Hunt for Antique Treasures in Allen, Michigan

When the days shorten and the leaves start to turn shades of saffron red and honey gold, it's time to wander down U.S. 12, a Michigan heritage highway that traces the Old Sauk Trail, an American Indian byway, as it leads to Allen, considered to be the Michigan's antiques capital.
It's said that if you stopped at each of the booths housed in these immense buildings and the small stores that brim with antiques for just one minute each, it would take more than three days to visit them all.
Not having three days, I still decided to do my best to visit as many as possible. Starting first in downtown Allen, a town whose population barely tops 100, I checked out the books at Michiana Books and Antiques, a U-Buy bookstore, and then went on to several antiques stores that line the two-block downtown.
The hours here differ from the big antiques malls on the outskirts of Allen. Those keep regular hours; in town, places such as the quaint Peddler's Alley and Gingerbread Keepsake Antiques, may be open or not, seemingly on a whim. But if they're open, they're worth prowling.
After finding a few treasures, I headed out of town to the Allen Antique Barn, a big red building whose outside is a cluster of weatherproof artifacts.
Snoop around
Inside, it's a vast space divided into small stalls, each separately owned and each specializing in certain eras and specific finds. There are lamps, furniture, old books including a great collection of early Nancy Drew mysteries, jewelry, old radios and an immense amount of plates, glasses, vases and lamps. It's easy to get overwhelmed by the detritus of the past, but in some ways, it also is like visiting a vast museum, sorting through the accumulation of other people's lifetimes.
Preston's Antique Gaslight Village, a collection of more than 20 historic buildings, including this General Store, offers the ambience of a small late-1800 community near Allen, Mich.
What most impresses about the antique barn as well as several of the other places I visited, including the Hog Creek Craft & Antique Mall and Allen Antique Mall, is that despite their immense size, they are all meticulously organized, clean and well kept.
An interesting aspect of the Hog Creek Craft & Antique Mall is that part of the 23,000 square feet is focused solely on crafts. I am always amazed at the many different talents people have for making birdhouses, doll clothing, jewelry, rugs, baskets and so much more.
Taking a break from shopping, I headed to the Outpost Grill, a quaint country-style restaurant where patterned curtains hang from the windows, antiques decorate the entryway.
Whenever I visit a place. I not only like to check out the stores but also the foodstuff. A good find is Betty's Amish Country Bakery, which is about seven miles down the road in Quincy, another speck of a town. It's owned by an Amish woman who eschews electricity and instead uses kerosene-heated stoves to make her wonderful baked goods, including breads, caramel corn, pies, cakes and big chewy cookies
Once fortified with baked goods, I returned to antiquing. There were still a lot of places to check out, but I decided to visit Preston's Antique Gaslight Village, which I love because the buildings here are all historical and have been moved from other locations within 50 miles of Allen. They have been restored and now house antiques.
There are schools, an Art Deco gazebo, a farm house that is nearly 150 years old and several churches, including one that belonged to an abolitionist who helped shelter escaping slaves on their way along the Underground Railroad
Also in the area
If you've shopped till you're almost dropping, there are other things to do in the area as well. Nearby Coldwater has two chains of lakes connected by a channel. What better way to enjoy the autumn colors than by renting a pontoon boat at the Coldwater Lake Marina? Info: (517) 238-2777. Kayaks and pontoons also are available at Narrows Resort. Info: (317) 417-3157, or visit nrglr.com/
All this antiquing may leave a hankering for the past. What better way to indulge than to visit the Capri Drive-In, which opened 44 years ago in Coldwater? It shows first-run movies on two movie screens starting at sunset. Info: 119 W. Chicago Road (US-12). (517) 278-5628 or capridrive-in.com.
Children might like AJ's Bison in Bronson, where owner Jan Danklefsen turned an interest in buffalo into an avocation. She now has 86 of them. They can be seen from the road, but be careful, they're not friendly. She also sells buffalo meat, rugs and American Indian items at her gift shop. Info: 456 W. Hatmaker Road. (517) 369-9037.
If you go
How to Get There: Take U.S. 31 South to Int. 94 Exit 34A East to M-227 to U.S. 12 East. Continue east through Coldwater and Quincy to Allen.
For More Information: Contact the Branch County tourism office at (517) 278-0241 or visit http://www.discover-michigan.com./
-- Jane Ammeson is a freelance writer based in southwestern Michigan.