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Best Way To Get Around:

There are only a few good online info sites out there on St. Joe:
http://www.sjtoday.org/
http://www.swmichigan.org/
http://www.sjcity.com/

All sandwiches are made to order while you watch over the counter, but calling this cafe a "Subway rip-off" would be an insult. Here you can choose to get your sandwich made on a variety of flavors of made-from-scratch breads baked throughout the day. Your choices include bread, toasted bread, bagels, croissants, or wraps in unique flavors like Cheese Garlic, Spinach Feta, and Sun-Dried Tomato. All sandwiches come with a dill pickle, but you can also order a combo with potato chips and a drink.

The grilled pannini sandwiches ($5 each after tax) are my favorite meal in town. Sourdough bread slices are slathered in butter and lightly toasted so that the cheese is melted and the inner contents are nice and warm. I highly recommend the Italian or Pizza Pannini, or the bagel tuna melt. For the picky eaters (i.e. your little kids), they also offer regular sandwiches, like grilled cheese or peanut butter and jelly.

In addition to the custom sandwiches, they also have homemade baked goods, such as cookies, brownies, and muffins. You can also buy a 1/2 dozen of yesterday's leftover bagels for $1.99. They even serve breakfast in the form of bagels or croissants with eggs, bacon or sausage. For drinks, you can order from a variety of unique espressos, teas, smoothies, and the usual soft drinks.

The building was an old firehouse, but has been newly renovated. They filled in the old fire engine doors with huge windows, but the firemen's pole and old fire alarm are still in place. The restaurant always looked clean and the bathrooms were immaculate.

Broad Street Cafe is a 5- to 10-minute walk from popular Silver Beach, so you can get your food to-go and eat it on the beach or at a picnic table on the Bluff. (Don't forget your free insulated cup of cold water). One major bummer: they close at 3pm Sun-Fri and 4PM on Sat, so eating dinner here isn't an option. Breakfast begins at 6:30AM M-F, 7AM Sat, and 8AM Sun.

You can literally smell their sweets from about five stores away--so just follow your nose to the best ice cream in town! I am a bit of an ice cream connoisseur, and I say this stuff is GOOD. They have about 20 unique flavors that can't be bought in a grocery store. I never tried their other stuff (fudge, caramel apples, candies, etc.), but if that's what you like, then I wouldn't hesitate to eat any. Be sure to get your ice cream in one of their homemade waffle cones. You can watch them make the waffle cones fudges, caramel apples, etc., right in the front windows--they do it all day long! There are a few tables inside, but the ones outside are better for enjoying the weather, people-watching, and waffle cone-making. Bonus: Kilwin's is open late during the summer, till about 11pm, even on weekdays and Sundays.

The whole Kilwin's decor and experience is exactly how I picture a small-town ice cream parlor from the early 1900s. So even if you don't want to buy anything, it's nice just to step back in time through the rickety screen door to enjoy the sweet smell (and the modern air-conditioning).

I always got the hot chocolates because they were too good and cheap (small is $1.50) not to get everytime I went. I about DIED with anticipation the first time I saw them make it! It's not a recipe I have heard of before; they begin every recipe with freshly melted chocolate--no powdered chocolate here! The chocolate is blended with steamed milk and topped with whipped cream, a Michigan cherry, and milk chocolate shavings. The regular hot chocolate is the BEST hot chocolate I've ever had!! If you love chocolate and mint, get the Hot Chocolate LaSalle; it's like eating an Andes chocolate mint in warm liquid for (the second best hot chocolate I've ever had). They also have hot chocolates with dark or white chocolate and cherry hot chocolate. Tip: the to-go cup seems bigger than the glass mug you get if you dine-in, and if you tell them not to put the lid on, they usually fill the cup with more liquid and really pile on the whipped cream!

My friends liked their chocolate cakes, but some were voted to be too rich to finish eating. The coffees, mochas, lattes, etc., looked good too. However, avoid the ice cream here, because Kilwin's Ice Cream is just a few stores down the street! Chocolate Cafe's ice cream doesn't measure up in taste, flavor, variety, or price. (Read all about Kilwin's in my separate entry.)

The atmosphere at the cafe is very homey, with all decor relating to chocolate. There are tables and chairs throughout, but in the back is a cozy living room area with leather couch, a few chairs, fireplace, and coffee table with reading material. I recommend curling up and enjoying your chocolate here! There is also a computer with free internet access open to all customers. They also have a party room that's free with reservations.

The other side of the cafe is the museum, outlining the history of chocolate and The South Bend Chocolate Company (owners of this small franchise).

On Monday, they have open mic night, usually starting around 7 or 8pm. Wednesdays feature scheduled musicians, of which I recall seeing both a guitar player or a harpist on several occassions. There's never a cover fee, nor do you have to buy anything to watch.

They make all the food on site (and I think the bread too). Some dishes I recall: tuna melt on toasted bread, a spinach-filled pastry, salads, paninis, broccoli quiche, and soup in bread bowls. Most dishes come with a surprisingly tasty side of cold green beans in Italian dressing or pasta salad. They also serve specialty coffee and tea blends, but I don't drink either.

This place has won local awards for their food, and there was a Hollywood celebrity who had eaten here pictured on the wall. There aren't enough tables inside during the busy lunch hours. There are also a few tables outside for alfresco dining. A little oddity: If you want free water with your meal, you have to walk over to the water stations near the trash cans, get yourself a plastic cup, and fill it from the water pitcher.

Now when I say "best", I'm talking about taste, variety of options, and quantity for the money—not service or ambiance. Although, without their "reminds me of my great aunt's house" decor and always-hurried servers, Sophia's environment would otherwise feel pretentious. This is by all means a typical mom-and-pop restaurant (you even pay at the cash register). I love it here because the breakfasts are VERY tasty and still have dirt-cheap prices for large portions, and the menu has more items and variations than I ever knew was possible for breakfast. Sophia's also has an extensive lunch and dinner menu, but why would anyone try anything else when breakfast is served all day!

I highly recommend the pancakes, you can get them any way you like: in various berry flavors, with whipped cream, chocolate chips, cinnamon, etc. All the pancakes are a medium thickness with a light, yet cake-like texture and a hint of sweetness. A short stack of three plate-sized pancakes is just under $4. Waffles and crepes can be ordered with basically the same options. Skillet meals are served in the actual skillet. A kid's menu, senior citizen's menu, and takeout are available.

Note of Warning: Sophia's is open until EXACTLY 15 minutes before their flamboyantly published closing time. I found this out twice when the door was rudely locked in my face as I approached at exactly 46 minutes on the hour of closing. They open in the morning at 6am and have the same hours every day.

The closest franchise equivalents to Pump House are Applebee’s or TGI Friday's. Pump House has a large, solid, dark wood bar and floors for that upscale tavern feel. They feature steaks, burgers, chicken, and a few things that I have only ever seen on a menu here. This place is busy on weekends during dinner, so avoid these main hours unless you like waiting more than an hour. I'm not sure that they take reservations.

Now, I am not a steak person, so I can't tell you about those, but here are my comments about the food:

-I have never heard of a Philly burger. It’s Philadelphia cream cheese on a hamburger, and I was weary of ordering it, but it is absolutely delicious! Don't pass up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to try it! If you like hamburgers and you like cream cheese, you will like this combo.
-The smoked, then grilled barbeque chicken cannot possibly be any more tender and still keep itself on the bones. Very tasty!
-I avoid the salads–-they are the typical lettuce/carrot/purple cabbage mix from a bag. -In general, I avoid eating starches and was very pleased that they offer good-tasting roasted veggies as a side dish.
-Fajitas are very good.
-Texas beef brisket is very tender and tasty.
-Other local cuisine I never got around to trying: breaded/fried dill pickles, olive burger (green olives and Swiss cheese), and deep-fried cheesecake.

Note: Never go to Pump House if you want a quick meal. The service is good but never timely, or maybe it's the cooks' fault. Out of at least six times that I have eaten here (not one of which was busy enough to require a wait for a table) and with party sizes varying from two to eight people, the fastest time ever spent here was about 1 hour, 10 minutes for four burger orders. Makes you wonder if they were butchering the cow while you waited. Not good when you have an hour-long break for lunch!

Let me explain:
Before I moved to this area, no one I knew had ever heard of it, except that my dad knew about this restaurant from decades ago (when it was located in another town) and that the Schu______ family (whatever their full name is) was apparently famous for a particular dish that only they made. Over the years, the original owner died, resulting in some argument amongst the heirs of what to do with the restaurants, and now it is reincarnated in this location with this new name. So if it’s always crowded and the name is legendary, then the food should still be good, right?

Not really; Schu's serves much the same things you can find around the corner at Pump House, only Pump House food always tastes better. Nothing about Schu's food is particularly memorable, except for a tasteless, charred "medium-well" hamburger that I waited for forever to get. They had no non-starchy side dish options, and I recall thinking: "Just don't come back here again; it's not worth it". On a side note, however, I think they are known for their ribs, which are served to you on the actual wooden paddle that they are cooked on; it’s quite a unique presentation.

Also, I do recommend drinking at Schu's after work before heading next door to Czar's 505 for the night!

Hours:
Monday-Thursday 11am-10pm
Friday 11am-11pm
Saturday noon-11pm
Sunday noon-8pm

I ate here many times, despite being on a low-carb diet. I hear you now thinking, "Italian deli food on a low-carb diet?!" Well, luckily, the counter chefs are nice enough to turn their meatball sandwich into extra meatballs in a "boat." The menu is mostly sandwiches with Italian meats, but they don't disappoint with the classics like lasagna, chocolate, and stuffed cannoli. I also ate here with friends, who ordered normal things off the menu. They all thought the food was a welcome change of palate after eating so many Cafe Tosi sandwiches for lunch.

The decor is exactly what you want from a family-owned Italian deli: plain, simple, and showcasing pictures of famous Italian landmarks and the Rat Pack. On one occasion in particular, however, I noticed that a Beach Boys CD was playing over their speakers. That definitely ruined the authentic Italian feel.

This is one of those mysterious places I always heard whispers about, but I didn't know for a long time if it really existed. It is rumored that the Hummer H2/ BMW Z4-driving president of my division loved the hamburgers here--and now so do I! Note: This place is not for those nose-in-the-air types and is for the adventurous who like tasty American food for Taco Bell prices.

You would never guess there is a restaurant/ bar here. It seems to be in the middle of nowhere... at least until you find it. It is very close to Rocky Gap and Jean Klock Beach and almost underneath M-63, making it very suitable for a quick lunch while at these beaches. Starting from Jean Klock, turn left and follow the road underneath a bridge until it dead ends at a three-way intersection. North Shore Inn is on the corner; it looks like a rundown inn straight out of an old Western movie. I don't think (and I hope) that it’s not an inn anymore.

If the looks don't scare you away, you will discover that people come here for the food and prices. The menu is printed right on your placemat, and this about sums it up: hamburger, hot dog, grilled cheese, PB&J, BLT, mozzarella sticks, jalapeno poppers, side salad, french fries (curly or straight, cheese or plain) and all the usual sandwich fixings. Get the hamburger; it’s a large, real meat, hand-formed patty (not a pre-formed frozen patty!) grilled in something magical that makes it taste even better. Everything costs about $1 to $3.

To compliment the exterior looks, the interior ambiance and decor says "smoky rural Mexican bar," and the 3D papier-mâché bull's head in the bull-fight wall mural is quite unique! Despite the building's ragged appearance, various types of people frequent this place for lunch, from the suit-wearing division president I mentioned above to the scary-looking bar flies who probably spend 20 hours a day here. I will pass on a warning I received: Don't go there after dinner for the drink specials--supposedly the place turns into a bar full of the scary, ragged types.

First, the food: The selections are comparable to a TGI Friday's, but with more of a mom-and-pop twist. They have soups, salads, pastas, burgers, sandwiches, and steaks. Clementine's is one of the places in St. Joe that also serves some local cuisine, such as the Harbortown Burger with green olives, and my personal favorite, Oh My Darling, crab and shrimp broiled on toasted French bread with grilled tomato topped with melted cheeses. There are lots of classics like the Rueben, frisco, roast beef au jus, and several sandwiches on sourdough bread. All meals come with a side dish and soup or salad. They were always good about substituting items, so I could eat low-carb versions.

Clementine's Too is not located within the bustling downtown St. Joe area but down the street right along the Saint Joseph River - not quite walking distance from downtown. However, you can actually dock your boat right next to your table. Clementine's in South Haven is the opposite; they are right in the center of their downtown hubbub.

The original Clementine's is full of history since they are located in two old bank buildings. The natural lighting is dim, the walls have old exposed brick, and the ceilings have exposed beams and are covered in decorative painted embossed tin. Local historical memorabilia decorates the walls without overcrowding them. Clementine's Too is severely lacking this history that gives the original Clementine's its distinctive historical charm. There is some historical memorabilia on the walls here, but half the walls are windows looking out over the river; its just not the same feeling.

While I prefer the dining experience at the original Clementine's over Clementine's Too, both have good food at good prices.

The bar has excellent weekday happy hour drink specials.

Also, if you drink too much, they offer a complimentary limo escort home. But I have not seen anyone have to use this service. There is a swanky lounge area on the side of the bar so that you can drink on a couch instead of at a bar stool or booth. On weekend evenings there is usually someone playing live lounge music (i.e. piano or saxophone), creating a perfect romantic evening atmosphere.

Most dishes are a bit pricier than I usually like to pay, so I only ate here a few times, but it was pretty good food. They do have specials going on all the time it seemed, which you can usually find by looking at the sign being held by the person dressed in either the alligator or lobster costume standing out on the street corner! One time I had the all-you-can-eat perch special, which didn't really hit the spot compared to the infamous Lake Erie perch I am used to eating. A great regular deal, though, is the Alaskan King Crab Legs - $23 for 1 pound of legs. Plus all dinners come with bread, the salad bar, seasonal vegetable, and your choice of side dishes. (The salad bar had excellent variety and freshness.) I probably will get the crab legs every time I ever go back here.

Silver Beach is where ALL the tourists go, so it’s always very crowded and noisy on hot weekends. Silver Beach's popularity is no surprise— it has the closest and most visible location to downtown, a concession area, a playground, volleyball nets, sculptures, etc... okay, it has everything a beach could offer.

Silver Beach is undoubtedly the best family beach—the water depth is never over an adult's head, there’s very little wave action, and there are three lifeguards on duty until 6pm. If the kids get hungry or have to go to the bathroom, only one hundred yards away are full concessions, bathrooms, and showers. If the kids tire of the simple pleasures of sand and water, an awesome playground in the sand is sure to keep them entertained.

Of all the area beaches, Silver Beach is the largest swath of sand within walking distance of downtown (five-minute walk). Bring a frisbee, football, and a volleyball; there are about ten sand volleyball courts (the only ones in the area) and plenty of free space to throw frisbees and balls. What really sets Silver Beach apart from all beaches elsewhere, are the four mammoth-sized (Krasl Art Center sponsored) installation sculptures that are placed along the wide, smooth sidewalk, which by the way is perfect for rollerblading, romantic walks, or scenic jogs. Sunsets and sunrises are spectacular when viewed from anywhere in Silver Beach—for extra romance, try watching one while cuddled up with your honey in your own little world at the top of a wooden lifeguard tower.

As an added bonus, Silver Beach flows into a park with a walkable pier opposite the Saint Joseph lighthouse pier. The Silver Beach pier joins land near a grandiose, open-air, covered pavilion. This pavilion is fronted by a lush, grassy, theatre-sloped, lawn and backed by the harbor. The setting is so idealistic that I have witnessed weddings and sunset concerts taking full advantage of the setting.

Six hundred $5 parking spots are conveniently located right at the beach, but I recommend the more distant free parking areas in downtown, if you can find a spot. A "locals' secret" free parking lot can be found one block behind the beach, near the residences.

First, let me preface with this: I have been to beaches all over Cape Cod, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Venice, Santa Monica, Carmel (California), and Lake Erie. Now, let me tell you this: ROCKY GAP IS MY FAVORITE BEACH. How often have you thought about how nice it would be to go to one of those infamous secluded beaches on Kauai? Well, when that happens to me, I look in my wallet and realize that Rocky Gap is a fabulous substitute for the money!

To compare with all other beaches I've been to, at Rocky Gap there is no parking or entrance fees, a short 1 minute walk from the car to the water's edge, no painful debris on the lake bottom (in 2004), no kelp or fish in the water, no fishy smell, no salt-water taste or residue on your skin, no dead animals, no debris or trash in the sand, very small waves, and maybe, on a hot weekend, there 10 other people, spread out at least 15 feet apart. Even on "crowded" days, there will be much fewer people per square foot here than at any other local beach. On a return visit in July 2005, the first few feet of the water was jammed with smooth, colorful rocks, so Rocky Gap does live up to its name some years.

People come here for privacy and quietness, so please don't bring your kids or barking dogs. This is not a kid-friendly beach anyway since there are no lifeguards, no bathrooms, no food, no drinking fountains, no playgrounds, no volleyball courts, and not a very wide area of sand for throwing balls.

Best times to be alone:
Weekdays
During lunch and dinner
During sunset
Anytime it looked like unperfect beach weather earlier that day
During overcast weather
*Combine any of these above factors for even better chances.

On three occasions throughout the summer, the water's surface was absolutely smooth with no waves. Consider yourself very lucky if you go on a day like this and it's warm enough to get in the water! It is SUCH a surreal feeling to float in giant body of water that's perfectly smooth as far as the eye can see. Those days REALLY felt like I was swimming in a postcard from paradise. On the flip side, there were also a few days when the waves were churning up a few feet and creating some picture-perfect whitecaps. This is often due to a storm elsewhere on Lake Michigan, so these days are still very suitable for tanning on the beach!

Jean Klock Beach is the only beach in the area that is free on weekdays, but not on weekends; therefore, I only came here to eat on my lunch breaks from work.

*Insert vinyl record scratching sound*

"Eating at the beach in the middle of your work day?!"

Ah, yes, that was a marvelous perk of working near the water and downtown.

Imagine yourself in my place: After ordering your absolute favorite sandwich to-go, the drive back to work just happens to pass Jean Klock Beach. You drive into the parking lot, and the only other car there belongs to the concession stand worker, who is hidden from view inside the bathhouse. You walk along the white sand while keeping your work shoes on the cement sidewalk. A 2-story, open-air pavilion with picnic tables seems to be waiting just for you. As the lake breezes whistle through the surrounding dune grasses, you take a bite of your sandwich while your eyes gaze out over white sands and sparkling blue water that flow all the way into the cloudless blue horizon. Eating the sandwich only takes a few minutes, so why not enjoy the setting better? You take off your shoes and roll up your pants, and with shoes in hand, you walk in the sand down to the water. From here, the sound of the water and the wind is all you can hear, and the sights of the beach and the grass are all you can see. A wave comes up over your toes. Aaaaah, yessss, this is the best lunch break ever.

If you aren't planning on visiting in the middle of a weekday, you're still likely to really enjoy this beach. The bathhouse facilities here are the largest in the area, and they look nice and new, but smell bad. The beach boasts two GIANT pavilions tucked back into trees and grasses. Both have very high roofs suitable as a stage area or perfect for large cookouts, although one pavilion was lacking in picnic tables.

Because of this beach's gentle sand dunes with tall grasses, this is one of the most scenic beaches in the area, very reminiscent of Cape Cod. The distance from the bathhouse, combined with a gentle slope to the water, creates a very serene feeling of untouched seashore. Of course, the downside to this is that the trek back to your car is a long and uphill walk in the sand.

Parking Tip: When no one is in the parking lot (weekdays), feel free to drive right past the warning signs, over the tire spikes, and park right next to the bathhouse. (But first double-check that there are other cars on the other side of the tire spikes.)

To get to Jean Klock, cross the drawbridge from downtown and follow the park signs.

They have daily drink specials, such as $2 shot of tequila or a lemon drop, and $3 Bacardi O3 (the large bottle). The staff is pretty friendly, like you would expect from your local neighborhood bar, so strike up a conversation and see if your drinks start tasting better.

A few times per year, they'll have nationally touring bands, but mostly it's the best bands in the region (including from nearby Chicago, IL). They do have some specialty scheduled days (see below), but any other day there is usually a pretty good rock cover band:

First Thursday of every month: Comedy Night. The guy I saw was actually a comedian hypnotist who used audience volunteers. I'll just let you imagine the sick, funny things people will do when they are hypnotized!

First Friday of every month: "Jamaica Me Crazy," i.e. Reggae Night. It’s not my favorite type of music, but I can't imagine anywhere else in this farming region where you could see live reggae.

Last Thursday of every month: "Jam Night," i.e. Open Mic Night

Holidays: the better gigs of the year

For a great evening, I suggest starting off with dinner at one of the downtown restaurants, then go to Schu's Bar & Grill for Happy Hour so that after 9pm, you won't have to stagger farther than a few feet to get to Czar's.

If you like to walk, bike, rollerblade, jog, etc., do it at sunrise or sunset on/near Silver Beach and you won't forget it.

For you morning people: I was only ever around to see one sunrise, but it was equally as spectacular as the sunsets.

Kudos to the town of Saint Joseph for actively and strongly promoting public appreciation of the fine arts! The Krasl Art Center (free admission and within walking distance of downtown) is stocked with rotating and visiting collections of contemporary art and sculpture, and the art center sponsors large, outdoor, permanent installation sculptures all over town. There are several very large installations at Silver Beach, including a new one for 2005. Words could not describe their beauty, so I'll let my pictures do them some justice. To see all of the outdoor sculptures, I recommmend getting a walking tour map at the Krasl Art Center or St. Joseph Today Visitor's Center. Several of these sculptures are also visible in photos in my other entries.

Highlight of the Year: On the weekend after the 4th of July, the Krasl Art Center sponsors one of the 100 Best Arts and Crafts Festivals in the country (as ranked by two separate arts and crafts magazines). Over 200 juried vendors set up tents on the bluff, creating my absolute favorite weekend of the year to be in St. Joe.

Park near Silver Beach.
Head south on Silver Beach’s extrawide sidewalk toward the hard left turn in the road. This section has various sculptures (see my sculpture entry), sweeping views of Silver Beach, and several benches.
Follow the sidewalk as it narrows through the hard left. Cross the street toward the steep uphill.
A few feet before the uphill bridge, on the right, is a blacktop trail. This is a slightly winding, slightly inclined, partially wooded trail that is mostly free of debris.
The first fork in the trail crosses the street to Lions Park Beach (bathrooms are there), or continue along the trail, and at the end, you can do what I did and turn around and head back to the car or take the many steps over the railroad tracks up to the top of the Bluff. This section has sand dunes overlooking Lions Park, and there are a few benches.
If you take the steps up, just follow the street of historic homes to the left, back to downtown. There are probably some nice views of Lake Michigan from here.
At the blue pavilion downtown, take the steps down the Bluff.
Cross the railroad tracks.
Continue straight ahead on the sidewalk along a big field, and you'll be back to your car near Silver Beach.

Whichever way you go, the roundtrip is maybe 3 miles and has a nice variety of scenery. The route may sound complicated, but you are always in sight of the water, so you can always use that to help you get your bearings. About half of the route is shaded.

*Take this path at sunrise or sunset, and you won't forget it.

I had lived here about 2 months before I found this one! Just follow the road along Silver Beach, heading south along the coast, and the road dead ends near Lions Park. There are two covered pavilions with picnic tables and grills, a playground, open bathrooms, a water fountain, and free parking a few feet away. This beach is usually not too crowded (although the small parking lots fills quickly), but it’s the worst area beach for swimming. How could it be so much worse than the other beaches less than a mile away? Well, the first few feet of water is covered in sharp rocks that are painful walk on, and the sand is full of sticks and washed-up debris. Once you make it past the rocks, the lake bottom is sandy as usual, but the water depth varies in weird spots, so it is not a good place for children to swim. There are also no lifeguards here.

Slightly above Lions Park are sand dunes, where the trail runs along the top of them for an excellent beach view. There are also swinging benches perfect for a romantic sunset, especially since the area is fairly deserted at that time.

Tiscornia is my least-favorite beach in the area. Nothing sets it apart from the others except for the lighthouse and the fishing opportunities, but those aren't important beach features to me. My biggest issue is why should I pay for parking when there are four other better beaches nearby where I don't have to pay. And the kicker—other free parking options are nonexistent here, because Tiscornia is set behind private land on a narrow dead-end street.

The couple times I did go here were very short stays so that I didn't have to pay. All I did was walk halfway down the pier to the lighthouse just for the sake of seeing it up closer. At the time, I recall that the sand was not as clean as the other beaches, so I took a mental note that there was no reason to pay to come back here.

If you enjoy fishing or perhaps are a photographer looking for the perfect lighthouse photo, then you may be inclined to pay for the parking and spend some Q time here. And yes, do pay for parking, because I have seen the police patrol the lot.

To get to Tiscornia, cross over the drawbridge from downtown and follow the Tiscornia signs at the bottom of the bridge.

Painted Carousel Horses
Here comes the "and more" part. I personally don't see the tourism draw to seeing a bunch of painted carousel horses when there are so many other things to do here, but the horses are a sizable tourist attraction for this town. If for nothing else, they do add a truly unique visual interest to the old-fashioned small-town charm.

I’ve been told that various local business and organizations bought these horses from an old carousel that used to sit under the bluff in the now-empty Whirlpool Field. Each horse is decorated, painted, and named according to a theme, which usually relates to the business. For example, the bank’s horse is completely covered in dollar bills and accented with coins. These horses are literally all over the town, not just the downtown. You can get free info and guide maps to see all of them from many local businesses, especially the ones with a horse on their property. Each horse host also sells commemorative pins, shirts, and a deck of playing cards that features all the horses.