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Merchant Voyage
Next I crossed the street and walked a half block to Almosta. We usually buy several ornaments for family members each Christmas and we always buy them at Almosta, because the selection is unique and there are lots to pick from. Plus, the store’s beautiful holiday decorations are sure to put you in the
Christmas spirit.
Almosta also has other great gifts including lots of small affordable items for nearly everyone. Listen up guys! Most gals will love anything you buy from
this store’s clothing section.
Next I walked west, nearly the length of 4th Street, to a new store called Body Song. Opened by the owners of Kitchen Alley, Body Song is a cornucopia of
gift ideas for her (with a few things for him as well, including luxurious robes). The products in this store help enhance the pampered lifestyle. Deluxe
lotions, bath salts, towels and other items line the neatly appointed shelves.
Next I visited Kitchen Alley, a personal favorite. This is the perfect store for the cook in your life. They have gifts for the serious gourmet cook or the
occasional cook, or people who simply love cooking gadgets. From high end cook ware, to distinctive cookbooks, to memorable stocking stuffers like cute
little whisks or pinch dishes, I can spend hours browsing Kitchen Alley.
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Body Song
I crossed the street to Cloz, formerly in the space now occupied by Body Song, this store has moved into a larger building to accommodate their vast collections of items. This store sells furniture, clothes, home décor, clothing, jewelry and much more. They even have a large ceramic horse head statue, should you need one.
In my opinion, Cloz has the best collection of jewelry in downtown. They have what I call “conversation starter” jewelry, because if you wear one of their pieces, people will ask where you bought it and comment on the beauty and exclusivity of the piece.
After browsing through Cloz, in order to sustain my shopping, I popped into Aqua Lounge at Monaco Trattoria at 218 E. 4th Street. I ordered my favorite, a May Tag Martini, only $4 during happy hour (4 to 6 p.m. daily).
After my drink I visited the last stop on this trip. Since it opened, Merchant Voyage has been a favorite. The store has an Old World feel, yet you won’t pay exorbitant prices. This is the only store I’ve seen my husband truly enjoy spending time in, and he even shops for gifts there on his own. Two years ago we bought a Cicada bug mounted in a glass display box as a Christmas gift for our niece.
At the time she was just three, and in that year she had experienced the Chicago Cicada invasion (every 17 years there is an explosion of these ugly bugs in he Chicago area). It turns out our niece was fascinated by the Cicada bugs; bringing them into the house whenever she got a chance and carrying them around in her pockets. Finding this gift on the wall at Merchant Voyage was perfect, and it’s a gift she will own for a lifetime.
In addition to mounted insects, Merchant Voyage has a vast array of other items, laid out like a museum, but it’s not overwhelming or cluttered. The owner as a real eye for purchasing captivating and charming objects and a great eye for decorating. I encourage you to go and poke around in this store – you never know what you might find.
It was cold and dark as I walked to my car with bags of gifts I was truly going to enjoy giving. Stores were starting to close and the smell of food was beginning to permeate downtown. I didn’t have a chance to visit the many art galleries on this trip, I’ll save that for another time, but I did have a fun and successful shopping experience.
HeidiTown Tip: Don’t forget the Rialto Theater! Gift Certificates for theater is a lovely and memorable gift that is as fun to give as it is to receive,
especially if you get to go along to the show.
