Thursday, September 14, 2006

Bavarian Inn

The Bavarian Inn in Frankenmuth, MI is a restaurant, a hotel, and a number of shops all centered on German culture. We went here for lunch while Lorrie and I were in Michigan over the Labor Day holiday. The dining room we were in was decorated with scenes from the Brothers Grimm fairy tales, including Schneewittchen and Aschenputtel. The food here was very good too, we enjoyed it very much. I had a sausage combination plate that had weisswurst, knockwurst, and bratwurst, all of which are made in-house or locally. This meal also included a big side of sauerkraut and Kartoffelkäseknödel (potato cheese puffs). Lorrie had the Wunderbar Pretzel Sandwich, a Bavarian smoked ham sandwich with Colby cheese on a pretzel bun and her mother Diane had the Chicken Salad Mini Puffs. The appetizer was a delicious cheese and artichoke dip served with toasted homemade pretzel bites. Frankenmuth stollen (candied fruit and nut bread) and weissbrot (white bread) with peach preserves were also provided.

After the meal we went through the shops which are your typical tourist town souvenir shops, with a slight leaning towards the German culture.

Outside is a 50-foot high Glockenspiel, complete with a 35-bell carillon. The Glockenspiel's revolving figures act out the classic story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin several times a day.

All in all it was great place to visit and someplace I'd definitely go back to.

Thursday, September 07, 2006

Labor Day Weekend 2006

For the Labor Day holiday weekend, Lorrie and I went to Sandusky, MI to visit her parents and enjoy their homestead without snow on the ground. Sandusky is in the thumb of Michigan so it was quite a drive. It didn't help that both I-94 and I-69 were under construction. Activities included bonfires and riding the ATV, as well as sightseeing. On Monday Lorrie, her mother Diane, and I took a trip to Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth, as well as doing some shopping in town and eating lunch at the Bavarian Inn. We definitely had a good time, it was hard to come back for work.