Frankenmuth, Michigan

Frankenmuth, Michigan.......my favorite 'local' vacation spot. There is literally something for everyone there, including: famous chicken dinners with a German influence, camp grounds, lots of available alcohol vendors, country stores, knitting/scrapbook/craft stores, farms, river boats, a natural and organic industry, horse drawn carriages, breweries and wineries, an even a military museum!

If you crave a Bavarian-styled oasis in mid-Michigan that is steeped in early American history, then Frankenmuth is the place for you.

I will highlight a few of my favorite attractions here for your viewing pleasure:

Lodging:

Bavarian Inn and the Drury Inn are my two favorite hotels in the area. They are both within walking distance to the main drag.

The Bavarian Inn is the bigge$t, 'fancie$t', and probably most well known hotel in town. It is a mega-hotel with an emphasis on family fun (indoor put-put golf, 5 pools, restaurants, play lands and arcades). Little kids are EVERYWHERE. There is a restaurant, lounge/bar, and a cafeteria style eatery in the play area, and a gift shop. You could check in to this place and not ever leave it, because there is so much to do.

The Drury Inn is a much smaller and less expensive version of the Bavarian Inn with one single pool and hot tub, and no other 'fun' areas. They do offer a free hot breakfast, free pop and popcorn all day, 3 free drink coupons at the lobby's bar area to use during your stay, and a free hot appetizer bar at night. There is no where to really hang out and relax in, outside of your guest room (other than the small amount of dining tables in the lobby). If you are all about free food stuffs, and also actually getting out of your hotel and seeing what the city has to offer, this affordable place is a great place to stay at.

I would say that both hotel's guest rooms have a similar outdated look, with a Bavarian themed decor throughout the building. The hotel staff's friendliness, ease of parking, bathroom size and guest room cleanliness level seem about the same between the two places. If you really want to save some money, then stay at the Drury Inn and visit the Bavarian Inn's Family Fun areas during the day. You wont be able to get in the pools there, but you can go in the playlands, restaurants, and arcades as a visitor.

Dining

  The most amazing dining experience you will have in Frankenmuth is the Bavarian Inn restaurant. It is the quintessential Frankenmuth experience. Home made EVERYTHING, lederhosen-clad wait-staff, a roaming accordion player, and several different dining rooms that are all uniquely decorated with a whimsical Bavarian theme. It can be both a fun family restaurant, and a romantic date night all in one building. The basement of the restaurant holds the Castle Shops, so you can make your trip here a fun couple of hours! The all-you-can-eat chicken dinner is served family style and is about $20 per adults and children over 12 years old. One money saving tip: the lunch menu is available all day, and is much cheaper than the dinner menu (but it is not all-you-can-eat). Also, if you join the Perks Club, you will get a coupon for a free chicken dinner for your birthday!

There are many other places to eat in town, from the Frankenmuth Brewery to 'T Dubs' (Think: the Bavarian Buffalo Wild Wings). The Bavarian Inn Hotel (across the river from the Bavarian Inn Restaurant) has a restaurant called Oma's that has a good breakfast menu, as well as German cuisine! The whole main strip of the tourist area is full of fudge shops, candy stores, coffee shops, sausage and cheese shops, and many, many ice cream vendors. You can stroll around sampling a huge variety of unique delicacies, before deciding which place to dine at! 

The Cheese Haus, where you can see cheese being made and eat sample's of chocolate cheese

Did I mention the Bavarian Inn does great weddings?!

Shopping

The whole town of Frankenmuth is full of unique stores, all which seem to have an emphasis on original and home made items. Aside from the German beer steins, and keychain/magnet huts that are everywhere, there is a wide variety of quality leather, wool, quilts and lace goods. Like seriously nice and expensive stuff. There is the River Place mall (which has less emphasis on German type stuff, and has a food court, inflatable play place, and arcade)  the Castle shops (my favorite!), and the famous Cheese Haus!

You can shop, eat, and have a jolly good time in Frankenmuth!  If you have visited as a child, you may be pleasantly surprised to see that not a whole lot has changed since you left.

*********Things I didn't even mention, but are definitely some of the best attractions in the 'Muth so I dont want to leave them out: Bronner's, Zhender's bakery, the Popcorn Wagon in the River Place mall, the many many outdoor festivals held in town, and the wooden covered bridge in the center of town that you can walk over.