July 8, 2022
After five fun filled days at the Lake Leelanau Pines Campground, it was time to pack up Kevin and head towards CT. Packing up was fairly quick. Having done this before, we have a system and everything has its place in the camper. Without some kind of organization, we would never be able to fit all of our equipment, tools, and personal gear in the various storage compartments. They key is to always put things back in their spaces so you can easily find them. This is hard when there are five people living in one tiny(ish) space, but we make it work. Inflatable rafts are stored in a separate bin from lawn games and the flattop grill needs to slide in before the folding tables and lawn chairs can be stacked on top. Also, if there is one rule you must never violate it is this: Putt all tools and keys back in their proper spots. If you lose either one of these items, you are fired. Don’t put either of these items in your pocket, as you will surely forget and then frantically rip through all the laundry, remove every tote and bin, and drawer until you find the lost item. Not only is this a huge time waster, but it also earns you a look of haughty derision from the other adult in the camper. Am I speaking from experience? Yes. Have I been on both sides of this situation? Also, yes.
While it is always sad to wind down from a great vacation, we knew we had a couple of days of travel and a few more mini-adventures before us. We set out southeast toward Weidman, MI. Weidman is in the middle of Michigan farmland. Small towns pop up along the rural byways. What is in Weidman, you may be wondering… If you are a fan of The Incredible Dr. Pol (Nat Geo Wild & Disney +), you will recall that Dr. Pol’s veterinarian practice is located in Weidman. Dr. Pol attends to all animals, large and small out of his office in rural Weidman. If you watch the show, he and his team attend to critical care cases to farm calls. The girls have been fans of Dr. Pol for years and since we were so close, we did a drive by. The office staff at Pol Veterinary Services are protective of their clientele, so out of respect, we just snapped a picture in passing.
Our next stop came from a recommendation from Roberta K. Frankenmuth, MI is known as Little Bavaria. This town of just under 5,000 people is known for its Bavarian-style architechture and family-style chicken dinners It is also home to Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland, the World’s Largest Christmas Store. This place is a gem. If you have a chance to stop, you should.
Because it closed earlier than other stores in town, we stopped at Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland first. (The store also had an ample parking lot for us to park Kevin and detach the toad to zip around town.) Bronner’s is open 361 days a year – closed New Year’s, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The building is impressive with two separate entrances – an East and West entrance. The property is decorated with Christmas figures, giant ornaments, Santa statues, light displays, candy canes and every holiday character you can imagine. It looks even more impressive at night when it is all lit up! When you enter the store, you cannot help but feel the Christmas spirit. Employees dress in holiday attire and Christmas music is piped in overhead while millions of twinkling lights sparkle. A map of sections is offered to make finding the perfect ornament easy! If you can dream it, Bronner’s has an ornament for it! Want a llama from Peru? They have it. Are you a parole officer looking for an ornament to celebrate you? No problem. Do you like the Mandalorian? Bronner’s has a wide selection of Grogu with or without a Santa hat. We picked up a couple of new ornaments for this year’s Christmas tree – a Class C camper and a chicken (by the way, we have chickens now, but that is a post for another time). If you are looking for a Nativity set, a holiday village, an artificial tree, a tree topper, garland, tinsel, baubles, bells, candles, candies, you will find it! And then, store artists can customize it for you!
As much fun as Bronner’s was in July, I shudder to think of what it must be like from October through December. Based on the size of the parking lot, I would be hyperventilating into a bag if I had to shop with that many people. I think the crowds would rival the busiest day at the Magic Kingdom. Brutal.
Frankenmuth Visitors’ Center offers a Gnome Hunt that takes you to many of the cultural and retail spots throughout the town. Recently it has been made virtual, which is super convenient since we arrived in town too late to snag a paper copy of the hunt. You are given a list of about 40 locations throughout Frankenmuth and when you visit and locate the gnome, you enter the numerical code associated with that particular gnome (each one has a fun name, like Pickalilly or Klaus von Winterstein. What a great (sneaky) way to encourage kids to explore the city with their families.
In between finding gnomes, we sat on the Franken Platz, outside the famous Bavarian Inn, for a quick dinner while we listened to live music and watched horse drawn carriages ferry tourists around the town. The streets were jammed with people eating, drinking, singing karaoke, shopping, and just enjoying themselves. There are so many boutiques and specialty stores in Frankenmuth. I wished we had arrived a little earlier so we could have done a little shopping – Marlie also wished this. That kid is a shopper in her soul! At 9:00 PM, we were able to watch the glockenspiel perform at the Bavarian Inn. First, the bells played a few songs and then we were treated to a retelling of the Pied Piper of Hamlin. A glockenspiel is a large mechanical clock that also has life-sized wooden figures than spin around a platform and tell a story. No one else was familiar with the story, so I retold it in all its horror. After the English retelling, it was replayed in German!
All of us agreed that Frankenmuth was a hit and that we definitely need to return on our way to the Upper Peninsula on our next Michigan trip. We didn’t find nearly enough gnomes! It’s a gingerbread house wonderland and a great way to end a day spent mostly in the RV!
We are spending the night at the Port Huron KOA (Kampground of America) about 30 minutes from the Canadian border. This time we are ready with all our documentation in ArriveCan for a worry-free border crossing into Ontario. Maybe we’ll get to see the Canadian falls if we get to Niagara at a decent hour. Or maybe, we’ll arrive late and get to see the falls lit up at night. Whatever happens, we will make it work. We always do.
Wandering, But Not Lost 