Located in the historic and attractive Old Town Plaza area north of downtown Mankato, the Enchanted Forest sells quality locally-made crafts, Minnesota-authored books, a variety of other gifts, and ice cream. The store features Sitting Eagle Creations, which are locally made Native American crafts, some of which are made by the owners of the store.
Starting Saturday the store carries my books on consignment, and Nancy and I were invited to visit for a book-signing. The day was warm and windy and traffic was slow, but we met several people who took time to share their stories and buy a book.
The morning provided ample opportunity to visit with the owners and hear their stories.
To my left above is Andrea and her sister Regina.
Below we see their niece Jessica behind the ice cream counter. Jessica is a student at Mankato.
In the upper-right corner of the picture, hanging on the wall are Dream Catchers made by Andrea, which are just a few of the many unique items the store offers for sale.
In addition to the front entrance at 529 N. Riverfront Drive, the store has a handy side-door entrance off Elm Street which takes you right to the ice cream counter and the Sitting Eagle Creations display.
I urge you to take a drive to Mankato, stop by the Enchanted Forest, visit with the friendly owners, and do a little shopping. You probably won't find a soda pop for a nickel as the large sign indicates, but you will find an interesting, historic atmosphere that offers unique selections.
Nancy and I wish to thank Andrea and Regina for inviting us to visit their store.
Photographs by Nancy A. Fredrickson
Looks like a return trip to Mankato may be in order to check out Old Town. Did you take in the City Art Walking Sculpture Tour or see the WordWalk poetry, which is across the tracks from the Old Town businesses? The Betsy-Tacy houses are another point of interest. And, finally, did you visit Mutch Northside Hardware in North Mankato?
ReplyDeleteSorry, Nancy and I did not do any of the things you suggest, but on the next trip to Mankato we will be sure to check them out. Thanks for the comment and the reminder.This time, we were lucky to sneak in our own scheduled events. You know how it goes–the end of July brings green beans to pick, wash, and freeze. Also, lots of cucumbers to pickle. I wish I knew what to do with our biggest crop of all–mosquitoes!!
ReplyDelete