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Travel – James Dean’s Fairmount, Indiana

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Fairmount, Indiana sign

I have been a James Dean fan since I was a teenager living in Southern California.  So when we moved to the Midwest, within a couple of hours away from Fairmount, Indiana I knew we had to make a trip there.  Since reading several biographies about his life and career, it seemed strange to actually be visiting his hometown and seeing all the places I had read about but it was very exciting for this long-time James Dean fan!

So, in 2008 we took a quick drive over to Fairmount.  The town is small so it is very easy to drive to all the James Dean landmarks around the area.  A good place to start is the Fairmount Historical Museum which had a great collection of James Dean memorabilia, such as: newspaper clippings, family photos and letters, Dean’s personal clothing and items from his life in New York and Hollywood.  Next, we went to see the old Fairmount High School where Dean graduated in 1949 and as a student he excelled in drama, art and athletics.  The building is now abandoned and at the time we visited in 2009 there was a fence surrounding the building.

Fairmount Historical museum     Fairmount High School

A short drive away is the small James Dean Memorial Park.  Dedicated in 1995, 40 years after Dean’s death, the park was funded mostly by donations from his fans.  During the month of September, James Dean fans come from all over the world to this small town in Indiana for several days of local events to mark the life and death of this iconic movie actor.  The centerpiece of the park is a six foot high column with a special tribute plaque which is topped by a bronze bust of James Dean.  The story goes that shortly before his death; Dean had visited the studio of artist Kenneth Kendall because he admired a sculpture the artist had done of Marlon Brando.  Dean commissioned the artist to create his sculpture and Kendall, in a strange coincidence, began the work on the night of Dean’s death.  There is a duplicate of this statue located in Los Angeles, CA at the Griffith Observatory where Dean filmed several scenes from the movie, “Rebel Without a Cause”, including the famous knife fight scene.  The statue is located on the west side of the Observatory with a fantastic view of the Hollywood sign.

James Dean Memorial Park Old Motorcycle Shop Friends Church

Other James Dean landmarks in the Fairmount area include the motorcycle shop where Dean bought his first motorcycle and the Friends Church where Dean’s funeral was held in 1955.  Every year on September 30 to mark the anniversary of Dean’s death, a memorial service is held at the church for all Dean’s devoted fans that come from around the world for the James Dean Festival.  Located just outside of Fairmount is the Park Cemetery where Dean is buried next to his mother and father, Mildred and Winton Dean.  Also buried nearby are Marcus and Ortense Winslow, Dean’s Aunt and Uncle and he lived with from the age of nine to eighteen.  I am told that the Winslow family still owns the house and farm and it is located less than a mile from the cemetery.

James Dean gravesite Winslow Farm

Visiting Fairmount, Indiana and seeing these places was very exciting for this long-time James Dean fan!

SPECIAL TRAVEL NOTE:   All the sights mentioned can be seen year-round but a great time to visit is in late spring or summer when the weather is good.  Please note that the James Dean Festival is held every year in late September and Fairmount can be very crowded with fans coming from around the world.

The Brief Life of James Dean

James Bryon Dean (Born: February 8, 1931 Died: September 30, 1955) was a Broadway, television and film actor.  He was born in Marion, Indiana but the family moved to Santa Monica, California when he was six years old.  At the age of nine, Dean’s mother died and his father sent him to live with an Aunt and Uncle Winslow who owned a small farm near Fairmount, Indiana.

Dean briefly returned to California after his high school graduation to reunite with his father and enrolled in UCLA before he realized his true desire was to pursue an acting career.  Eventually Dean went to New York to become a Broadway stage actor and he also appeared in several early television programs.  He returned to Hollywood to make movies in the early 1950s.  He starred in only three films during his brief movie career.  His first film, “East of Eden”, was based on the classic John Steinbeck novel.  His second film, “Rebel Without a Cause”, proved to be his most successful movie in which he played his most famous role as a rebellious teenager.  His final film, “Giant”, was released after he was tragically killed in a car accident in 1955.  Because of the high risk involved, Dean was prevented from participating in his favorite sport, car racing.  After “Giant” had completed filming, he had entered a race in Salinas, CA and was on his way there when a tragic accident happened and he was killed, Dean was only 24 years old.

In 1997, a wealthy Japanese business man and devoted fan erected a stainless steel James Dean memorial sculpture in Cholame, California which is about a mile from where Dean’s car accident took place.  In 2005, on the 50th anniversary of the actor’s death, at the intersection of Highway 41 and 46 in Northern California, the site of the accident was renamed by the State of California to the James Dean Memorial Junction.

Travel – Dearborn, MI

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2009 Ford Rouge Factory Tour
As detailed in last month’s Travel post about Bronner’s Christmas Store, we took a fun weekend trip to Michigan in October 2008.  It was our first visit to Michigan and we decided to drive through Detroit because my husband and son wanted to see the Ford Assembly Plant in Dearborn.  When we arrived, we found out that we needed to purchase our tickets at the Henry Ford Museum.  We love to go to museums when we are on a road trips and after the factory tour we planned to spend some time there.  Below is a brief description of our visits to both the Ford Rouge Factory Tour and the Henry Ford Museum.

THE FORD ROUGE FACTORY TOUR

After purchasing our tickets for the tour we waited a short time for the bus to take us to the Assembly Plant.  No private vehicles are allowed to drive directly there and tours are only accessible from scheduled buses which depart from the Henry Ford Museum parking lot. The Ford Rouge Factory Tour is a self-guided tour that covers five different areas at the Assembly Plant.

To start the tour, we viewed two different films.  The first theatre is the Legacy Theatre which shows a 13 minute film that includes rarely shown footage from the Ford archives and is a great way to learn about Henry Ford and the history of the Ford Motor Company.  Next was another film in the Art of Manufacturing Theatre which has seats that swivel 360 degrees to view a presentation on seven huge screens positioned around the theatre.  The 14 minute film shown is an amazing multisensory experience that gives a virtual tour of the assembly process.  SPECIAL NOTE: The sights and sounds of this film can be rather intense and loud, so please be advised if you have small children that could get easily scared!

2009 Ford Rouge Factory Tour - Living roofAfter viewing both films, we were directed to take an elevator up to the Observation Deck where we got a panoramic view the Ford Rouge complex.  From here you can also see the “Living Roof” atop the Final Assembly building of the Dearborn Truck Plant.  In 1999, the 1.1 million square foot facility was given an environmental redesign and is covered by more than 10 acres of a low growing ground cover called sedum.  The sedum retains rainwater and the organic treatment system will clean and use over 20 billion gallons of the recycled rainwater annually for the facility.  The sedum also moderates the internal temperatures of the building.

When we were done on the Observation Deck, we took the elevator down for the Assembly Plant Walking Tour. (This is the part of the tour that my husband and son were excited to see!)  The self-guided 1/3 mile walking tour took us through the Ford Motor Company’s Dearborn Truck Plant where we were able to view the final F-150 Truck assembly line from an elevated walkway.  Along the tour there are interactive kiosks that explain the various stations of the assembly line and were a great way to learn more about the manufacturing process.

The final area of the tour is the Legacy gallery, where several different vehicles that defined the Ford Motor Company are on display.  At the time we visited the cars on display were the 1929 Model A, the 1949 Coupe, the 1955 Thunderbird, the 1965 Mustang and of course the F-150 Truck which we saw being put together on the assembly floor.  The Ford Rouge Tour was very interesting and we all enjoyed it, especially my husband and son!

SPECIAL NOTE:  It might be possible that the Dearborn Truck Plant assembly line would NOT be in full operation at the time you are planning to visit.  The assembly line suspends operation for daily breaks, shift changes, Saturdays and Sundays, holidays and normally during the first two weeks of July.  Please check the website for current information and production schedules at www.henryford.org

THE HENRY FORD MUSEUM

When we arrived to take the Ford Factory Tour, we thought that the Henry Ford Museum was going to be only about the Ford Motor Company.  We were pleasantly surprised to find that not only did the museum have a large collection of cars, trains and aircraft but they also had a wonderful collection of historical items.  A couple of the items that really stood out for us where three Presidential items: the 1961 Lincoln Continental Presidential car that John F. Kennedy was riding in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963 when he was assassinated, the chair that Abraham Lincoln was sitting in at Ford’s Theatre in Washington D.C. when he was shot, and George Washington’s camp bed that he used during the Revolutionary War.

2009 Henry Ford - Kennedy car  2009 Henry Ford - Lincoln Chair

One very interesting exhibit was the Buckminster Fuller’s Dymacion house of the future prototype.  The architect wanted this house to be mass-produced, easy to ship and assemble.  At a cost $6500 in 1946, this aluminum house had two bedrooms built entirely in the round and was designed to be the strongest, lightest and most cost effective and space efficient home ever built.

2009 Henry Ford - House of the Future

Another historical item was the Montgomery, Alabama bus that Rosa Parks was riding on December 1, 1955 when she decided not to give up her seat to a white man and move to the back of the bus.  This brave African American woman challenged the segregation laws and her arrest lead to the Montgomery Bus Boycott that sparked the beginnings of the civil rights movement.  As we were listening to the museum docent tell us the story about Rosa Parks, he invited our daughter to sit in the seat that Mrs. Parks refused to give up – it was a very powerful moment and a great history lesson!

2009 Henry Ford - Rosa Parks bus    2009 Henry Ford - Cassie on Rosa Parks bus

When planning a trip to the Henry Ford Museum and a visit to the Ford Rouge Factory Tour, please check for current information regarding hours, admission fees and production dates at www.thehenryford.org

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FORD ROUGE

Construction on the Ford Rouge Complex began in 1917 along the Rouge River in Dearborn, Michigan.  It was completed in 1928 and included 93 buildings in an area 1.5 miles wide and 1 mile long.  This huge complex has over 100 miles of railroad tracks, an electricity plant and an ore processing facility.  The Rouge boasts that it was able to turn raw materials into completed vehicles all within one complex.

The original building B, part of the legendary Dearborn Assembly Plant, first started producing Ford Model A vehicles in the 1920’s and continued with cars such as the Mercury, the Thunderbird and the Mustang. After the 1960’s, the Ford Motor Company began to build many factories across the country.   Eventually only the Mustangs were being produced at the Dearborn Plant and on May 10, 2004 the last Mustang rolled off the assembly line.  The historic Dearborn Assembly Plant was demolished in 2008 and was replaced with the current modern Dearborn Truck Assembly Plant which is producing F-150 trucks.

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE HENRY FORD MUSEUM

Originally called the Edison Institute for Henry Ford’s personal friend, Thomas Edison, the Institute was dedicated on October 21, 1929 a date which was chosen in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first successful incandescent light bulb.  Some of the 260 people in attendance that day were Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, President Herbert Hoover, Marie Curie, George Eastman, John D. Rockefeller, and Orville Wright.   At the time the Institute consisted of two building which Henry Ford had moved from Edison’s Menlo Park, New Jersey and re-constructed in Dearborn, Michigan to look exactly like Edison’s laboratory was in 1879.  Eventually, the Institute was renamed the Henry Ford Museum after Ford’s death in 1947.

The Henry Ford Museum began as Ford’s personal collection of historical items that he began collecting as far back as 1906.  Ford wanted to showcase the American people and their ideas that changed our lives.  The museum is now one of the largest museums in the country.

Travel – Graceland – Memphis, TN

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Graceland 1

One of our stops on our summer road trip last year was Memphis, Tennessee.  I was a fan of Elvis Presley since I was a child and used to listen to his music and watched his movies.  As a fan, I read some of his biographies and one of the best ones was the 1985 book, “Elvis and Me”, by Priscilla Presley.  I enjoyed reading about their extraordinary life together from the time that they meet in Germany until his untimely death in 1977.  When we decided to go to Memphis on this road trip, I knew we had to go see Graceland, Elvis Presley’s home.  On this trip we were traveling with family member’s that were a wide range of ages from my husband’s mother to our young daughter.  Everyone had such different memories of Elvis and of course my son and daughter were born after he died so they only know him through his music.  We visited at the beginning of June and it was a great time to go because even though it was early summer it was still relatively uncrowded because most of the schools were still in session.  The weather was warm but not too stifling hot!!

2011 Memphis, TN -Graceland 8We bought one of the package tours that included the Graceland home tour and several of the various small exhibits located on the property.  We really enjoyed the home tour and it was very cool to see the actual “Jungle Room”.  Let’s just say that Elvis was a great singer and performer but his decorating sense was a very unique nontraditional style.  One of the exhibits that my husband and son enjoyed was Elvis’ car collection and the highlight was seeing Elvis’ pink Cadillac.  There are several gift shops selling all kinds of crazy merchandise but my favorite item was the one we bought for my daughter – it was a teddy bear dressed like Elvis in a black leather jacket!!

HISTORY OF GRACELAND

Graceland is Elvis Presley’s home in Memphis, Tennessee.  Elvis moved into Graceland with his parents, Vernon and Gladys, when their previous home in Memphis proved to offer no privacy from his adoring fans.  He bought the 14 acre estate in 1957 for the amount of $100,000.  The next year, Elvis went into Army and was sent to Germany where he meets Priscilla Beaulieu.  Sadly in 1958 Gladys, Elvis’ beloved mother, died.  Vernon remarried in 1960 continued to live there until purchasing his own property nearby.  After leaving the Army, Elvis returned to Graceland with Priscilla.  They eventually married in 1967 and had a daughter, Lisa Marie, in 1968.  Elvis and Priscilla eventually divorced in 1973.  Priscilla and Lisa Marie moved to California, but Lisa Marie spent a lot of time with her father at Graceland and was at the house in 1977 when Elvis passed away.  After Elvis’ death, Lisa Marie inherited the estate and Vernon served as executor and when he died in 1979 Priscilla took over.

With taxes due on the property and high yearly expenses to maintain Graceland, the bills totaled close to $500,000 and Priscilla was faced with the decision to sell.  Instead she decided to open up Graceland to the public in 1982 and within a month all the debts were paid.  In 2005 Lisa Marie sold 85 percent of Elvis Presley Enterprises including the Elvis trademark, music catalogue and archival documents including photographs and film footage.  Lisa Marie retains 15 percent of the estate, the deed to Graceland and all of Elvis’ personal belongings.  The new management has announced a major renovation which will include a new visitor center, high-tech displays and a 500 room hotel.  This massive project will take over three years to complete.

BRIEF TOUR OF GRACELAND

All tours start across the street from Graceland in the visitor center.  Visitors board a shuttle bus and are given headphones to listen to an audio tour.  As the shuttle crosses Elvis Presley Blvd visitors will notice the fan graffiti on the brick wall at the entrance to the property.  (Strangely, this is very similar to the Beatles fan graffiti on the brick wall outside Abbey Road studios in England)  The shuttle proceeds through the famous Music Gates, up the winding driveway and stops in front of Graceland.

After a brief history of Graceland by a tour guide on the front steps, visitors enter the home of Elvis Presley.  To the right are the living room and the adjoining music room.  The living room contains a 15 foot long white sofa and past the large peacock stained glass visitors get a peek of the music room with a black baby grand piano.  Down the hall is the bedroom of Vernon and Gladys, Elvis’ parents.  Decorated with white furniture and carpet, the bed is covered with a deep purple bedspread and their bathroom is decorated in pink.  Other rooms on the main floor include the dining room and kitchen with the media room and billiard room in the basement.  Probably the most famous room in the house and an Elvis’ fan favorite is the Jungle Room.  This room is decorated in an eccentric Polynesian design with wood carved furniture, shag green carpet and even an indoor waterfall.

2011 Memphis, TN -Graceland 2  2011 Memphis, TN -Graceland 9a

As visitors exit the house into the backyard, past Lisa Marie’s swing set and proceed into a small white building that was Vernon’s office.  The next building is the Trophy Room which contains a hall of gold records and Elvis’ many awards including his three Grammys.  Also in this building are memorabilia and costumes from Elvis’ movies.  Also displayed are Elvis’ famous gold lame suit, Elvis’ wedding tuxedo and Priscilla’s wedding dress, and Lisa Marie’s toy chest and baby clothes.

2011 Memphis, TN -Graceland 6     2011 Memphis, TN -Graceland 5

The next building is the Racquetball Court which has displays of many of Elvis’ sequined stage costumes and more awards.  As visitors exit this building they walk pass the outdoor pool area and into the Meditation Gardens.  Elvis Aaron Presley is buried here with his parents, Vernon and Gladys and his grandmother, Minnie Mae.  There is also a memorial gravestone for Elvis’ twin brother, Jesse Garon, who died at birth.  This concludes the tour of Graceland and a shuttle bus takes visitors back to the visitor center.

2011 Memphis, TN -Graceland 7

If you are visiting the Memphis area I would definitely recommend stopping at Graceland.  Unless you are a dedicated Elvis fan, I would avoid the beginning of January for Elvis weekend in Memphis as the crowds can be rather large.  Check ahead for current hours and prices, tour information and special events at www.elvis.com/graceland.

Travel – A Disney Christmas

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What could be a more perfect place to celebrate the holiday season than … Disneyland!

Growing up in Southern California, our family has been going to Disneyland since it opened back in 1955.  We have so many great memories of the “Happiest Place on Earth”.  Disneyland is magical on an ordinary day – but the Christmas season is extra special!

Officially the holiday season is November 12, 2012 to January 6, 2013.  Please check the Disney website for current Holiday information regarding park hours, etc. at disneyland.disney.go.com

MAIN STREET

In Town Square a 60 foot Christmas tree is decorated with 4,800 energy- efficient LED lights and over 2,000 ornaments including a 3 foot gold star at the top for the holiday season.  During Disneyland’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2005, the ornaments and decorations on the Main Street Christmas tree were all a golden color.  As you look down Main Street there are pine garlands strung from one side of the street to the other side with a Hidden Mickey shaped wreath in the center.  (We love Hidden Mickey’s!!)  At the end of Main Street is Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, the iconic symbol of Disneyland.  During the holiday season the castle’s overlay gives the most enchanting winter appearance and the castle turrets are “snow” covered with more than 80,000 lights to give the beautiful effect as if the icicles were sparkling when lit at night.

    

A CHRISTMAS FANTASY PARADE

The “A Christmas Fantasy Parade” debuted during the 1994 holiday season at Disneyland.  Featured in the parade are about 200 performers and several themed floats.  My favorites are the marching toy soldiers from “Babes in Toyland”, the dancing snowflakes and the prancing reindeer.  Riding on the floats are all the favorite Disney characters and the final one has Santa flying over the float in his sleigh.

TIP: Check the parade schedule when you arrive and get to the parade route early for the good viewing spots.  While you are waiting for the parade to begin, I would suggest having someone get some food to bring back to your parade spot to eat a quick meal or maybe have someone get some fast passes to a ride to use when the parade is over.

IT’S A SMALL WORLD HOLIDAY

Since 1997, one of Disneyland’s most popular rides, “It’s A Small World”, has featured a holiday overlay during the Christmas season.  Closed in October and reopened in early November through January, the attraction is transformed by a crew of over 30 Technical Services Cast Members who decorate both the interior and exterior with 350,000 lights especially for the holidays. (In January the attraction closes again to remove the overlay)  The attraction takes guests on the same boat ride through the countries of the world but the ride’s original soundtrack is mixed with “Jingle Bells” and “Deck the Halls”.  Listen for the mermaids in the South Seas section of the ride – they sing their own holiday version of “Jingle Shells”.

As you ride the “It’s A Small World Holiday” attraction be prepared for sounds, sights and even smells.  In the European sections of the ride there are the wonderful smells of freshly cut pine and sweet peppermint candy canes.  Just before the South Seas section there are magical bubbles and look for the plate of fish left out for Santa by Ariel and her under sea friends.  In the attraction’s final scene they recently added 14 foot sparkling snowmen, surrounded by twirling snowflakes and holding a “Happy Holidays” sign sculpted out of “ice” that magically changes color.

HAUNTED MANSION HOLIDAY

Since 2001, the “Haunted Mansion” in New Orleans Square had received a holiday overlay inspired by Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” movie.  The attraction is closed for two weeks in September as the Technical Service Cast Members convert the ride into the “Haunted Mansion Holiday”.  The overlay features Jack Skellington who brings his creepy friends from Halloween Town to the mansion with hundred’s of evil Christmas presents and decorations. The ride becomes a twisted blend of Christmas with a Halloween style!  The “Haunted Mansion” attraction is reopened in late September is shown through January.

To combine both holidays, the outside the “Haunted Mansion” it is decorated with jack-o-lanterns and Christmas decorations.  On the roof is Jack Skellinton’s coffin sleigh.  The portraits in both the stretching room and the portrait hall have been replaced with Christmas scenes that turn into scary scenes inspired by “The Nightmare Before Christmas” movie.  Instead of the black crows that appear in different rooms of the mansion there is a Vampire Teddy.  As the “doom buggies” move into the ballroom, the ghosts are still there but the table is now set for a Christmas party and there is a large gingerbread (or should I say gingerdread) house which the Imagineers change every year.  As the ride proceeds into the attic the decorations have been replaced with creepy presents and toys.  A huge snake seems to travel across the entire room holding a “naughty and nice list”.  At the graveyard gate instead of the the wide-eyed caregiver and the shaking dog, there is now Jack dressed as “Sandy Claws” and his dog, Zero.  The graveyard is covered with snow the iconic spiral hill featured in the movie with falling snowflakes instead of ghosts rising.  As the “doom buggies”  enter the crypt, instead of the three hitchhiking ghosts there is Oogie Boogie who bids a final goodbye and at the end of the ride as guests exit up the escalator there is a tiny version of Sally who tells everyone to hurry back!

SANTA’S HOLLY JOLLY JAMBOREE

Located at the Big Thunder Ranch in Frontierland during the holiday season is “Santa’s Holly Jolly Jamboree”.  This is where Santa and Mrs. Claus are celebrating a western style Christmas.  It is a great opportunity to get that photo with Santa and also a chance to get one with the very camera shy Mrs. Claus.  Then walk over to the corral where there are several live reindeer for everyone to see.  This area in Frontierland is a fun place to bring the children for crafts, games and music!

    

BELIEVE…IN HOLIDAY MAGIC FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR

In 2000, Disneyland created the “Believe … There’s Magic in the Stars” fireworks show.  It proved so popular with their guests that Disney decided to create a holiday version.  “Believe … In Holiday Magic” fireworks show runs over 13 minutes and includes various Christmas songs.  At the conclusion of the show, Sleeping Beauty’s Castle is beautifully lighted with sparkling icicles but the best part is with the aid of cleverly hidden machines it actually snows on Main Street! (also at the Small World and Fantastmic fireworks viewing areas)  It is the perfect end to a holiday visit to Disneyland!

The photo at the right shows my son with Goofy Santa.   In 1991, we stayed at a nearby hotel in Anaheim and went to Disneyland on Christmas morning and it was a once in a lifetime experience!  There were almost no crowds until the afternoon and we had a wonderful time.

TIP: When planning a trip to Disneyland during the holiday season, be prepared for large crowds.  The week between Christmas and New Year’s is one of the busiest times at the park.

Be sure at check ahead of time for current park hours and other important information such as parade and fireworks showtimes at
disneyland.disney.go.com

For a wonderful idea that brings a little Disney into a home at Christmas time, please check out this month’s Craft post Christmas Wreaths.  For ideas on displaying a Disney collection throughout the year, please check out the Decor post Disney Memorabilia Collection.

Travel – Bronner’s Christmas Store

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Living in California, I had heard about the world famous Bronner’s Christmas store in Frankenmuth, Michigan.  After we moved to the Midwest, I knew it was my chance to visit and planned an easy weekend trip to Michigan in October 2009.  Their busiest weekend is after Thanksgiving with over 50.000 visitors.    So, we knew we wanted to visit before the Christmas season started to avoid the crowds of holiday shoppers.

During that weekend trip we stopped in Detroit to visit the Ford Company Manufacturing Plant and the wonderful Henry Ford Museum.  My husband and son loved visiting the assembly plant (OK, it’s a guy thing) The Ford Museum turned out to be a very interesting museum and had an extensive collection of historical memorabilia.  Since I want to concentrate on Bronner’s in this post, please look for a separate Travel post in January 2013 with detailed information on those two destinations.

Before the holiday season got too busy, I knew I wanted to visit the “World’s Largest Christmas Store”.  I had my wish list of the ornaments I wanted and I was ready to shop!!

Located in Michigan’s “Little Bavaria”, the store is in the charming town of Frankenmuth.  Founded in 1945, this large retail store has over 90,000 square feet of space and over two million visitors annually.  Walking into the store the sights, sounds and feelings of Christmas can be almost overwhelming.  It is a huge store and can take a couple of hours to walk and shop all the various departments.  The store inventory includes a large assortment of Christmas ornaments, Nativity sets, Christmas lights, Christmas decorations and collectible Christmas items such as Fontanini, Department 56 and Precious Moments.

My husband, son and daughter were not interest in shopping and after looking around the store for a short time, they decided to go into town.  I was left alone for a few hours and the shopping experience was wonderful and not rushed.  Of course, when I was picked up at the prearranged time, I still wasn’t ready to leave!!

For more information or store hours for Bronner’s Christmas Store see their website at www.bronners.com

    

After lunch in Frankenmuth, we found an amazing sausage store called Willi’s Sausage Company.  Since my husband has lived in Berlin, Germany for several years during grammar school and high school, he considers himself a sausage expert.  He always complains that he can’t find really good sausage here at home.  I remember when we visited Germany a few years ago, our first stop after landing in Berlin was to find a sausage cart and my husband was right – the sausage was delicious!  Well, my husband was very pleased with the selection of over 100 different kinds of sausages at Willi’s.   After taste testing several kinds of sausage, we made our selection and were ready to check out.  The store packaged everything very nicely in a cold pack for our trip back home the next day.  They also shipped their sausage to anywhere in the United Sates, so check out their website, www.willissausages.com

We would definitely like to go back to Frankenmuth because it was such a quick weekend trip and there was so much more to see and many more places to visit.  The atmosphere of Michigan’s “Little Bavaria” was very reminiscent of the charming little Danish town of Solvang, California.  Both places have great stores to shop and wonderful restaurants to eat.   Maybe on a future trip up to Mackinac Island, we can plan to spend an extra couple of days in Frankenmuth.