5 fun places to stop, eat and shop at the Lakes

PRAIRIE CHICK & YALA YOGA

2605 41st St., Spirit Lake

Stepping inside the coffee shop, you’re greeted with an eclectic explosion of colors. The tables and chairs have been painted to look like tie-dye T-shirts, and the good vibes just keep flowing.

Toward the back, rows of red onions, English lavender and Rasta tomato plants thrive under grow lights. Eventually, they’ll be transplanted to the garden outside and harvested to provide the freshest ingredients for breakfast and lunch.

Everything is made from scratch at Prairie Chick. Owner Chris Murphy has a brick oven in the works to serve up wood-fired pizzas soon. Otherwise, it’s a simple menu with items like avocado toast, oatmeal, soup and an assortment of paninis.

While you wait for your food, you can shop a selection of goods from vegan soy wax candles to greeting cards made by the Sioux Falls-based Art Moms.

In the evenings, YALA Yoga uses the open-air upstairs loft to host five classes a week with more on the way.

For more information, find Prairie Chick or YALA Yoga on Facebook or call 712-332-2040.

KURIO KASTLE POTTERY PAINTING PALACE & ART ON 16TH

709 16th St., Spirit Lake

The paint-your-own-pottery shop is a popular place to take the kids. It’s easy to do. Just pick out a piece of pottery, paint it and it will be ready by the next day. Owner Lissa Potter takes care of the rest by glazing the pieces and firing them in the kiln.

At Kurio Kastle, anyone can be creative.

The shop also houses Art on 16th, a gallery Potter bought two years ago. An Art Crawl starts here at 5 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month through September. The other stops include the Pearson Lakes Art Center, Bijou Gallery, Summerwind Gallery and The Wine Bar & Art Gallery, which wraps up the evening with live music.

Art on 16th features original works by more than 15 local and national artists. One of Potter’s newest mugs lists some of the world’s most famous cities: New York, London and Okoboji.

For more information, visit kuriokastle.com or call 712-336-6881.

MARY’S GIFT SHOPPE

3001 Aurora Ave., Spirit Lake

Owner Mary Tungland has been in business for over 35 years and prides herself on fast, friendly service. Located one block off of Highway 71, Mary’s Gift Shoppe offers a mix of home decor, jewelry, handbags and women's clothing in a full range of sizes, including collegiate wear.

What sets Mary’s apart from other gift shops is her large selection of kitchenwares that take up almost one-third of the store. Shoppers can find everything from gadgets to gourmet foods like pickled beets, Vidalia onion honey mustard dressing and raspberry chipotle salsa.

As the saying goes, "From functional to fab ... at Mary's we've got you covered!"

For more information, find Mary’s Gift Shoppe on Facebook, visit marysgiftshoppe.com or call 712-336-1643.

FLESHTONES

Inside the Central Emporium, 144 Lakeshore Drive, Arnolds Park

The lakefront mall on West Lake Okoboji – a landmark hotel-ballroom that dates back the 1920s – remains a popular tourist destination with 26 shopping and dining options. The stores inside are generally open for just a few months out of the year from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Get there while you can.

While you’re bound to find plenty of Okoboji-branded swag, Fleshtones offers a unique shopping experience in an “earthy, hipster store” where makeup and skincare products are sold alongside original T-shirts that celebrate the state in a fun but comical way.

Owner Dallas Dotson creates and releases one or two new logos each year, but one of the best-sellers is still “Iowa Full of Crop.” They mesh well merchandise from Raygun, a Des Moines-based retailer that makes T-shirts with snarky sayings like “Rock out with your dock out” and “Clear Lake! The Hamptons of Mason City.”

For more information, call 712-332-9300.

LISA’S BAKE SHOP

1306 18th St., Spirit Lake

You can’t miss the caramel rolls at Lisa’s Bake Shop. They make dozens every day, along with an assortment of artisan breads, homemade muffins, pies, turnovers and scones. Owner Lisa Roslansky opened the storefront a little over two years ago after selling her baked goods at the farmers market for five. Since then, she has added refrigerated and frozen items that can be picked up and eaten later.

During lunch, Lisa’s Bake Shop serves a hot soup of the day. Otherwise, the fridge is stocked with 25 kinds of soup, three kinds of potpies and two kinds of lasagna, all homemade and available in different sizes. Among the items on the menu, there is a small selection of gluten-free, organic, vegan and vegetarian items like the Moroccan chickpea soup, Eva’s organic ratatouille and the lemon olive oil hummus.

For more information, find Lisa’s Bake Shop on Facebook or call 712-336-8410.