While gallivanting around central Minnesota last week, I made it a point to stop at a wonderful little shopping spot.
If you've been up to the Brainerd Lakes area, you probably know about Nisswa, a small town just a few miles north of Brainerd on Highway 371. Besides being surrounded by lakes, Nisswa has--well, I hate to call it a strip mall, because that's pretty boring, and what Nisswa has is, indeed, pretty good shopping. in a pretty cute environment.
Never hurts to start with gifts and coffee, right? This building is home to both: Carriage House Gallery and Adirondack Coffee. The latter has an especially tasty cinnamon coffee.
Next door is Rainy Days Bookstore.
It doesn't look so big, but it's very deep, chock full of a wide variety of books and an extensive kid's section--perfect for vacationers. Also: the best "no food in store" sign ever:
Speaking of kids, there's a fun kid's store (Tumbleroos), right next to a shoe shop (Sandals).
Located perfectly:
The sidewalks are full of these:
See, Nisswa is known for its summer turtle races. In fact, 2011 marks the 48th year of such shenanigans.
Another fun gift shop is Simpler Thymes.
Lundrigans Clothing not only sells tourist wear, but solid outdoors clothing too.
More gifts can be found at Courtyard Gifts and Boutique.
Zaiser's was a gift store, until it was hit by fire last fall. However, it sure looks like it's on the verge of a comeback. Go, Zaiser's!
On the other end of Nisswa Square is another coffee shop, this one with a cheeky attitude.
Finally, why am I never going through Nisswa when this place is open??
I've by no means covered every store in this little retail square. (Knitting friends, take note--there's a shop called UTrinkets, which sells a nice variety of yarn and has a friendly staff.) If you're heading that direction, allow some time for a visit. There are a few cafes here too, if coffee isn't enough to sustain you for shopping.
And those of you who have been here, you might be wondering about one shop I didn't list. Patience! Friday Food is coming!
