The votes from my Instagram poll are in, and fall trip itineraries are in demand! In addition to the outdoor-adventure itineraries (great for fall break!) I’ve posted, including Whistler, Vancouver, Napa, Park City, Banff, Telluride, and Lake Tahoe, I’ll shift to some one or two-day itineraries that are more localized and festive! To start, this is one for my Michigan-area readers…Frankenmuth, also known as “Little Bavaria“, is the cutest little town, located 1.5 hours Northwest of Detroit. We made the trip there in September and were staying in the Detroit area, so we broke this itinerary in to two days, but if you’ve got the stamina and the kids are cooperating, you could do this all in one day. I’ll also give you options for itineraries with or without kids. So grab your calendar, find an open day on an upcoming weekend, and get ready for some fall fun!
Before you plan out your day, be sure to check the current hours for everything, and consider making your lunch and dinner reservations in advance. During the fall and in to winter, there are a lot of special events and fall festivals going on in the Frankenmuth area, so be sure to look in to those as well. If you have the kids with you and would like to spend a weekend, there are some indoor water parks, including one at the Bavarian Inn. If you don’t have the kids along, I’d recommend just visiting for the day, or finding a cute place to stay in Ann Arbor or closer to Detroit.
Start your day early, be sure to have a good breakfast, and head to Frankenmuth. I’d suggest starting the day with a stop at Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, which is typically open by 9AM this time of year. Try to get there as close to opening as possible to beat the crowds. This place will really get you in the mood for Christmas…they have everything from decorations, to trees, to lights, and every type of ornament you can imagine! If you love a themed tree, they have got you covered. They also do customizations right on-site (for example adding kids names to an ornament), and will ship whatever you buy to your home for free if you spend more than $50. It was such a fun place to explore, and we found some great items that we had shipped back to Arizona. It all arrived within a week of our visit.
From there, spend some time walking around the town of Frankenmuth. It’s just a few blocks. There are Bavarian-style buildings and lots of neat shops to check out (don’t miss getting a picture with the Cheese Haus Mouse!). We chose the Frankenmuth Brewery for lunch when we were there, which happens to be the oldest brewery in Michigan. They have a wide selection of food and beer, and are located in a cool industrial-style building with tall ceilings and big windows. Another very popular option for lunch (or dinner if you’re staying in Frankenmuth) is Zehnder’s. I’m told their famous fried chicken dinners are a must-do when in Frankenmuth. We were sorry to miss it this time, but didn’t stay long enough for dinner. We will just have to come back!
By the time you finish lunch, it should be early afternoon (depending on how much shopping you did!). If you’re trying to cover this entire itinerary in one day, shoot for an early lunch so that you can head out of town by 1PM. If you’re planning to stay in the area overnight, you can take your time shopping and exploring a little more, and then check in to your hotel and hit the indoor water park with the kids.
For the afternoon, I have two options for you to consider…the first is to stay in Frankenmuth and visit Grandpa Tiny’s Farm. They have a pumpkin patch for picking, hay rides, cider and donuts, animals, and more. Be sure to check out their website for details. We did not make it there on our trip, but my niece loves visiting there and it comes highly recommended! If you’re staying overnight in Frankenmuth, you could visit Grandpa Tiny’s on your second day as well.
The second option (probably more enticing for the adults) is to head 45 minutes South to Spicer Orchards and Winery in Fenton. We did this on a separate day with kids in tow, but if you get here by 2PM, you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy everything. There’s apple picking, a pumpkin patch, a corn maze, cider and donuts, hay rides, and more! And bonus…they also have a winery on the property where you can do wine tasting and listen to live music outdoors while enjoying your wine. Again, be sure to check the current hours for everything on the website, but they should be open until around 7PM. It does get very busy on weekends, so be prepared for that…the wine helps!
