Frankenmuth, MI

Frankenmuth, Michigan is known as “Little Bavaria”.  A warm welcome embraces you as you enter this little German themed town.    A family fun destination to stay or to play for people of all ages year round.  It is a busy little city nestled along a river.  The town is filled with quant, unique shops.  The store fronts each carry the German detail you would expect to see overseas in Europe.   There are over 30 different attractions to visitors to enjoy. 

Frankenmuth has plenty of festivals and events.  They host German and Bavarian Festivals, traditional Okoberfest, World Expo of Beer, Auto Fest, Big Country Fest, Snow Fest and many more.  If you are looking for an adventure then look at a calendar for Frankenmuth because they are sure to have some kind of festival that with interest you. 

World Famous Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland is an attraction drawing in over two million guests per year.  It is an all year Christmas store.  It is opened 361 days per year.  It features over 50,000 holiday trims and ornaments.  The store was created in 1945 by the Bronner family.  After sveral expansions it became the World’s Largest Christmas Store with beautifully landscaped grounds that cover 27 acres.  The idea behind the store is CHRIST and decorating hearts with peace and love. 

Two restaurants also help to make Frankenmuth a world famous place to dinner and relax with friends and family.  The Bavarian Inn Restaurant and Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth both offer casual German-inspired dining.  The dining experience includes Family Style Chicken Dinners served to you by a waiting staff dressed in German attire.  There are other great places to dine in this amazing little city.  Tiffany’s Food & Spirits is a lively bar and grill located in a 1904 hotel with stained-glassed lighting, murals and outdoor patio.  Frankenmuth also has a number of breweries and pubs to feed your hunger or thirst.  You can go on tours of the breweries and sample the many unique beers they create. 

Children have a list of adventures to pick from when visiting Frankenmuth.  An indoor waterpark is sure to exciting young children.  There is also a place called Adventure Park which provides family fun for ages 7 and up.  This is an aerial adventure that is safe and exciting for all participates.  People will be using trails and zip lines to explore the canopy of woods.  You will develop skills of endurance and confidence during this adventure.  There is also a putt-putt golf course and small petting zoo to explore.  Kids will be sure to like all the choices of they have while visiting Frankenmuth. 

No matter what time of year you visit Frankenmuth, it is packed with people.  You can walk or use the horse drawn carriages to transport you from one end of town to the other.  Experiencing this Bavarian town as a child or an adult evolves a sense of nostalgia for all things good in the world; friends, family, fun, food, drinks and adventure.

Flint, MI

Not many people would think Flint, Michigan would have safe fun activities to do.  But it is amazing the wonderful things to choose from in downtown Flint.

Crossroads Village is open year round. Halloween time the kids can dress up and go for a “scary” train rides through the woods and go Trick-or-Treating from house to house in the village.  During Christmas they decorate the whole village with lights, even the little houses.  Crossroads Village is a place that takes you back in time.  A time when the pace of was slower and simpler.  Some of the little shops sell homemade jams, candy and baked goods.  But in a short visit you get a chance to take a glimpse into the past in such a unique way.

Recently, Flint announced they have been approved for a mile long slip-and-slide          !through downtown Flint. They will sell 5,000 tickets to it. The price of the tickets will range from $15-$25.

The Farmers market in Flint is new, big, clean, and welcoming.  There are many friendly and knowledgeable vendors with a variety of goods to sell people.  Vendors also do weekly cooking demonstrations.  There is food, music, veggies, and atmosphere of fun for all ages. 

Flint Institute of Arts is free for everyone on Saturdays. During the week its a very low charge or just donation to the Art exhibit.  The exhibits are great activity for families to enjoy. 

Back to the Bricks is a huge auto show held on the brick streets of downtown Flint August 14-15.  This is a must attend car show.  There is nothing else like to miles are old show cars, truck and unique autos lining the street of the infamous brick downtown streets of Flint.  The car show is a trip through decades of vehicles that changed the way we travel.  There are great restaurants and vendors providing food and drinks throughout the day. 

The Crim Festival of Races is one of the largest running events in Michigan attracting over 60,000 people and 15,000 runners.  This race has been going on for 37 years and attracts top runners from all over the world.  The city of Flint offers a preseason running program which helps people train for the crim.  The promotion of healthy habits is a great message to send to the public.  The Crim is a day of races for people of all ages and abilities.  In 2014, nearly 15,000 people participated in one of these races: 5k, 8k, 10K, 10 mile and a kid’s trot. 

Flint is a city on the rebound from deep economic disaster.  The revitalization of downtown Flint is amazing.  There are great activities, places to visit and people that help to make Flint a must stop city in Michigan.

Detroit, MI

When someone says Detroit, MI for many people the first word they think of is violence.  Detroit is known for a high crime rate, but it also has a beautiful side too.  It has many activities to do in such a diverse city.  Detroit is a very large city with many small suburbs surrounding it.  Detroit is also known as the “Motor City”.  Which has creating many jobs for people in Michigan.

Detroit has three different professional team sports The Red Wings, Tigers, and Pistons. All three of the facilities are located in downtown Detroit.  The Tigers, Red Wings, and Pistons along with numerous concert hosted in the venues.  I have been lucky enough to experience all of them.  The Tigers baseball games are my favorite.  The air seems electric when its game day.  You will find vendors are racing to get inside the park to begin selling beer, popcorn, peanuts, and crackers jacks.  However, walking inside the stadium you can feel everyone around you loves the game of baseball and The Tigers.  Throughout the game you are guaranteed not to get bored.  You will experience the first pitch, the National Anthem, chants, the wave, and of course the 7^th inning stretch.  If you’re in a Detroit, then you must experience a Tigers baseball game.

Detroit has an extremely large zoo.  It is way bigger than any of the ones around mid-Michigan.  It was remolded in recent years.  It has unique animals, and a safari ride to help you see all the animals.  There are numerous restaurants for a more adult-like zoo experience or you can visit a lunch stand for a quick hotdog or snack.

A few summers ago my family and I took a trip to the Ford Rogue Plant.  As a kid I was not interested in many museums during the summer.  The summer is supposed to be a break from learning and school.  But this place was amazing. It was the best interactive tour I have been on.  It is a working car factory.  There was a simulation experience you won’t want to miss.  It is complete with fog, mist, loud noises vibrations as you experience their latest vehicle through an amazing simulation.  You also take a walking tour through a truck plant.  You actually see people making trucks on an assembly line.  It was as if you where an actual working on the line at the plant. 

Detroit has so many great adventures to offer people of all ages.  The list of unique experiences is endless in the city of Detroit.