Frankenmuth for the Holidays

Frankenmuth is a little town to the east of Saginaw.  It was originally settled in 1845 by Lutheran settlers from Franconia which is now a part of Bavaria.  It still has a fairly large Germanic population and keeps it's German flair.

I decided to stop by there on the way home tonight because it usally looks pretty cool during the Holiday Season.

 This is a covered bridge that was built in 1979 using old techniques in the construction.  I vaguely remember when it was completed because there was a picture in the Bay City Times showing it getting pulled across the river using horses.  I think it looks pretty cool all lit up.

 A shot of the bridge from another bridge.  I kind of liked the reflection of the lights in the water.

 And I think this is a better shot and it shows almost the full length.

 They had these over the bridge that I was standing on.  I kind of liked the effect.  I wish I would have gotten more of the length, but it was cold out.

 They have various Christmas themed lights around the area.  This one is a chorus.

 They also have horse rides around the town.  I wish it were a little brighter because this looked pretty cool in person.  Unfortunately, I couldn't slow down the shutter speed enough to get it brighter.

 There are also some decorations across the river.

 And of course, a manger.

 This is the Bavarian Inn and I think it's been around forever.

 A glockenspiel.  It's pretty cool to hear it when it goes off.

And the famous Zehnder's Restaurant.  This is another restaurant that has been around forever.  They are famous for their all you can eat chicken dinners.  But if chicken is not your thing, they have other German dishes.  The food is pretty good too.  In the basement, they have a little store where they sell baked goods and other things.

Down the road from the main part of Frankenmuth is Bronner's.  It is probably the largest Christmas store in the world.  I'll probably take pictures of it next time I'm in the area as I was still recovering from the cold when I passed it.