Frankenmuth

The city of Frankenmuth is billed as Michigan's "Little Bavaria" and you'll see billboards for it quite a distance away.  I remember going there years ago with my parents (I remember eating at a faux-German themed McDonald's actually), so on our trip to Michigan Amy and I decided to spend part of a day there.

There are a great number of things for you and your family to do in Frankenmuth. With festivities year round, the town welcomes visitors with Bavarian hospitality regardless of the season. Whether it's a day trip for the family or a weekend retreat with friends, Frankenmuth is the perfect destination to recharge, renew and refresh. From fantastic food, eclectic shopping and entertainment, to rich historical beauty and culture, it's the ideal departure from the ordinary every day. Visit anytime and count the ways you can enjoy everything Frankenmuth has to offer.
--from Frankenmuth.org

We started out at the farmer's market, catching it just before the end of the day.  We didn't end up buying anything, but it was fun to stroll through the booths.

We went through several stores including the Cheese Haus (where I bought some cheese and meat for lunch).  There were plenty of flowers all up and down the streets.

I thought this was a rather interesting war memorial.

The city's website offers several interesting frequently asked questions, such as "What does Frankenmuth mean?"  They explain that "Franken depicts the province from which the settlers came and Muth means courage in German.  The name Frankenmuth means Courage of the Franconians."  It also features a visitor center (which we visited).

This fountain is located right in front of the visitor center.

I'm not sure why I forgot to take any pictures of the front of the Bavarian Inn, but it is the place that got the whole German-tourist theme going several decades ago.

The village of Frankenmuth began as a German community in 1845.  Its first settlers were among the German immigrants who left their homeland because of poor farmin conditions and political unrest.  Frankenmuth also attracted people who wanted to convert the Indians to the Lutheran faith.  The Zehnder family emigrated from Germany in 1846.  A family trip back to Bavaria in the 1950s inspired them to redecorate their restaurant in the Bavarian theme.  The Bavarian Inn's motif, accented by a fifty-foot-high Glockenspiel, echoes Frankenmuth's German heritage.  Over 20 million meals were served at the inn between 1888 and 1988.  A record 5,470 meals were served on October 9, 1982.  By the 1980s the BAvarian Inn was recognized as one of the ten largest restaurants in the United States.
--from Michigan Registered Historic Site marker

A music group was playing in an outdoor eating area in front of the inn when we walked past:


Behind the inn is a covered bridge open to both vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

The view of the river was great also.

The pedestrian walkway had great views of the riverbank and of the inside of the bridge.

The Covered Bridge Gift shop had a short video about the history of the bridge as well as an overabundance of gifts.

I had to laugh at this sign--it certainly got the point across.

Further down the road we came across this amazing decoration.  It is a flower kaleidoscope.  You look through the piece that looks like a telescope and spin the bowl (which is suspended from the frame).

It looks pretty amazing--but don't take my word for it.  I placed my camera up to the eyepiece and took these pictures and this video also.

~Matt

PS