Oscoda’s AuSable River Store has everything you need to set sail
Kelly Hume has turned the AuSable River Store in Oscoda from a beer and bait shop to an eclectic mix of decor, snacks, souvenirs, swimsuits, tubes, paddles, beer and wine — essentially, everything you need to hop in your boat from the adjacent Oscoda Canoe Rental and set sail.
“My husband and father-in-law have owned Oscoda Canoe Rental for 20 years,” Hume said. “My husband started as a teen working for someone else, and they bought it. The store was a beer and bait shop, and my husband was like, ‘You’re going to open and run a store now!’
“I was in insurance for a long time and I left my career when we had childcare challenges, and now I get to do this.”
Hume’s husband was born and raised in Oscoda, but Hume is originally from Saginaw. She’s lived in the area for a decade now.
“Seeing friendly faces is really fun,” she said of running the shop. “Seeing tourists come back year after year. Getting to know people vacationing in Oscoda and seeing them choose to come into our store, that’s super awesome.”
Hume prides herself in having everything shoppers need to get on the river.
“We have everything from worms to wine,” she laughed. “We have a little fishing section because it was a fishing store forever, so we have nightcrawlers. People always joke they had no plans to go on the water, but we have everything. They might have to put some money down, but they’re so happy to be here.”
The shop has also become known for unique apparel and showstopping signs.
“There’s a guy in Saginaw who makes those signs for me,” Hume said. “We were turning our bathroom into a fitting room and he came in selling these big, giant maps and I wanted them because they were so cool. It’s just fun to see people appreciate and like those styles.”
The AuSable River Store is open at 680 W. River Road from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays-Saturdays during the heat of summer, with longer weekends before and after the season and weekend shopping during the holidays.
For more information, visit facebook.com/ausableriverstore.