Make Yourself Feel Better and Support North Shore Businesses!

Are you in need of a little North Shore retail therapy while in quarantine? Me too. It’s been a little depressing and boring staying at home all these days. I bet shopping for a fun gift for yourself or someone else is just what you need to feel alive again! Am I right?

Fortunately, there are some great ways to conduct your North Shore retail therapy online and support North Shore businesses! Think of how happy you will be when your special gift from the North Shore arrives. And I promise that the small business owner at the other end will do a big happy dance! See…you’ll be doing a good deed! 

Now that I have justified your North Shore retail therapy session, explore the opportunities below. Shops are listed from Two Harbors to Grand Marais.  

Castle Danger Brewery, Two Harbors

Castle Danger Brewery has been brewing dangerously good ales on the North Shore of Lake Superior since 2011. I’ll bet you’ve had one of their cold ones! 

You probalby know that Castle Danger is found in restaurants and liquor stores across Minnesota and beyond. But have you been to their Taproom? I highly recommend it! Sample any of the 22 tap beers available. Gather with friends inside the taproom, or play a game of cornhole on the yard! That, of course, will have to wait for now #Coronavirus. 

But you can still enjoy a delicious Castle Danger beer in your living room! Go to their Beer Finder to find Castle Danger near you. 

Or, visit the online retail shop to pick up Castle Danger apparel, hats, and glassware. 

@CastleDangerBrewer

Silver Creek Co, Silver Creek

The Silver Creek Co is a big part of the Duluth and North Shore Makers Movement! They support over 75 local makers by offering their pottery, art, handcrafted jewelry, apparel, specialty stationery, Scandinavian pieces, and much more. When you can come back to the North Shore (#coronavirus), plan to stop here – don’t miss it by driving by! 

In the meantime, you can click-and-buy a fun new gift for yourself or someone else. Sport one of their signature Wolf Tees, or a new pair or Lake Superior earrings. Just think, you could be enjoying coffee in a new Daniel Paulson mug in just a few days! 

@SilverCreekCo

Thomsonite Beach Inn & Suites, Grand Marais

A small inn on the outskirts of Grand Marais is situated on a rare thomsonite embedded shoreline. The inn is aptly named Thomsonite Beach Inn & Suites.

In addition to lovely lakeside rooms and suites, they have an impressive collection of thomsonite jewelry and gems for sale!

Thomsonite is a rare gemstone that’s only found on Minnesota’s North Shore of Lake Superior. It’s kind of like an agate, but more valuable, and often used in jewelry. 

Lee and Scott Bergstrom, the owners of Thomsonite Beach, will love to help you find a thomsonite jewelry piece made by a Minnesota artist. You can also shop for a new stone for your collection. Check out their website and give them a call for a North Shore retail therapy appointment! 

@ThomsoniteBeach

Java Moose, Grand Marais

Grand Marais’ beloved coffee shop Java Moose is normally abuzz with friends, neighbors, community folk, and visitors. Even though the front doors are closed, their online store is open!

Order some of Java Moose’s special blend Alakef espresso, dark roast, or k-cups. And your new favorite mug or tumbler with the so-cute Java Moose logo is just a click away! See what else they have to offer at JavaMooseGrandMarais.com

@JavaMooseGrandMarais

Voyageur Brewing, Grand Marais

Remember that summer, when you were sitting on the upper deck of Voyageur Brewing in Grand Marais, enjoying some of the freshest beer available? Thank goodness you can get the fresh, Lake Superior taste of Voyageur beer at a liquor store near you! Check their Beer Finder for locations. 

Or, shop their online store and pick up some of their popular logo apparel, hats, mugs, tumblers, and more.

@Voyageur_Brewing_Company

Joy & Co., Grand Marais

Find joy in the form of locally made arts and crafts, hand-selected gifts, antiques, and art supplies at Joy & Co.! They support more than 130 local artists and creative entrepreneurs by showcasing and selling their craft.

It’s top of the list to find locally made jewelry, rosemaling, puzzles, lamps, fiber arts (knitted hats, felt mittens, etc.)…you name it! They also have the largest art supply on the North Shore. Psst…they also have a retro vinyl listening room, circa 1977! Definitely check it out when Covid is over!

Until then, find joy at Joy_and_Company.com. There are a number of artsy delights that will bring the joy of the North Shore to you! Some of the biggest sellers right now – adult coloring books, art projects, and supplies (call to order)!

@joy.and.co

Gunflint Mercantile, Grand Marais

Chelsea at Gunflint Mercantile makes all of her chocolate delectables from scratch! She’s famous for her fudge kabobs, hand made truffles in creative flavors, hand-mixed rice & soup blends, and so much more. And we can’t forget summer’s most popular flavor – Worlds Best Donut truffles (not always available)! 

It’s super easy to place your order online! You could be enjoying Grand Marais handmade fudge by Gunflint Mercantile in a few days from now. Now, THAT’s therapy! Try the Red Velvet truffle…trust me. 

@GunflintMerc

The Big Lake, Grand Marais

The Big Lake is an approachable art gallery and gift shop located in the beautiful harbor town of Grand Marais, Minnesota. Find anything from locally made ceramic mugs, amusing prints of feisty forest animals, books ideal for north woods children, and striking gemstone jewelry. 

The Big Lake has become famous for its hilarious cheeky cards! Some might even make you blush, lol. A fun new product are the Quaranteen cards by Emily of Lady Piolit Letterpress from Duluth. Place your order in advance, there is limited quantity! TheBigLakeLife.com also has a page with thoughtfully curated items to cure your quarantine boredom. 

@TheBigLakeLife

Bluewater Cafe, Grand Marais

The Meeting Place in Grand Marais, and your place for breakfast all day is sadly sitting idle until the storm blows over. But owners Dan and Melodee are saying, “help us now, and we’ll feed you later!” Gift cards are available for purchase on their website. And when you purchase a gift card, Shift4 (the payment processor) will contribute another 5% to the business! So the next time you’re in town (and you know you will be!), stop in to enjoy a Voyageur omelet, a walleye dinner, or a fresh strawberry rhubarb pie.

@bluewatercafegrandmaraismn

Drury Lane Books, Grand Marais

Books for book lovers at the cute little book store in Grand Marais! And what better way to enjoy quarantine than with a good book? On the Drury Lane Books website, you can get personally curated recommendations based on staff members, regional favorites, seasonal topics, and children’s. They are best known for having some of the best Indie titles, as well as books of local settings and by local authors.

Click-and-buy to have your book delivered, and you’ll be supporting a small business! Some of their featured items are: Walking the Old Road: A People’s History of Chippewa City and the Grand Marais Anishinaabe by local author Staci Drouillard. And Gwen’s pick Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel.

@DruryLaneBooks

Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply, Grand Marais

If you’re planning an outdoor adventure in Northern Minnesota, shop at Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply! They specialize in high-quality gear and clothing, guided tours, rentals, and friendly outdoor advice. And, they’ve got the best social-distancing tools! Fishing poles, kayaks, paddleboards, canoes, tents, etc.

Their online store is going up and has all kinds of guilty pleasures for outdoor fun – equipment and clothes! Take advantage of their gift card promo – for every $100 gift card you order, get a $10 gift card free!  

@StoneHarborWild

 

Scent From Nature Beeswax Candles

Beeswax candles are non-toxic, non-allergenic and virtually soot-free. They emit negative ions when they burn to actually help purify the air! Linda handcrafts beeswax candles in her remote, off-grid, solar-powered home 26 miles NE of Grand Marais. Focusing on calm, clean, and green the candles are 100% natural, renewable, and sustainable, with no added color or scent. The packaging is made of 100% Post Consumer recycled paper. These are just out of the mold! Order online at ScentFromNature.com.

In addition to making Scent From Nature beeswax candles, Linda also runs Points Unknown Dog Based Adventures. She and her staff will welcome you to their guest home for a variety of outdoor lifestyle emersion experiences. Think dogsledding, mindful paddling and hiking, women’s adventures, and off-grid lifestyle.

I visited Points Unknown in November to experience training the sled dogs for the upcoming winter season. You’ll see Linda training the dog team with a 4-wheeler. It’s pretty cool! Read about it here: Dog Sled Tour: Fall Training Run

GoFundMe for Grand Marais Fire Relief

And while we’re talking about shopping on the North Shore, I would be remiss not to mention this. On April 13, 2020 a fire destroyed three buildings in downtown Grand Marais. We lost The Crooked Spoon Cafe, White Pine North, and Picnic & Pine – two of the shore’s cutest gift shops. Read the news article from WTIP Community Radio. 

Ugh…such a terrible loss for these family-run businesses, and the Grand Marais community. Fortunately, there were no injuries. We look forward to seeing them come back to life and being better than ever!

If you would like to help, a GoFundMe was created to assist in the relief. Please make a donation if you feel it in your heart.

Complete your North Shore Retail Therapy Session

Now…go off and shop, my darling! The North Shore loves you. We will see you on the other side #coronavirus.

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