What to do and see in Benzie County, Benzie County: The Best Shopping

Ellie Harold Studio & Gallery is located in an historic Victorian home on the corner of 4th Street and Forest Avenue, just a short block from Main Street. The 1895 structure showcases the award-winning artist's contemporary oil paintings. When Ellie discovered the nearby Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in 2007, she declared "I could paint here for the rest of my life." The following year, she and her husband Roo purchased the Forest Ave. home and embarked on a 3 year renovation project. Since 2012, they have welcomed many hundreds of visitors who enjoy meeting the artist and viewing her artwork displayed in a home setting. In addition to paintings and decor ideas, you'll also find gift items: boxed card sets, desk calendars and the artist's book, 7 Habits of Deeply Fulfilled Artists: Your Aesthetic Needs & How to Meet Them. In warmer weather you'll find Ellie painting in her Summer Studio -- you're welcome stop by and watch!

See what's new, connect with art, and be inspired! Live for Art Gallery features artwork by Great Lakes area artists in a newly renovated, award winning space in downtown Beulah near the shores of beautiful Crystal Lake. It showcases a variety of mediums including painting, pottery, mixed media, glass and jewelry as well as artist statement videos. Call or visit our website for more information.

Our alpaca farm's store and interactive tours are the perfect family-friendly outing. We're located south of Traverse City on the border of Thompsonville and Buckley. We have 60+ alpacas and a rescued llama named Lucy who are eager to see visitors. Tours are just $5/person and kids under five are free. We bring you into the paddocks so you can interact with the alpacas and feed them. Some of our boys and girls don't understand personal space, so you may receive a bit of alpaca hay breath as you chat with them. Zinfandel might even fall asleep on you as you pet her. With alpacas, you never know what you're going to get. The store is about 1,200 square feet and it's filled with all sorts of products from handmade hats and headbands to yarn, coats, and toys for the kids. It has a little something for everyone.

Our family had always been fascinated by alpacas, but it wasn't until 2001 that we decided to bring six of them to our farm. We fell even more in love with these gentle, unique creatures. Not only are they the perfect farm animal, but alpacas also have the warmest, softest, most durable fiber known to man. Wanting to share this incredible fiber with others, The Crystal Lake Alpaca Boutique was officially established on the Nelson Family Farm in the Spring of 2012. The boutique lies within a refurbished barn, and features Northern Michigan rustic appeal using wood harvested from our property. Today, we have expanded the boutique to a second building on the farm and grown our herd to more than 50 alpacas. The boutique carries a variety of alpaca products including hats, mittens, scarves, neck warmers, the famous alpaca socks, sweaters, stuffed animals and much more! Closed holidays and Sundays.

Focus Gallery, located in a historic building in the heart of Frankfort, features the work of photographer Drew Smith and wildlife artist Carl Freeman. Voted “Best Gallery in Benzie County” in 2016, Focus Gallery was born and first opened for business in the summer of 2015. On display are Drew's images of Northern Michigan and beyond, printed in-house, as well as Carl's watercolors and more.

Tucked away on a wildlife sanctuary in northern Michigan is a shop built of native stones, glass, and wood. A building that brings the outdoors in and blends all nature in its structure. From the display room with its huge fireplace and natural fountain, one can watch as twelve Heidelberg presses print. We wish you could visit the home and wildlife sanctuary of World Renowned Artist Gwen Frostic, just to see the development of Gwen's single designs. Attuned to the spirit of nature, Gwen sketched flowers ~ birds ~ trees ~ grasses and other little things one finds ~ out where they grow and live ~ cut each linoleum block by hand for the notepapers ~ calendars and books to share with you the grandeur and wondrous simplicity of nature ~~~ its serenity ~~ and beauty. Gwen Frostic Block Printing and Nature Note Cards display her creativity just as well. Unique Shopping Experience!

Northern Decor is a unique and trendy boutique located in beautiful downtown Beulah, Michigan. We carry Keen Rieker, Spring Step and Blow Fish Shoes. We also carry Brighton Jewelry, costume jewelry, Habitat & Multiple Clothing, Resort Wear, Handbags, Home Decor and Toys and so much more......

Pier Fun is located in the heart of downtown Frankfort. We carry a wide variety of resort wear, home decor, garden accents, handbags, trendy jewelry and so much more. Just a few of our favorite brands....Keen, Spring Step, Corky's, and Rieker Sandals, Habitat Clothing, Lulu B, Kavu, and Corkcicle. This is the store you don't want to miss.....