Tag Archives: three Oaks

August 10, 2025 · 12:12 am

Ray & Al’s in Galien and, now in Three Oaks (Allen Ray’s coffee place @ Commune+Market), Judy Ferrara Gallery, 3 Arbors Gallery, Viola’s Cafe, Home Camp flower Farm – southwest Michigan

Glad to be back here in the summer although the lake was tempestuous yesterday with 5-7 foot waves and frigid temp (58 degrees).plus Canadian smoke that dulled the fiery red sunset. The major evening activity here in Bridgman on Weko beach is watching the sunset and listening to someone play taps on the bugle. gotta love that.

We finally got around to eating lunch at Ray and Al’s, a charming little “lunch room” in an old building on the small main drag of the rural village of Galien, about 11 miles east of Three Oaks. It’s got that nice mix of nothing fancy but well done food (excellent tuna melt, hero sandwich) with dabs of antique decor and appealing (and remarkably reasonably priced) contemporary art.

The same people have opened a coffee place inside Commune+Market, a new community gathering spot in Three oaks with individual vendors inside a contemporary building. A few more spaces need filling but there’s a sweet stationary, small press shop there now. Viola’s cafe has opened under new management and is supposed to be good Cajun. We also visited two excellent galleries – Judy Ferrara and 3 arbors art (which represents the stunning art photography of Chicago artist Jessica Tampas, who took the author photo for my book. See bottom right of photo montage above.)

Next stop, Homecamp flower farm where we walked up and down the rows of the small farm clipping zinnias, wildflowers, ornamental thistles for a huge bouquet. Good value at $20. Tonight, we watched taps on the beach. Perfect.

Next visit to try: Out there and Farmette

Note to self: skip getting gas’s off interstate in Michigan city on an August Saturday. A zoo.

Canvassing for Dems in New Buffalo; apple/pumpkin shopping on Cleveland road thru Galien (Ray and Al’s), Baroda, St. Joseph; wanderlust in St.Joe; Houndstooth in Benton Harbor – Southwest Michigan

By the end of this busy day in southwest Michigan, we had a car full of bike shirts, democratic candidate fliers, apples, cider and pumpkins, which reflects the dual nature of the day. We spent much of it canvassing for democratic candidates in New Buffalo, volunteering on behalf of the Michigan Dems – visiting streets completely off the tourist path in New Buffalo, which was interesting. We encountered a mix of friendly Dems and sometimes hostile Trumpers. One woman slammed the door in my face after declaring she’d never vote for “that woman,” i.e. Kamala Harris. Other republicans were more pleasant.

We also were in the area for the annual Apple Cider Bike Ride that happens tomorrow. We went to the registration in a Catholic church in Three Oaks, where there was also a very good sale on bikeshirts in a nearby tent. Later in the day, after canvassing, we returned to Three Oaks for the bike ride’s “ice cream social” which was fun. We lined up for free ice cream (Michigan pothole, my new fav, was an option) and popcorn which we ate in a little park in town where a blues band played in a gazebo.

We took the backroad Cleveland (the name of our street in Chicago) to the Twin Maples apple orchard north of Galien (pronounced Ga-leen, home of Ray and Al’s cafe, which remains on my must-try list). (UPDATE: The cafe opened an offshoot in THREE OAKS — Commune+Market, a new coffee shop and expansive event space, is set to open its doors in the heart of downtown Three Oaks at 105 North Elm St. Source: Harbor Country News
https://search.app/38eUeVg2UJQ85qfp8)

We picked up some Jonathan apples (uncommonly huge and red) for applesauce-making, plus some mutsu apples and honeycrisps for eating and some cider. We had a pretty drive further north (marred only by too many Trump signs) through Baroda, stopping outside st. Joseph at devries farm to pick up some pumpkins and unusual gourds.

Houndstooth fare: poke with avocado in blackberry ponzu sauce and Japanese milk bread with black garlic and chives.

Dinner at Houndstooth in Benton Harbor did not disappoint. It helped that the clerk at an outfitters shop (wanderlust) in St. Joes excitedly recommended what we should order, down to the drink (WaffleHouse, an odd name for what tasted and looked like elegant lemonade). The Japanese milk bread was fabulous (which I would not have thought to order had the clerk not recommended).

Houndstooth neighbor: “Hi-steppin Menswear suits-tuxedos-leisure sets“

She also recommended the passion fruit panne cotta with little pieces of meringue for desert which was as delicious as it was beautiful to look at. Looked like mini birch tree branches in a creamy bright yellow sea. We sat on the patio which fortunately was not deserted but next time I’d like to try the dining room which was hopping. Strange to find such life inside a building on otherwise lifeless streets but I’m guessing affordable rents in this struggling town made it possible for a talented chef to set up shop.

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Filed under Michigan, southwest Michigan

Tagged as Michigan, New Buffalo, southwest Michigan, three Oaks

August 28, 2023 · 4:10 pm

Red Arrow Road House, primitive art, Pricey Swedish stuff, the Local, and peach pickin’/Baroda — back to SW Michigan,

Finally made it back to southwest Michigan’s lake shore as the summer fades. The sky has been overcast but a wretched Midwest heat wave is over, leaving behind pleasantly warm lake water and giant whitecaps which were fun to swim in!

We had excellent whitefish at Red Arrow Roadhouse in Union Pier, a fun casual spot. Judith Racht gallery in Harbert, which specializes in “primitive/outsider” art, located in an old school house, was closed for the week. I browsed inside SO (Stockholm objects) which had beautiful and expensive Swedish (and other) clothing and home goods.

On Saturday we took the three dogs for a walk along the beach and, as it turns out, a swim. All three labs love the water and Weko beach has a designated area for dogs south of the main swim area toward Warren Dunes State Park. Lunch was at The local, one of those little trendy touches in a still mostly ordinary small town, except there was one other trendy touch, a pottery gallery with ceramics from all over the world that was crazy expensive.

One pot, I kid you not, from an Australian ceramicist (for this price I’m not calling her/him a potter) was $4,600. You read that right and I did too after double and triple checking. Was it glazed in gold?

We went peach picking at a place in baroda and all decided peach trees are so pretty. The peaches are not yet ripe so here’s hoping. we went on a 17 mile bike ride leaving from Three Oaks, east on Kruger road and at the small town of Galien, we rode south on Cleveland, crossing the scary major highway (12) and then heading back east along very pretty Buffalo road which during the last mile was as A sandy gravel road that led to a dirt road (Avery) back over highway 12. Not a perfect loop but as close as we could get. We picked up an excellent Margherita pizza at patellie’s in Three Oaks.

Mazet Antiques, Bella Amici, Alapash, Journeyman Distillery, Froelich’s and Acorn Theater – return to Three Oaks, MI – and cheap gas in NW Indiana off I-94, exit 16.

We continue to enjoy visiting southwest Michigan and shopping/dining in the little village of Three Oaks. This time, we went to a concert in the intimate little Acorn Theater, next to the Journeyman whiskey distillery, which has also offers some rentals in town (see journeyman.com/lodging).

In the shopping department, we visited some new places including Bella Amici, which has fun Michigan stuff, and Mazet Antiques, which has gorgeous, one-of-a-kind and very pricey rugs from foreign lands (the kind you hand on your wall, not throw on your floor). We also visited old favorites including Alapash (where we did buy a less-expensive rug to throw on the floor) and had a good brunch at Froelich’s.

For future reference: The gas prices in southwest Michigan are significantly lower than in Chicago but our best bet was in northwest Indiana, off I-94, at exit 16, where we found gas for $2.99 ($1.50 less than in Chicago.)

Tag Archives: three Oaks

Ray & Al’s in Galien and, now in Three Oaks (Allen Ray’s coffee place @ Commune+Market), Judy Ferrara Gallery, 3 Arbors Gallery, Viola’s Cafe, Home Camp flower Farm – southwest Michigan

Canvassing for Dems in New Buffalo; apple/pumpkin shopping on Cleveland road thru Galien (Ray and Al’s), Baroda, St. Joseph; wanderlust in St.Joe; Houndstooth in Benton Harbor – Southwest Michigan

Red Arrow Road House, primitive art, Pricey Swedish stuff, the Local, and peach pickin’/Baroda — back to SW Michigan,

Mazet Antiques, Bella Amici, Alapash, Journeyman Distillery, Froelich’s and Acorn Theater – return to Three Oaks, MI – and cheap gas in NW Indiana off I-94, exit 16.

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