We Stopped for a Giant Chair… and Somehow Ended Up Looking at Bears

This Was Supposed to Be a Two-Minute Stop

At first, it really did feel like one of those quick roadside pauses. Get out, climb the chair, take a photo, maybe stretch for a second, and move on. From the parking lot, it doesn’t look like there’s much more going on beyond the shop itself, so there’s no reason to think you’re about to spend any real time there.

We went inside first — like normal people — mostly just to grab a drink and take a quick look around before getting back on the road.

Inside, it’s a mix of souvenirs, random finds, and things you don’t really need but still end up picking up just to look at twice.

The spice section is where we got stuck for a while. Not because we needed spices — we’re working with a 200 sq ft bus kitchen, there are limits — but because of the names. “Bull Shit,” “Good Shit,” “Special Shit.” Just sitting there like completely normal options, daring you not to react. We stood there longer than we should have, reading labels, debating whether any of them were actually worth buying or if we just appreciated the commitment.

While we were inside, we found out they had animals outside, which was not something we had picked up on at all from the road. It wasn’t presented like a main attraction or something you’d immediately notice — just something we happened to learn once we were already in there, which obviously changed our plans a bit.

So we headed back out to see what they were talking about, expecting maybe one or two animals at most. Instead, there were bears, wallabies, a fox, and an alligator behind the shop, all part of a setup that you wouldn’t really know was there unless someone told you or you took the time to look around.

(If surprise animals at a roadside stop are your thing, Michigan has another one: elk viewing at the Elk’s Lodge in Gaylord.)

It ended up turning what should have been a quick stop into something we spent a lot longer walking through, mostly because we kept realizing there was more there than we originally thought.

About the Photos

Fair warning: the photos here are the chair, the bear cutout, and the spice shelf. We took pictures of the actual bears out back. We did. They didn’t survive a photo-library disaster a few years ago, and yes, it still stings. So the wallabies will have to live in your imagination — or you can go see them yourself.

(Stopped here and got the bear photos we lost? Send them our way and we’ll add them with credit.)

What a Bear Store Hale Michigan Stop Actually Turns Into

This wasn’t anything we had planned, and it definitely wasn’t something we pulled over for thinking it was going to be more than a quick stop. It started with the chair, turned into grabbing a drink inside, and then somehow ended with us walking around outside looking at animals we had no idea were there.

Turns out the chair was just the beginning. 🐻

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Bear Store Hale Michigan Info

📍 6787 M-65, Hale, Michigan
📞 (989) 728-9981

This was our experience during our visit, and like a lot of roadside stops, things can change over time. If you’re planning to stop, it’s always worth checking current conditions or recent reviews so you know what to expect.

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Where to Next in Michigan?

If a giant chair can turn into bears, imagine what else is sitting on the side of a Michigan road. A few more stops we’ve made around the state:

👉 More surprise animals: elk viewing in Gaylord
👉 Gee Farms: we came for houseplants and left with potatoes
👉 Holly’s three water towers (plus a breakfast stop)
👉 Johnson’s Pumpkin Farm: corn maze and hay sculptures
👉 The Michigan bus break (and the time our towed car caught fire)
👉 See every Michigan stop we’ve made
👉 Explore our World’s Largest roadside stops