Frakenmuth... the German settlement.

After my doctor appointment on Friday (1/29), we took a drive down to a town just southeast of Saginaw. It is where German settlers came and set up a city and the influence has continued and become a bit of a tourist attraction. It felt like we were in a ski resort type of town in Colorado or Utah. The shops were nice and they probably sell expensive items but that's not why we were there. This week they have been having "SNOWFEST" and, in my opinion, it's an excuse to get people out to buy things at these shops. The main events of the festival are the snow and ice sculptures. I wanted to take the kids to show them this unique form of art. I did bring hats and mittens but could have brought their snow pants, as well as their boots, because it was really that cold as we walked around. It was amazing to look at all the ice and snow people had turned into beautiful images.

So, here are some pictures of the town and area.





Shopping area with a waterfall that goes into the river below. There is a very nice walking bridge next to the road so that the shoppers can walk safely over the river.

The tower at the Bavarian Inn has several bells that would play at certain times and we just happened to be there at one of those times. It was neat (and loud) to hear the bells play their song. The only reason I didn't stop to listen and enjoy it better was because it was so cold and needed to keep moving.

Here are some pictures of the sculptures.

Giraffe head.

Iguana.

Windmill.

Obviously a lion and lioness.

They also had a petting "zoo" with camels, sheep, goats, and llamas. My kids were excited to see a camel in real life.

There were also pony rides for $2.00 but I forgot to grab cash so I only had $4.00 in my wallet and didn't want to let 2 kids rid and have to say no to all the others... so no one got to ride. Marissa was so sad, and I was sad for her because I really did mean to grab more cash because I knew she would want to ride. Oh bummer.

After we were all a bit frozen, we drove to a huge store in town, Bronners, that sells only Christmas stuff, all year round. It was amazing to see all the ornaments for any hobby or interest. They also had a room showcasing a large display of nativity scenes from around the world. It was really neat to see so many different, yet very similar scenes.

The front of the store has a huge nativity scene.


This was my favorite in the display inside - Joseph holding baby Jesus while Mary rests.

Kemiah found this giant Elmo doll and carried it around for a bit. Thought it was funny because it's really bigger than her.

Some of the displays in the store. Huge.

It was a fun trip. I'm glad Tamara was willing to go with us - I needed help watching my kids, and it's always fun to have friends with us. I will really enjoy visiting Frankenmuth again, during Spring, Summer or Fall and I'll bring the stroller.