As soon as we arrived, we were shown exactly where we were located in the state of Michigan:
Frankenmuth was originally settled by a small group of Luthern missionaries who came to minister to the Chippewa indians. One thing led to another, and soon the lumber industry was thriving. Eventually the timber disappeared, so the German immigrants returned to their farming and husbandry roots. Lambs wool became a huge “crop” for the area.
The Frankenmuth Wollen Mill has a collection of 100+ year old equipment, which they regularly operate. Their collection of comforters is huge, and the store is filled with wool related items, many of which are hand made in the store.
After several hours of shopping we visited T-Dub's restaurant for a slice of pizza or two before visiting the store that Frankenmuth is probably most famous for: Bronner's Christmas Wonderland.
Billed as the world's largest year-around Christmas store, Bronners is sensory overload beyond imagination. The store covers five and a half football fields, with every kind, color, and shape of Christmas decoration imaginable!
Our friends, Diane and Bill, enjoyed a bit of Christmas closeness in August!
The decorations are extraordinary!
In a quiet back room, we discovered a collection of Hummel figurines, one of the largest in existence.
On Wednesday, August 8th, we left Houghton Lake, Michigan for points south. We thoroughly enjoyed our month with Bill and Diane and are sad to leave them. They are wonderful people that go out of their way to make sure guests are welcome and comfortable. Bill is a serious outdoor cook and has perfected his techniques on the Green Egg! Diane is generous to a fault, and is so very wonderful to be near. We spent many happy hours around a campfire, at a late lunch, or sightseeing in Northern Michigan. Great times!
We now find ourselves in site 27 at Water Tower Campground, located in, and operated by the city of Lapeer, Michigan. This park has minimal amenities, but the price is certainly right at $28 a night, and a large park is adjacent, so Sasha and I have someplace new to walk.
Driving through Lapeer, we noticed that the City Hall is immediately adjacent to a Funeral Chapel. Hmmm.....
The pond that is part of the city park is choked with lilies, but the frogs and waterfowl love it! The trail around the pond is exactly one mile, so Sasha and I have been exploring it.
Today, Thursday the 9th, our Michigan friends Dale and Lisa visited us. Dale is a former Ford engineer, so when this 2016 5.0, 6-speed manual transmission, Roush-equipped Mustang came available, Dale jumped on it. We went to a local BBQ joint for lunch, and Dale treated me to a ride. Wow!
D and L have a family that is expanding, with grandchildren happening on a regular basis. Dale has a personalized plate on his Mustang that reads "FST PAPA". And he is!
After a great afternoon with friends, Sasha and I went on our "round the lake" walk. The flowers are a pretty and welcome sight.
We have one more day in Lapeer before moving on. What will it bring?
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