I ran away last week.  Not far and not for long, but needing a little time to catch my breath and be totally unscheduled and not accountable to anyone, I took a few hours and took myself to Douglas, Michigan.

Douglas, a charming little resort town along the western edge of Lake Michigan, has tried to market itself as Design Douglas.  I don’t think it quite makes it as a design mecca.  It’s too touristy and nobody is doing anything cutting edge in this sleepy little village, but it is a great spot for a little get-away.

The flowers are pretty, the shop keepers friendly and helpful and it is only a couple blocks long.

It was refreshing in a way to visit the  artistic little  shops selling antiques, French doo-dads, lots of candles, guest towels, dishes, fancy soaps and things you always wish you had on hand to take when heading to someone’s house for dinner.  Other shops stock cotton  sweaters and summer clothes.  I loved poking in and out of  a couple of art galleries.  Pretty quirky stuff and lots of beach scenes.

And that’s it.  I could run away, visit pretty much all the shops and savor an outdoor lunch with sweet potato fries at one of the several small restaurants–all in a couple of hours. Perfect.