Frankenmuth, Michigan

Not too long ago I blogged about our stay at the Bavarian Inn Lodge in Frankenmuth, Michigan. Today I want to share some pictures from the town because it's so unusual, so welcoming, and such a great place to go to refresh and recharge.

Located in Saginaw County, Frankenmuth is one of those places that is fun to visit any time of the year.

There is always something going on, including a huge Bavarian Fest held in early June, hot air balloon competitions, dog olympics, The Summer Music Festival, the very popular OktoberFest, and while we were there on our last visit, the ice carvings that were placed all over the town (sculptures entered in a Frankenmuth SnowFest competition).

The covered bridge in February, 2014

The Covered Bridge in the Summer!

A covered bridge right in the heart of town sets the tone for your visit.

I saw where Chuck from Secondary Rds recently mentioned the cheese in Frankenmuth.
Totally worth a mention because that is good stuff!

There are many shoppes and restaurants to visit, including one of my favorites, The Cheese Haus,

treat shops that sell things like homemade taffy (that you can watch them make), ice cream, and the Frankenmuth Fudge Kitchen,

35 Days Until Spring? Def. a welcome sign to see!

an old-fashioned candy display at Rau's Country Store.

There is a toy store,

a historical museum,

and Bronner's, the world's largest Christmas store.

Inside of Bronner's you will find just about any kind of Christmas ornament or decoration you could hope to come across.

They have ornaments from different countries....

different themes,

and even school (university) affiliations...not to mention different hobbies, interests, careers, animals, events, and 'just because' ornaments too.

The architecture is Franconian in style, and the town is often referred to as Little Bavaria.

There are a handful of restaurants (all delicious!), including the infamous Zehnders and Bavarian Inn that both serve authentic German food, complete with the wait staff being dressed in traditional Bavarian attire.

Frankenmuth has a lot of great/fun gift and/or specialty shops!

Shopping in the town is nice with quaint shops that sell sweaters, leather items, crafts, specialty coffee (there is a great coffee store with a cozy area for drinking/reading and a small children's nook), etc., and Birch Run Premium Outlet Mall is just on the outskirts of town. The outlet mall has 145 different stores and is a great place to visit if you've got some shopping you want/need to do (and Katie bar the door! they've got a store that sells premium quality Calphalon pans at a discount).  ;)

Fully where we intend to spend some time this summer.
Alongside the Cass River in Frankenmuth, MI

We have been to Frankenmuth quite a few times, and we always enjoy our visits. As small as the town is (you can walk everywhere if you choose to), we still have not seen everything there is to see.  I'm thinking this summer we might stop at the zoo right on the way into Frankenmuth, and see what that is all about.  Of course we'll be doing that on our way to a hotel that sits along the Cass River...because summer's are made for living and lounging (at least on the weekends), and one of the best places to do that, is in Frankenmuth, Michigan.