8. Frankenmuth, Michigan: Germany’s Little Sister
Michigan’s “Little Bavaria” pulls out all the stops to transport you straight to Germany. Located just 90 minutes north of Detroit, Frankenmuth features stunning Franconian architecture, a massive covered wooden bridge, and world-famous family-style chicken dinners. The town is impeccably clean, and the flat, wide sidewalks make it an excellent destination for travelers utilizing mobility aids.
Frankenmuth also hosts Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, officially the world’s largest Christmas store. Covering an astonishing one and a half football fields, this massive retail complex stays open 361 days a year, welcoming you with over 50,000 ornaments and a half-mile lane of illuminated holiday displays.
If you want to customize a unique souvenir, head to their personalization counters where artists meticulously hand-paint names onto ornaments. To avoid the heaviest congestion, plan a midweek visit; weekends draw massive regional crowds, especially during the peak summer and early winter seasons.
