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.

I love their selection of every day items. Great people working there. I do like the selection of…read moredonuts, food and drinks. also love the frozen slushies! Everyone says hello and are friendly!

I filled up the rental car tank here today with E88. The per gallon price of $3.99 (!) was…read morecompetitive to this area. Kwik Star has more pumps and impressive convenience store selections, moving in the general direction of Buc-ee's, but with a long way to go. Getting in and out of this Kwik Star takes a few extra turns, but not enough to keep me away when the need arises.

Hy-Vee (along with Fairway) are the more notable Iowa grocery store names. Hy-Vee also sells…read moregasoline and runs a separate chain of stand-alone drug stores. This one in Milford offers the pharmacy in back, a kitschy gift selection in front, and various household sundries in between. I wandered in one day to supplement some cabin supplies and hung around a bit longer just to listen to various community gossip being exchanged at check-out.

We were introduced to Goodies by a family member who lives on West Lake Okoboji and we loaded up on…read morethe pecan turtles and milk chocolate covered toffee. We had one Turtle each and put the rest in the refrigerator. The next day, we packed and left and went back to AZ and we forgot our goodies! No worries, we ordered some online while driving three hours to the airport. We just received them today and they are incredible! If you don't go there, order them online! They are handmade and so delicious! Go there now or order online! You won't be sorry!

So this is an ice cream and candy shop right? Not only! I find their coffee to be the best in…read morethe area and go here for my morning coffee drinks. All of the candy is good but my personal favorite ends at the homemade caramel. They have the best caramel apples I have had anywhere, hands down. When I come to Okoboji this is my must stop for treats to bring back as well as my morning coffee. The service is quick and friendly. What else can I get here? Hot tea, greeting cards, teapots, colorful kitchen items, gifts, pie, cheesecake, cookies, homemade confections, nuts, ice cream and did I mention coffee? I am sure I missed telling you things. Go here. Have an ice cream cone in the afternoon. Life is more fun with a bit of a treat now and again.

A High School classmate highly recommended Forbes Meats and Liquor Locker as a place to buy a…read morereally good steak. It's been around since 1965, and had somehow escaped my attention since I started coming the the Iowa Great Lakes over 40 years ago. Forbes also has a substantial selection of beer and wine, along with some tempting baked goods (near the front counter). The butcher counter is in the back, and it didn't take long for Gayle and I to pick out a few thick and tempting top sirloin steaks (along with some seasoning). You do pay a little more here, but we really felt that we were in good hands. We also stopped by a nearby parked truck and bought some sweet corn from a local farmer. With that, plus some salad fixings and a charcoal BBQ, we were set for a delicious outdoor Iowa meal on what turned out to be a glorious summer evening. However, the steak turned out to be a little tough. Maybe a marinade step would have helped. All the same, we were a bit disappointed considering the price paid and the high previous praise. Maybe we'll have better luck next time with a similar cut or maybe some bacon wrapped fillets. On the other hand, we had some amazing burgers with their ground beef the next evening.

Good selections of wines and liquors. Excellent meat choices. Lamb is fantastic, if available.read more

12 years later, Gayle and I were here to look for "Muck Boots" for our September trip to the…read morePeruvian Amazon. We missed Bomgaars 15% off sale by a day, but still managed to find some economical boots that fit. Bomgaars remains somewhat of a maze in terms of finding things, especially considering that this is the type of "Farm and Home" store that I love spending some serious time wandering around. Store staff never really offered help, but I always knew they were around.

Help needs an attitude adjustment. Battery guy put 2017 on my battery so I would be shorted a year…read moreof warranty ( they engrave them to document when you purchased them) because I refused to bring my old battery all the way to the back of the store for him after I had left them by the front door. I offered to show him where they were(they are heavy) and he refused. Check out people said that is not uncommon from him. Needless to say I was not impressed with the help

Our annual visit to 3 Sons finished up a couple days ago, with Gayle purchasing a nice sweat shirt…read morefrom upstairs. That's the former "Half Price, Plus $1" area, that now has a colored sticker that tells you the pride. One of the Richter brothers was upstairs to chat which added to the family ambiance, I've enjoyed here for more than 50 years.

Excellent shopping in the Boji area. Check out the second floor for sales on your favorite brands!…read moreLots of university of Okoboji gear.

i am trying to get in to view what was sold etc and can't get in…read more supposedly a email was supposed to be sent to my email acct and i tried at least 6 or 7 times and never recieved anything

The quality of the merchandise was spot on along with the prices. Well organized and the lady who…read morechecked me out was so gracious and kind. Referred my fellow travel nurse buddies!