Forest Bootery
Forest Bootery has a great selection of women's, men's and children's shoes as well as a few accessories. Prices are a little on the high side, but if you're looking for something high quality that won't bankrupt you, you'll probably have good luck here. The sales staff is very friendly and helpful, and if they don't have something in your size they will be happy to order it for you.
Nickel City
Nickel City is a huge arcade with an incredible array of any kind of game you would want to play. I remember when this place was Super Just Games, and although it's changed since then the concept (a huge ton of games) remains the same. They have areas for birthday parties, as well as snacks and stuff.
Sunset Foods
I love Sunset--the produce is really great and they have lots of harder-to-find specialty food items, as well as the basics. They also have a very good fish counter, and delicious prepared foods. The Highland Park store is a little more cramped than the Northbrook one, but I still like it.
Wilmette Theatre Educ Project
The Wilmette Theatre is one of the few remaining independent theaters on the North Shore. It's a charming place, and they usually have some hard-to-find foreign or indie films showing. I think they usually show old classic movies during the day on the weekends. Their selection is always really thoughtful, and it's always a real treat to go here.
Prescription Shop-Glen Arbor
The Prescription shop is mostly medicine and medical supplies-don't go here looking for shampoo and toothpaste. That said, they're a top-notch pharmacy--the service is quick, friendly, and great in a crisis. I've always had good experiences here.
Stone House Bread
Stone House bread is a delicious artisan bakery. I'm especially partial to their kalamata olive loaf. I think they specialize in different flavors of sourdough. The honey wheat is also really tasty, as is the cherry walnut. Definitely a must-see (and eat!) in Leland.
The Homestead
Well, we've been coming to the Homestead for years because it's such a drop-dead gorgeous setting and the property is beautiful. As a resort, however, they never seem to be able to get their act together. A lot of their facilities have kind of eccentric hours, and everything seems to change rather unexpectedly from year to year. That said, most of the places here are well-maintained and comfortable condos, so if you're staying here you usually don't even need to deal with all the other junk--you can just enjoy the beautiful views, beaches, and surrounding area.
Conklin Ruth Prints
Ruth Conklin makes lovely paintings of the Leelanau County and Sleeping Bear Dunes landscape, as well as charming crafts like photo frames, stools, and clocks. Her gallery features a like-minded selection of other artists. So if you're looking for landscapes, prints, or decorative art pieces like furniture and pottery, you can find something here and take a little bit of Leelanau County home. The gallery itself is very cozy and packed with appealing objects.
Honor Trading Post
The Honor Trading Post is kind of a crazy place. They let you rent kayaks, canoes or inner tubes to take down the Platte River. They also sell a lot of booze in their convenience store. Luckily the Platte River is really shallow. They offer family trips through the Lower Platte and also advertise a "Fun trip! Adult trip!" through the Upper Platte. Anyway, this place is pretty fun and the trip is definitely worth doing at least once since it lets out on one of the most beautiful beaches in the area.
Riverfront Pizza
This used to be the only place in Glen Arbor to get pizza, but I guess they've started selling it at that Bear Paw place as well. Now, Johnnie Salami's isn't groundbreaking pizza, but it's pretty decent, and it's not terribly overpriced. Some of the other stuff they have is actually good, and the setting is cute. I think they also deliver, which is a major plus. The staff is also really friendly, and it's a good place to grab a slice if you're also renting a canoe or kayak, since the rental outfit is right there.
