When I was a kid, my family lived downstate, or more like midstate. Every summer, without fail we’d come up North to vacation about an hour away from the area where I now live. Every year the Shreve family would have a family reunion in the small Northern town where the old family farmhouse still stood. We’d come up for a week, and most of it would be deadly dull. Let’s face it, you can only swim and sun so much.

While most of the vacation was relatively placid, we did usually take a few trips. One of those trips was always to Fishtown. Even back then, when I was a kid, I loved the weathered boards of the buildings, and the neat little trinkets that were sold in the shops. I also remember, strangely enough, getting salt water taffy in Fishtown, which, even then, seemed odd as Fishtown was on a freshwater river and lake.

Fishtown is the historical district of Leland, Michigan. Once, about a hundred and forty years ago, it really was a fish town; a place where people who fished on the Great Lakes, and those who worked to can those fish, lived. Today, it is a series of shops and art galleries, where tourists can browse for a unique souvenir or gift. Fishtown is also the site of the only public ferry offering rides to the Manitou Islands.

Fishtown was first stettled in 1854. The area was a great one for fishing and more families came to get in on the catch. Fishing wasn’t an easy life, but a family could support themselves doing it and many families did until the 1930s. In that decade, catches declined do to overfishing and the introduction of non-native species. The fishing settlement needed another reason to be, since commercial fishing couldn’t support it anymore. Eventually the area was developed as a tourist destination and Fishtown was born.

Today there are still two active fisheries in Fishtown and an active charter fishing business. Most of Fishtown, however, is now a shopping district with art galleries, souvenir shops and candy stores. The quaint shacks which used to house the fishermen and the cannery workers have become quaint stores where tourists search for a unique piece of art or something to take home as a remembrance of their trip.

Some of the standout galleries and stores in Fishtown include Fishtown Pottery where you can get high-fire porcelain and glazed ceramics. Reflections is Leland’s oldest art gallery and nautical store, and a famous tourist destination. If you’re in the mood for food, stop by Carlson’s for smoked fish and beef or turkey jerky. You can also stop by the Village Cheese Shanty for wine, cheese and local specialties. If you want a truly unique souvenir, visit TUG Stuff, which features clothing and accessories which carry the TUG logo. This log was designed in the early 1970’s by a local artist and reflects the history of fishing on the Great Lakes.

Fishtown is also a great place from which to go fishing. The Fishtown Charter Service will take you out to fish the waters of the Manitou Islands. If you love lake trout, brown trout, or steelhead, booking a charter trip could be for you.

When I was small, Fishtown was a place we went to break up a week long family reunion. I remember it as a place with cool little shops where some indulgent aunt or uncle always let me purchase some cool little trinket. Today, I don’t get back to Fishtown as often as I should, but after writing this, I think I’ll put it on the list of places to go this summer. After all, I’m an adult with a wallet of my own now, and I’m betting I could still find a trinket or two worth buying.

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