In a time when we are used to hearing about closures and delays, The Boathouse is eager to open in the Lincoln Park Craft district on August 8th.

I talked to one of the owners Beth, and she talked with me about a life long dream she is fulfilling. She has always wanted to open a store like this, after retiring from the State of Minnesota, she and her brother started building the dream.

It must have been meant to be. Beth had a chance meeting with Jack Carr of Carr's Hobby and they soon became friends. He was talking about maybe hanging up his hobby store and getting out of the business and Beth was looking for a good location. Jack passed away but not before telling her she had his blessing for her dream store in his old building, making the sale complete to her and her brother. The two had such a connection that Beth is honoring Jack with a memorial in her store.

The Boathouse sells items made in Minnesota as well as "Lumberjack Chic" wool clothing, Local Photography, Gichi Gami Talking Sticks, Retro arcade games, Garden decor, toys, books, records, antiques, and more. To say that this is someone else's junk is another person's treasure, or an antique store would be selling it short. I asked Beth to give me a couple of words to describe the store, she said, "It's a vintage market with a possibility it will bring back a memory or two, with nothing but fun items that might start a conversation." The store will sell as well as buy, so this could become the neighborhood meeting place to share stories and treasures.

Beth told me this will be a store for history buffs, with information on shipwrecks like the Edmund Fitzgerald, down the road she wants to have some fun activities and make it a place families come to gather. She is looking at doing treasure hunt and more.

When I talked to Beth she said her brother was posing for the sign out front and they were running behind so the store will be a 90% work in progress, but she wants to say hi to everyone that stops and share her vision of what the store is going to become.

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Beth and her brother are also building an online store that's not quite done. She says she wants the real store to be done before she gets the virtual one going.

Wanna see more? They open on Saturday, August 8th at 10 am  2009 West Superior Street, in the old Carr's Hobby building,  kind of a soft opening to introduce themselves.

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