truly authentic to who we are, and made our venue come to life. 3) It was easy! People talk about running around like crazy on their wedding day...but I had time to head over to Arnold's Perk and have a cup of coffee. And go for a swim in the lake. And play with my nephew. We literally showed up and everything was done...and perfect! 4) The price was beyond reasonable. You get great value when you work with Elements! I highly recommend Tina/Elements for all of your wedding day needs!

The Bijou Gallery is located within a strip shopping center that is across the street from Goodies…read moreHandmade Candies. The space used to be occupied by a Curve's gym that Gayle used once during one of our Summer trips. The owner is Kathyrn Buckley, who used to run a similar enterprise in Kansas City. The Bijou Gallery is a handsome gift shop that features Iowa and other artists. I've visited twice this summer and came away the last time with a nice wood desk/clock piece from Tim Anderson of Twilight Zone Designs. Of course, I was tempted by other items, that there's always next time.