hopping takes on a whole new meaning in Saugatuck/Douglas. Here you peruse. You don't “shop” here. You savor. You wander along on a sensory journey through a melange of cultures, life-styles and tastes. In a retail world increasingly dominated by bigness and sameness, the shops of Saugatuck/Douglas are almost audacious in their individuality.

If there is such a thing as an art of shopping, this is where it should be taught. This is a retail community that celebrates quality, variety, and above all, personality. A tour through the shops of Saugatuck/Douglas engages one's senses from every angle; it is nothing like “shopping” anywhere else.

In many respects, downtown Saugatuck retains the rural nature of these charming year-round hamlets. Locals still “sit a spell” outside Uncommon Grounds on Hoffman Street in the early morning to scan the daily papers and share their wisdoms. Quaintness of another era lives on at the corner drugstore which still offers hand-mixed ice cream sodas from a vintage soda fountain. The hardware store, with its polished hardwood floors, is little changed from generations ago when it served the needs of city dwellers and country folks alike. But take a closer look at the shops of Saugatuck and Douglas and you'll discover a fascinatingly different world with surprises around each corner.

Whether you are shopping for clothing, accessories, housewares, fine wines, or gifts you'll find something for everyone - for every taste - from preppie to funky; glitzy to avant garde; hip to humorous; eclectic to exquisite. Collectors of antiques and memorabilia will revel in the area's variety, from imported fine English antiques and colored glass from Egypt, to deco through 70's nostalgia. Shopping Saugatuck's Butler Street can be an exercise in sybaritic indulgence. The visitor will discover an unimaginable variety of goods such as architectural ceramic tiles, sculptural jewelry designsn, Pueblo pottery and Zupotec Indian rugs. You will also find the hottest trends in apparel, homegrown Michigan specialty preserves, gift baskets or delicacies for the hard-to-please palate. Butler Street will also yield a variety of goods for the more modest budget from Brazilian kites, T-shirts, unusual resort wear, monster masks, rubber noses and clowning supplies to outrageous cards and penny candy for the kids.

One block west on Water Street, shoppers will find an intriguing dockside marketplace on the boardwalk overlooking the harbor. Water Street shops are in picturesque Victorian houses. Among the various shops one can find such things as CD's by hard-to-find musical artists, plus dinnerware for entertaining in style and distinctive gifts for cottage and home.

Anyone who has panned for gold will understand the element of discovery one feels while exploring Saugatuck's side streets, nooks and crannies.Culver, Griffth, Mason, Hoffman, and Main streets - as well as numerous alleys and byways - unveil a myriad of treasures for the enthusiastic shopper.

Just a half mile east of Saugatuck in the Village of Douglas there are a growing number of exquisite shops and galleries worth visiting for fine art, antiques, custom jewelry, lovely items for the home and garden. The town is becoming increasingly popular with professionals and general consumers alike for interior design services and appointments from a variety of unusaul and diverse shops. Jusat recently, a number of artists have clustered their studio galleries right in the heart of downtown Dougals. On Blue Star Highway just south of Douglas an enormous new antiques pavilion schedules frequent auctions both in-and off-season. In another Blue Star Douglas location, luxury custom kithcen designs, cabinetry and hard-to-find appliances are featured right next door to gourmet cookies and custome-made tarts.

The Saugatuck/Douglas area also offers several nurseries and complete garden centers where you can search out rare botanicals in a serene and peaceful setting.

Local banks provide ATMs and foreign currency exchange on the spot and a variety of real estate agencies offer their services to rent, buy or sell local cottages and homes.

Whether one has come to the area to purchase a million-dollar yacht or attain perfect metaphysical balance, these are the shops of Saugatuck/Douglas; an unforgettable experience which is at the heart of the community's ebullient personality. S/D