If Frankenmuth, Michigan didn't exist, I'm not sure anyone (except maybe Walt Disney) would think to invent it. Just south of Sagniaw, Frankenmuth is a slice of Bavaria in the heart of the industrial midwest. According to the travel posters, the village was founded a few years after Michigan gained statehood by a group of Lutheran missionaries who came to minister to the local Indian tribes. To me, Frankenmuth has always existed on billboards across the country, urging travelers to stop by for a chicken dinner and some year-round Christmas cheer.
We went in expecting a slightly shabby tourist trap and were pleasantly surprised to find a sparkling clean, well-maintained, beautiful (if slightly out-of-context) village. The two long blocks of Main Street are lined with half-timbered Alpine buildings, including the storied Bavarian Inn.
We couldn't resist eating at Zehnder's, though we didn't have the "famous" all-you-can-eat chicken dinner. I'm not sure how they expect anyone to eat everything -- from the chicken liver pate and cheese spread to the cabbage salad and cottage cheese, buttered noodles, sour pickles, rye bread, and vegetable medley -- that accompanied our overloaded dinner plates (Shawn had German sausages, I opted for broiled whitefish). Needless to say, neither of us went home hungry....
I'm not sure I'd make a special trip, but Frankenmuth was definitely worth getting off the highway for!
Dianne
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