The Worlds Largest Christmas Store & Fried Chicken

Today, I took a day trip to Frankenmuth, known as Michigan's Little Bavaria. The city is designed around German culture and is famous for its fried chicken dinners and the largest Christmas store in the world, which was our first destination!

We began our journey at Bronner's, the largest Christmas store in the world. It's quite remarkable that a store dedicated to just one holiday covers an area of 7.35 acres. The store is filled with Christmas decorations all around, available for purchase. Moreover, they offer a wide selection of Christmas ornaments, village pieces, and their best kept secret - homemade frosted sugar cookies that are themed according to the current holiday or season!

Next, we went to their RiverPlace village, where you can find a range of small boutique stores and specialty snack shops in a German-style village, all situated along the Vassar river. One of our favorite stops was the Popcorn Wagon, which offers more than 45 flavors of popcorn, all freshly made on-site! The village is conveniently located near a wooden covered bridge that you can drive across to reach downtown Frankenmuth.

Upon our arrival in downtown Frankenmuth, we decided to stop by Zhenders, one of the two well-known fried chicken eateries in the vicinity. The main level boasts a sophisticated family-style dining section where patrons can indulge in unlimited fried chicken, accompanied by an array of house-made side dishes and a basket of bread. As a special touch, the meal also includes a serving of ice cream adorned with a plastic zoo animal figurine. We chose to head downstairs to their Z-cafe, which offers a similar menu in a cafeteria-style setting. For those visiting for the first time, I recommend trying the chicken to experience its flavor, followed by the renowned buttered noodles. Before departing, we made a quick visit to their on-site bakery to purchase a couple of delectable homemade treats before embarking on the journey back home.

If you are vacationing in Michigan, Frankenmuth makes for a pleasant day trip, or a nice weekend getaway if you find yourself in the upper Midwest. Additionally, the town is conveniently located just 15 minutes away from a large outlet mall and is home to two of the biggest indoor water parks in the Midwest, with one is set to become the largest in the state of Michigan.

As always, thanks for reading and stay Coast 'n'!

One of the two renowned restaurants in Downtown Frankenmuth known for their delicious chicken dinners

Visit Bronners Christmas Wonderland and uncover the wide variety of decorations available at the store.

The Entry To Riverplace, A Unique mall with many boutique shops

The Outside of Bronners At Night