Discover St. Joseph

Pretty much everyone has heard of Black Friday. And many people have heard of Cyber Monday. But "Small Business Saturday" is a new retail campaign that's just getting started. I'm a big fan of Small Business Saturday because I believe in buying local and supporting the Michigan economy. So yesterday, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, I went shopping. Locally. I'd been meaning to get out to see The Christmas Tree shop in Benton Harbor for some time now but I just never made time to do it. Until yesterday. Yesterday I made a point of driving out to The Christmas Tree shop to see what the store had to offer. I already have my Christmas tree up and decorated. The theme is "St Joseph". I have lots of nautical and carousel ornaments, a few Chicago, St Joseph, and Saugatuck ornaments, a handful of beachy ornaments, and a nice collection of glass balls to add to the mix. I'm always on the lookout for more ornaments in keeping with my theme and that's wh...

St Joseph has a butcher , a baker , and as of April 2011 they have a Candlestick Maker too. We have none other than owner and operator, Judi Benninghoff to thank for that. The Candlestick Maker shop is located at 408 State Street in downtown St Joseph, across the street from St Joseph Today . There is street parking available in front of the store or you can park in a free parking lot just a few doors south of the store. The first thing you'll notice when you enter the shop is a wonderful scent. That comes from the wide array of fragrances available for sale. There are many scented oils and scented candles... and holders and diffusers to display them. In addition to the scented items, The Candlestick Maker features a great selection of nautical decor items at very reasonable prices. What better place to grab a souvenir while you're visiting a Lake Michigan harbor town? It goes without saying that the shop also has "a little bit of this and a little bit of tha...

Day Four Today's breakfast was at the lake, but not at the beach. I'll treat you to a different view of beautiful Lake Michigan this time. This is the view from Lookout Park along Red Arrow Highway. I really should do a panorama view from this park one of these days. But until then, here's another view. The fish must have been biting in the area because you can see several groups of fishing boats clustered on the lake. And you can see the lighthouses from here too even though this area is about 3 miles from downtown. St Joseph is without a doubt the most patriot town I've ever seen. Most of the houses in town fly the American flag for the holiday. Lake Bluff Park is lined with flags, as are the cemeteries around town. And one of the many activities in town on the Fourth of July Parade featuring the area children. The parade started at 10:30am and went down State Street. Some rode bikes... Pulled wagons... Walked dogs... Were pulled in wagons... Or walked w...

Day Three No breakfast at the lake this morning. Instead we headed to Benton Harbor for breakfast at Sophia's House of Pancakes  (just off I-94 at the Pipestone Rd exit). This place has the best breakfasts around. The portions are generous, the prices are reasonable, and the food is fantastic! After breakfast we headed back to St Joseph for the Antiques on the Bluff . This flea market is held the first Sunday of each month, May-October. This is a wonderful way to while away some time while you stroll the beautiful Lake Bluff Park overlooking Lake Michigan. It was a beautiful, sunny morning and there were crowds on hand to shop from the merchants. This isn't just antiques, there are all kinds of collectibles and just plain junk there too. Something for everyone. You know what they say, "one man's trash is another man's treasure"! The vendors are all friendly and helpful. Even if you're not interested in shopping, it's a great place to go just t...