Saugatuck, MI

The new exhibit by the Saugatuck Douglas Historical Society is now open in the museum. Grand opening was last week. This exhibit is always FREE, FREE, FREE. The museum is located across the parking area from the stairway to Mt. Baldhead.

The exhibit has photos for past years of Summer fun in Saugatuck and at the beach. One notable subject of lots of the photos was the donkey, Dynamite.

Be sure to see this when you are here. This exhibit is a quiet, charming place to take the kids or yourself after your exhausting climb of Mt. Baldhead.

It is open daily until Labor Day from noon to 4PM.

The Museum is on the Kalamazoo River and you can see the boats go up and down right in front of the museum where you can just sit, photograph, paint, or have a picnic. To get to the museum take Ferry Street until it turns into Park Street and keep going straight past the Beachway. Do not make the turn left to Oval Beach. You will find the museum on the right just past the curve. The museum is on the way to Oxbox, the summer school of the Art Institute of Chicago.

The grand opening was lots of fun complete with all the "movers and shakers" in the community and the rest of us. The new Pavillion book is available for purchase along with all the past books published about Saugatuck history in the little gift shop inside the museum.

The exhibit this year has fantastic photos of past years of Summertime fun in Saugatuck grouped by activities such as boating or the beach. A great addition are home made postcards with original drawings by the students in art classes in the school. These are very creative. I especially liked the one that was addressed to Brazil. Check them out along with the gift shop.

There is even a replica of the Pavillion created by a member of the community.

If you have any trouble locating the museum, just stop by the Coldwell Banker office on Blue Star Highway before you reach Douglas and ask for Dee Dee Hanson.

I will give you a map and specific directions to the museum. Once you are in love with Saugatuck, you can purchase your home from me. Check out my website at www.mysaugatuck.com for a complete selection of the available homes. All my blogs (with other Insider's Guides) are located at Dee Dee's Blog to the right of the little dog. Feel free to contact me at deehans@ameritech.net or 616-836-8535. See you at the beach!

Run, don't walk to the SCA (Saugatuck Center for the Arts) FREE exhibit of the works of Sylvia Randolph.

This exhibit is open to the public from 10 AM to 5 PM during the week and 1-4 on weekends.

Sylvia left us last year after having graced us with her presence for over 100 years. The exhibit includes portraits and landscapes and several unusual fun pieces created by Sylvia and other works created by the Tuesday Artists who met every Tuesday at her home or on location.

Saugatuck is delightful. Sylvia is delightful. Here you have a chance to see Saugatuck projected with love and simplicity through her eyes over the eighty year span.

I have attended quite a few artist events in the museums of Chicago and New York but have found more enjoyable than this exhibit.

It will be open until June 22nd. Sylvia also authored a cook book- she had starving artists to her home for dinner every Sunday evening. You can get a copy of the book at Good Goods in Saugatuck on Water Street.

I was especially fond of the landscapes and some of the whimsical pieces such as Sylvia's maid. An almost life size three dimensional stuffed creation.

You can find the SCA if you take the Lake Street turn into Saugatuck (by the palette sign of Saugatuck) and follow it into town as it turns into Culver. The SCA is on the right. While you are there you might want to check out their entertainment schedule - plays, music, etc. These are not FREE but often well worth the expense.

Let me know how you enjoy the collected works of Sylvia Randolph at deehans@ameritech.net. and be sure to check out my other blogs and all available real estate at www.mysaugatuck.com. Come on over - The Weather and the water are Fine!

How about a couple of great cheap places to get an excellent lunch when you are visiting the area?

Go over to River Market and get a six inch Italian Sub with all the trimmings for under $5.00. One of these can be split between two people if you are not very hungry. The sub includes salami, ham, capacola, provolone, onions, pickles, peppers, tomatoes, olives, and italian dressing on a very fresh bun!

Take it down the street the park to eat while you watch the boats go up and down the Kalamazoo River. It doesn't get any better than this!

To get to River Market, go to end of Water Street (street west of Butler along the River) to the end of the street on the west side. They have a lot of other choices for lunch and you can pick up a bottle of wine for your dinner while you are there. Their phone number is 269-857-8899.

Second choice for a cheap lunch - is Tastee Treet in Fennville. Fennville is located over by Hutchins Lake about seven miles from Saugatuck on M89. Take Blue Star Highway souht to M89 and go left or east until you get to Fennville. Their phone number is 269-561-2236. Call ahead and pick it up on your way to the Antique Market in Allegan-last Sunday of each month starting in April.

At the east end of town near 56th Street you will find the Tastee Treet. My favorite lunch there is the Chili Dog - they grill the dog and put it on a warmed bun with lots of yummy chili for $2.25. I usually have the chili dog along with a Root Beer Float. All this for about $5.00. You can eat your hot dog on the benches in front of the Tastee Treet.

While you are in Fennville, you might want to have your hair done. Best place for great hair cut for $14.00 or with wash and blow dry for $25 is Cris Hair Salon. If you are here for a week's stay, try it out. Her number is 269-561-4211. Tell her Dee Dee sent you.

Stay tuned for further installments of Cheap Saugatuck! Check out previous blogs at www.mysaugatuck.com Blogs are to the right of the little dog. Previous Blog on Cheap Saugatuck can be found by clicking on link below. http://activerain.com/blogsview/1021026/Insiders-Guide-to-Cheap-Saugatuck

You can also view all the homes available at www.mysaugatuck.com or give me, Dee Dee, a call at 616-836-8535. I will put you in automatic and send you homes that meet your criteria as soon as they become available. Stop by my office for a "Care Package" including a map of the area when you are in town. Coldwell Banker is south of Douglas on Blue Star Highway. Looking forward to seeing you in town.

As the song says, "The best things in Life are Free!" or almost! There are a lot of things you can have in Saugatuck that are free or really cheap. Can't afford an expensive week end get away? Come to Saugatuck!.

This is the first blog of a series that I am writing highlighting fun and inexpensive activities in the Douglas/Saugatuck area.

To collect all the blogs, you should subscribe to my blogs at activerain.com - Go to www.activerain.com, Go to Michigan, Go to Allegan County, Go to Saugatuck and get on Dee Dee Hanson's Blog. Just sign on for my blogs to come to you automatically which will happen as they are posted - hopefully one a week in this series. Or you can check my website at www.mysaugatuck.com and click to the right of the little dog at Dee Dee's Blog. While you are there you can check out all the fantastic real estate opportunities in the area or just send me an e-mail at deehans@ameritech.net or call me at 616-836-8535 and I will put you on automatic to send your the homes that meet your requirements as soon as they hit the market.

When you are planning to come to town, you can pick up information on the area and your own, personal, private Allegan County Map at my office at Coldwell Banker Woodland Schmidt. Call me to let me know you are coming and I will have a "care package" ready for you to pick up. We are just off I 196, Exit 36, on the right hand side before you get to Douglas.

First "cheap" thing you need to know about is the Interurban This will take you anywhere in Saugatuck Township for $1.00 or if you are a Senior - 50 cents!

Great if you want to go downtown Saugatuck and don't want to worry about parking or if you should be going to one of the beaches or if you plan to have a few martinis in town. The Interurban can be your designated driver.

The interurban can be called at 269-857-1418. This is really an enjoyable ride at a very affordable price. You also get to meet some of the locals on the bus.

The next place you need to know about is the "free Beach" - the Douglas Beach is free.

There is only one catch. You have to use the stairs to get down to the water. At the Oval Beach there are no stairs but there is a nominal charge in the daytime during the season. At the Douglas Beach on Lakeshore Drive, there are just over twenty parking spaces. If you plan on taking your car, get there early to get a space during the height of the season OR JUST TAKE THE INTERURBAN.

Now you MUST see the sunset in the evening FROM OVAL BEACH.

Yes, Virginia, the sunset is still free!

Oval Beach is free in the evenings.

By this time you will have had your dinner. About half an hour before Sunset go to the Star of Saugatuck - at the end of Water Street in Saugatuck and picked up ice cream cones for the entire family

Marilyn will sell you the the best ice cream in town at the most reasonable price. Baby cones - are big enough for anyone and sell for $1.50 each. Take your ice cream and drive over to Oval Beach and watch the sunset. SEE YOU THERE!

When out to show a property the other day - all the way across the county - Where God lost his sandals. It was a delightful trip and the barns are fantastic so I stopped at several of them and took photos to share with all of you. Some of these were in great condition and some of them won't last very long.

When you come over to stay in Saugatuck and check out the Saugatuck and Douglas real estate and enjoy Oval Beach, be sure to allow sometime to just ride around and look at the scenery. Bring your oils or watercolors and capture one of these on canvas. Allegan County is waiting for you.