Frankenmuth, AKA “Little Bavaria,” is a small town between Flint and Saginaw known for its chicken dinners, German influence, and Christmas festivities. Pictured above is the Holz-Brücke Wooden Bridge that visitors use to cross the Cass River.
Going to Frankenmuth is a favorite activity for Michigan families looking to get in the Holiday Spirit during the weeks leading up to Christmas. The town goes all out decorating – lights, garland, tinsel, everything. Frankenmuth is home to Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, “The World’s Largest Christmas Store” where you could spend an entire weekend shopping.
I hadn’t been to Frankenmuth since I was about 10 years old and the only things I really remembered were taking a carriage ride through town and being mesmerized by the number of ornaments that sparkled in Bronner’s. I’d been wanting to go see Frankenmuth with my mom so that I could see it again!
My mom and I decided that we would wait to go until after the busy season. We wanted to try to avoid crowds so that social distancing would be possible. The middle of January was the perfect time to go – parking was easy, lines at shops were short, and we could walk around town without being on top of other visitors.
Our first stop was Frankenmuth Cheese Haus. It was absolutely amazing! I am obsessed with cheese, so I was in heaven. Cheddar, Asiago, Gruyere, Gouda – you name it, they had it. They even had multiple choices of cheese curds, too. Cheese Haus is the place to go if you are a cheese connoisseur.
Next, my mom and I walked around and stopped in a couple souvenir shops. One of them, Got Kilt, had Irish, Scottish, and English themed gifts and kilts specific to various clans/family names. It was so fun to see all the different patterns!
A couple store fronts away from Got Kilt was Frankenmuth Woolen Mill. The front of the shop looked like a typical, small home goods store with decorative throw pillows, bedding, candles, and other interior decorating items. They also had quite the assortment of fabric that you could purchase by the yard. At the back of the store you can see the machinery, videos of how the wool is processed, and information on the history of the mill. It was like a store combined with a little museum! Even though my mom and I vowed that we weren’t going to buy any holiday decorations in Frankenmuth, I couldn’t resist buying the most adorable Christmas llama stuffed animal from the Woolen Mill. I can’t wait to put it out with my little Christmas tree next year!
My mom and I ended our time in town with a carry-out dinner from Zehnder’s. We ordered chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, and mac and cheese. Zehnder’s had an outdoor tent available for carry-out customers. Tables were spaced far apart and sanitized between each use. Considering it was an open tent without heaters on a 33º day, it was incredibly warm. I even had to take my jacket off once we sat down! After dinner we grabbed coffee from The Harvest Coffeehouse for dessert. The Harvest made the best hot caramel macchiato I’ve ever had (best iced caramel macchiato goes to BabyCakes Muffin Co. in Marquette).
My mom and I still had some daylight left, so we decided to head over to Frankenmuth River Place Shops. It’s a small outdoor mall made up of souvenir shops and boutiques. We decided to take the scenic walk from downtown so that we could cross the Holz-Brücke Wooden Bridge. It has pedestrian paths on both sides, so you’re safe from cars and don’t have to worry about negotiating space with people walking in the opposite direction. The Holz-Brücke is the largest covered wooden bridge in Michigan and when the sunlight hits it just right, its color is beautiful.
Our last stop in Frankenmuth was Enchanted Forest, one of the boutiques in River Place Shops. Enchanted Forest has a huge selection of fairy garden items – houses, fairies, barns, treehouses, and every accessory you could imagine. They have an incredible display of their own set up outside their store front. The photo above is just a small section of it. I’ll definitely be returning once I have my current fairy garden collection set up in the spring and know what I have room for at home.
Frankenmuth was a great choice for a short day trip. It was about an hour and 15-minute drive from our house in metro-Detroit, close enough that we didn’t need to find a dog-sitter or spend half the day in the car. By visiting outside of the Holiday Season, my mom and I didn’t feel rushed in the shops or worried about our ability to socially distance. At first we were worried Frankenmuth might not be as exciting without the Christmas festivities to entertain us, but it turned out we had no reason to be. We’re already planning our summer visit. We want to go to Frankenmuth Brewery and do a boat tour of the Cass River. Hopefully warm weather isn’t as far away as it seems!
Claire Goes Places 