Something Smells Fishy Here: A Stop in Leland's Fishtown
The scene at the wharf
*Post updated on Sept. 28, 2023
Whether it’s a wine tour on Old Mission Peninsula, hitting up an outpost like Mackinac or Beaver Island, or kayaking/canoeing/what-have-you down a river like the Pine or the Platte, Northern Michigan is hardly lacking things to do in the summertime. One especially charming spot that shouldn’t be missed, though, is the small commercial fishing village in Leland called Fishtown.
If driving around Los Angeles and Santa Monica is reminiscent of rampaging through the digital streets of San Andreas as Carl Johnson, Fishtown — with its shanties, smokehouses, shops, and smelly smells — calls to mind an area of gameplay in Scooby-Doo! Night of 100 Frights that includes levels such as "Shock on the Dock!" and "Fear on the Pier!" (Why did I feel the need to include video game references in this travel piece? The world may never know.)
I'm not sure if Fishtown technically has a wharf — I don't even have the definition for that nailed down — but it sure is a fun word to use, and so I will use it. As you may have noticed in the image at the top of this post, some of the docks on the wharf (at the wharf?) look rather ancient, almost as if they're unsafe to walk on. Are you really in an historic area if there aren't architectural hazards that should be closed to the public, though? You could be; that rhetorical question is admittedly a poor one.
Lunch provided by the Village Cheese Shanty
All right, all right. That's probably enough of me prattling on. I don't think I've provided you with any useful information just yet, so let's get to that, shall we?
First observation of consequence: Fishtown is small. How small? Small enough that you could walk from one end to the other in about a minute, given that you put blinders on the sides of your head and clothespin your nostrils shut to stop you from wandering into the Village Cheese Shanty for a bite to eat, or from meandering into the Dam Candy Store to satisfy your sweet tooth, or from catching a whiff of the regionally-famous beef jerky that's prepared in the smokehouses owned by Carlson's Fishery.
All around the teeny-tiny fishing village, the smell of fresh-caught and recently-cleaned fish is pungent. Though many of the shanties along the wharf — a term I will continue to use regardless of its correctness or applicability — now house gift shops, art galleries, or dining-type establishments, actual commercial fishing is still very much alive in Fishtown. Carlson's Fishery has anchored Fishtown for generations and charter fishing options are certainly available if that's your thing.
The gem of Leland, as far as I'm concerned
Step out of the confines of Fishtown and you've still got the village of Leland to explore. There are shops and places to grab a bite along the main drag, M-22, which runs right through the heart of the village, but stray a little off the beaten path and you will find what I consider the gem of Leland: Good Old Books on River Street. Akin to what I will call its sister store, Landmark Books, in Traverse City, Good Old Books is a treasure trove for literature lovers.
Mary Ball, who runs the bookstore with her husband, George, is reason enough to visit this place. On top of excellent customer service, she was the right amount of charming with a touch of humor. While finalizing the sale of a 1951 copy of Henry David Thoreau's "Walden" for me, Mary quipped that she and her husband are just like the books they sell — good, old, and rare. If you give her and George a visit some time, I think you'd agree with her assessment.
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Much like the other small communities spread across Northern Michigan, Leland — and its historic fishing village — is an idyllic kind of summer getaway, the type of place you go if you're looking for a quiet vacation or a laid-back day trip. If that's your prerogative, it'd be pretty difficult to go wrong here.
-LTH