ABOUT ROAD TRIP STOPS OFF THE BEATEN PATH WITH ATB x LINDORK
This blog post is the second of five in an Explore Alberta – Road Trip Stops Off The Beaten Path with ATB x LINDORK series to be posted Aug 17-21, 2020. The intent of the blog series is to highlight local Alberta businesses (who also bank with ATB!) that you may not have heard of, who could use your support during the pandemic, as part of ATB Financial’s #ATBGoodnessGrows initiative. These businesses are located in lovely towns and cities “off the beaten path” between Edmonton and Calgary. Supporting local and exploring Alberta are two of my passions, and are topics I’m proud to partner with ATB Financial to highlight during the pandemic. You’ll also get an opportunity to enter for a chance to win an Ultimate Alberta Road Trip Prize Package! Learn more about this sponsored series and read some marketing tips I’ve shared with ATB.
Explore Millet, Alberta
Part Two of Five in Explore Alberta: Road Trip Stops Off The Beaten Path with ATB x LINDORK
A new blog post in this series will be shared each day from August 17-21, 2020.
Do you ever think about all the towns, hamlets, or villages you pass on your drive to the next big city? The funny names. The interesting roadside attractions. Do you have moments where you say to yourself, “oh, I wonder what that’s like” or “I wish we had time to stop there.”
I think about this *a lot.* (I drive around Alberta a lot lol).
I always wish I’d made extra time to make extra stops in the different towns around the province—towns like Millet, Alberta. Located just 45 minutes drive south of Edmonton is the central Alberta town of Millet. Millet has a population of just under 2,000 people, and is located between Leduc and Wetaskiwin on Highway 2A (just off Highway 2), just outside Edmonton.
In Millet, you’ll find a cute little downtown Main Street that’s home to local shops like the one I visited this summer—The Butterfly Boutique.
The Butterfly Boutique—a small town shopping destination
The Butterfly Boutique is a long-standing women’s clothing and gift store located at 4920 50 St. in Millet. It’s been operating in the town for 40 years!!
This super cute boutique that honestly—easily—holds up with big city shopping boutiques, is owned by a mom and daughter duo, Jose Maria Bles and Kirsten Bles (who took the store over 11 years ago). In store, you’ll encounter one of the two, or someone on their amazing staff, like Melissa, who has been working at The Butterfly Boutique for years, and was helping me on my visit.
The Butterfly Boutique sells primarily Canadian-made clothing for women, casual as well as special occasion / bridal wear. The store is extremely cute and I was delighted to find a lot of styles of clothing I love—like rompers and jumpsuits. They also try to carry a wider range of sizes than most stores, from 0 to 22 (4XL).
Kirsten says they wanted to offer an intimate shopping experience for customers, with incredible, specialized, one-on-one customer service and higher quality clothing. I love how they describe what the store offers: “through our curated collection of clothing, gifts and decor we strive to bring a touch of whimsy and whispers of “this is just perfect!” around every corner. I may have squealed more than once finding the cutest pieces. This is a destination in Millet. The store actually gets a fair bit of travellers coming through. You make a day of it really, lunch and shopping in Millet.
I loved how helpful boutique staff member Melissa was when we stopped by. I told her I loved jumpsuits and colourful pieces and she immediately started grabbing items she thought I’d love.
With the pandemic, The Butterfly Boutique was forced to shut down their Beaumont store while launching an online store, which has been a big transition, challenge, and opportunity for the Bles’. Kirsten says she’s learned a lot about customer loyalty during this time. “People really support you in a smaller community,” she says. “Finding out customers are loyal has been wildly positive.” It’s also been nice working with her mom during a time that Kirsten says can be pretty stressful and emotional.
Millet is not far from Edmonton at all. Be sure to plan a visit down to eat, explore, and support local businesses. If you do visit, ATB has some incentives for you!!
Visit The Butterfly Boutique and get $10 off your purchase (one discount per person)!
Thanks to ATB Financial, The Butterfly Boutique in Millet will be giving visitors $10 off every purchase (one per person) if you mention code LINDORKATB during your visit! This offer is valid from August 18 to September 7, 2020.
Enter to win an Ultimate Alberta Road Trip Prize Pack ($1,100 value)!
As part of this Road Trip Stops Off The Beaten Path blog series I’m doing with ATB, I’m also highlighting other Alberta businesses off Highway 2 between Edmonton and Calgary, and giving you a chance to replicate my trip!
Enter to win an Ultimate Off The Beaten Path Alberta Road Trip Prize Pack valued at $1,100 on Linda’s Off The Beaten Path Alberta Road Trip blog, Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook posts shared between Aug. 17 to Aug. 23, with winner randomly chosen out of all entries received and announced on Aug. 24.
** GIVEAWAY CLOSED **
Congratulations to Megan W. from Facebook—the winner of the Ultimate Alberta Road Trip Prize Pack!
WHAT YOU’LL WIN:
- $100 gift card to spend at five featured Alberta businesses (valued at $500 total)
- A 1-night night hotel stay (valued at $200)
- Car rental for your road trip (valued at $200)
- A $200 Visa gift card for extra road trip spending!
HOW TO ENTER:
You can do one, some, or all of these entry methods on one, some, or all of my ATB Alberta Road Trip posts shared between Aug. 17-23 for more chances to win!
- Blog Entry: Leave a comment on any of my ATB Off The Beaten Path Road Trip blog posts saying who you’d take on your Alberta Off The Beaten Path road trip and what you’d most like to do.
- Facebook Entry: “Like” (be a Page Fan) of Lindork – Linda Hoang and ATB Financial, and leave a comment on any ATB Off The Beaten Path post tagging a friend you’d go on this road trip with. Include what you’d most like to do on the road trip.
- Instagram Entry: Follow @lindork + @atbfinancial, and leave a comment on any ATB Off The Beaten Path post tagging a friend you’d go on this road trip with. Include what you’d most like to do on the road trip.
- Twitter Entry: Follow @lindork + @atbfinancial and quote any of Linda’s ATB Off the Beaten Path road trip tweets (retweet with comment) saying what you’d most like to do on the road trip and tag a friend you’d go with.
Check back throughout the week as new blog and social posts are shared, giving you more chances to enter and win!!
AND WIN BONUS PRIZES BY DOING YOUR OWN ALBERTA ROAD TRIP OFF THE BEATEN PATH + SHARING ABOUT IT!
If you go on your own Alberta Off The Beaten Path day trip / road trips from Aug 17 – Sept 7, 2020, there are various incentives you’ll get at different businesses featured in this series PLUS if you share about your visits on social media, ATB will be randomly surprising road trippers with Visa gift cards! Share about your trip on social media using #ATBGoodnessGrows and tagging @ATBFinancial + @lindork for a chance to win!
While you’re in Millet, Alberta, don’t forget to visit Altar Yourself!
Millet is also home to a unique business called Altar Yourself, owned by Crystal Chaney, who offers reiki energy healing, chaka balancing, and angel card readings! Crystal started Altar Yourself just this year (a few months before the pandemic), because she wanted to help people. Self-described as spiritual, Crystal says she comes from a long line of women who work in medicine and healing, and she wanted to do the same. She operates her business out of her Millet home basement, or (due to the pandemic), can offer distance services over video calls as well.
I was really curious about doing an angel card reading but some scheduling during my visit didn’t work out, so I’m going to reschedule on my next trip to Millet! She says usually when people want card readings, they sometimes come with specific questions they want answered. They may want a spiritual message from loved ones. Or sometimes they just want to hear what Crystal and the cards have to say. The card reading service caught my attention but her focus is actually on the reiki, which would be nice to try as well. The reiki healing room smelled amazing during my visit and honestly, had a really great energy.
It was so nice to meet Crystal, and like all the Alberta business owners I’ve been talking to, see how passionate she is about the work she does!
While in Millet, consider some spiritual healing and readings from Crystal.
Plus: grab a burger and milkshake at the Burger Barn in Millet!
Finally, although not an “official” stop on our itinerary, we were recommended by Melissa at The Butterfly Boutique to grab lunch at the Burger Barn in Millet, a seriously cute restaurant built inside a quintessential red Alberta barn, specializing in housemade patties and delicious milkshakes. Drive through to order or pop in and grab a patio seat during your visit. My friend Taylor got the mushroom burger and I had the Alberta chicken burger. So good (and this place has such a history in the town that its menu is even featured at the Millet museum, lol).
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Those are just some of many Alberta businesses worth a visit this summer. As you plan your day trips and road trips, see if some of my other Alberta Travel Guides might help you round out your trip. You can also check out the Town of Millet’s Visitor page for ideas. And follow along for the rest of this blog series with ATB! And follow along for the rest of this blog series with ATB!
See all stops on ATB + LINDORK’s Road Trip Stops Off The Beaten Path:
- Explore Leduc & Nisku, Alberta (Prestigio Bakery + Rig Hand Distillery)
- Explore Millet, Alberta (The Butterfly Boutique + Altar Yourself)
- Explore Lacombe & Red Deer, Alberta (Eastside Eatery + Red Hart Brewing)
- Explore Didsbury & Torrington, Alberta (Cowtown Brewing Co. + Gopher Hole Museum)
- Explore Crossfield, Alberta (The Diner at Shorty’s + Enjoy Garden Restaurant)
Check my blog and social media every day from Aug. 17-21, 2020 as I release daily travel guides + Alberta business features and ideas to help you plan your Alberta road trip while supporting local businesses!! You’ll also get more opportunities to enter for a chance to win the Ultimate Alberta Road Trip Prize Pack each day.
- Learn more about this sponsored blog series
(and read small business advice I shared with ATB) - Read “Five rural Alberta entrepreneurs share COVID-19 small business lessons”
- Learn more about #ATBGoodnessGrows
Linda
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Disclaimer: This blog post is part of a sponsored blog series partnership with ATB Financial. This does not impact opinions stated in this post. As I’ve shared repeatedly, I love supporting local businesses and exploring my province. After doing different, smaller, support local initiatives in Edmonton over the last few months of the pandemic, this travel / support local partnership felt like such a perfect pairing! Thank you ATB for working with me to highlight some amazing Alberta business owners and great Alberta towns and cities outside of Edmonton and Calgary.
8 Comments
Hi Linda..love day trips!..weve been to Leduc for their Friday night block party..wondered around and ate great pizza at Nitzas .We pick up donated bread from Cobs bakery in Leduc each Wed and Friday night to deliver to people in need ,so we are always out that way. You got me interested in Millet ..we are going to leave St. Albert early this Friday and head for an early supper in Millet at that red barn you talked about. And maybe a quick look into the butterfly boutique..with my travelling partner Ron Schlender
Loving this series of blogs Linda! With family in Calgary we pass all these small towns on the trip south. NOW I’ll be making some side trips too 😀 Thanks
I LOVE off the beaten path road stops, and I’ve had good luck with bakeries, antique/collectible shops, and thrifting! Can’t wait to see what else you uncover. We will be making a trip to Calgary from Red Deer shortly – so, will I be sidetracked in Didsbury or Crossfield?!
Oh my god – BURGER BARN? That sounds absolutely delicious – cannot wait to check it out on my next road trip :) Thanks for the awesome ideas!
That boutique looks great, I will be checking out their online store now. Definitely would also eat the mushroom burger at the Burger Barn
I LOVE the Butterfly!!! It’s such a great place to get everything from a date night outfit to wedding attire!
I would bring my man and we would go wherever the wind took us! We live in a small town so we understand how sweet and quaint they can be, and often have the best eats!!
I love Millet so much. Such a fantastic little community that comes together whenever something is needed. Its the epitome of community mindset. The food, the shopping the small town feeling… It honestly is a fantastic place to visit.
If you are ever back in Millet you need to try eating at the Old Bank, their eggs Benny is so delicious and it is owned by a very nice family. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t open at the time you went through Millet as I saw a lease sign in the background at it’s location. It is located near the Butterfly Boutique and is a very charming little restaurant. I grew up in Millet so the town has a special place in my heart with many great childhood memories.