FROLICKING IN FRANKENMUTH, MICHIGAN

A few weeks ago I visited Frankenmuth, known as Michigan’s “Little Bavaria” (http://www.frankenmuth.org/directions).  There is no off-season for Frankenmuth; they have festivals throughout the year (http://www.frankenmuth.org/festivals). 

For some reason, my favorite part of Frankenmuth is the covered bridge (http://my.net-link.net/~michaelf/zehnders.htm):

Zehnder's Covered Bridge
Frankenmuth, Michigan

There are also carriage rides you can purchase, but I settled for watching others ride:

Many people go to see the Christmas decorations at Bronner’s (http://www.bronners.com). Others go for the mouth-watering chicken and bakery products at Zehnder’s (http://www.zehnders.com/dining/zehndersdining.htm).

I confess to purchasing a number of items at Zehnder’s bakery.

My husband and I stopped for coffee at The Harvest Coffeehouse & Beanery on Main Street.

We took our large cups of coffee upstairs and sat at a table near bookcases filled with used books that you could browse through or buy inexpensively. My pumpkin-flavored coffee was truly one of the best cups of coffee I have ever had.  They have a variety of other food options such as tea, smoothies and baked goods. There is also free Wi-Fi for those who want to hang out and surf the Internet.

The atmosphere was cozy at The Harvest Coffeehouse, and I enjoyed looking at the wide array of artwork and decorations throughout the restaurant.

For lunch, we dined on the patio at Tiffany's (http://www.tiffanysfoodandspirits.com) and enjoyed the outstanding autumn day. My ham and cheese on French bread was excellent, and my husband enjoyed the Polish sausage. 

The rest of the day was spent browsing in the numerous shops (http://www.frankenmuth.org/shopping). I especially enjoyed Rau's Country Store (http://www.rauscountrystore.com) and Abby's of Frankenmuth (http://www.frankenmuthabbys.com/default.aspx). 

If you would like to learn about the history of Frankenmuth, see my blog post entitled “Frankenmuth, Michigan: Do You Have Michigan Ancestors?" (http://www.theartofgenealogy.com/2013/11/frankenmuth-michigan-do-you-have-german.html)