Frankenmuth and Birch Run

Frankenmuth and Birch Run are destinations that people from all over Michigan travel to visit, perhaps even people from outside of Michigan.  Rarely could you find someone who has not at least heard of Frankenmuth if they were born and raised in Michigan.  However, I was one of those people until recently when a couple of friends and I took a day to drive up to Frankenmuth and Birch Run and explore.  I must say it was quite unlike any place I had even been.  Though many people visit specifically for their famous chicken, I found that Frankenmuth and Birch Run had so much more to offer. 

Though I did not personally experience it, my friend told me that you can take a river boat tour to full enjoy the surroundings of this Bavarian town.  We walked around town instead, still taking in the atmosphere, looking at everything there was to see.  There were giant eggs throughout the lawns and other decorations like a life size nativity scene and bunnies.  Putting a twist on the Christmas theme, the eggs probably because it was Easter time, along with having Christmas trees decorated with Easter eggs. 

There were all different kinds of shops in Frankenmuth, and quite honestly I could not accurately give you all of the names of the unique shops.  So instead I will provide descriptions of my experiences within the shops.  There was one store that really caught my interest because I had never seen anything like it.  In this shop there were all sorts of item that, oringinally black and white, became colorful when put in the sunlight.  Awed but all of this, I could not help but purchase a shirt with a T-rex on it that did in fact change colors in the sunlight.  Maybe I am just easily amused, but I thought that this was a really cool store!  There were also various toys stores with retro kind of toys.  The merchandise available was more typical of generations in the past instead of being modern day toys. 

I really enjoyed the look created by these shops.  They were all different colored buildings but with a consistent renaissance type theme.  This makes it no surprise that there are renaissance festivals actually held at Frankenmuth.  In addition to the shops, there were bridges and other architecture that added to the renaissance aura. 

The Christmas store, Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, was similar to Canterbury Village.  It was a child’s paradise with human size candy canes, Christmas trees, Christmas decorations, and of course, toys.  Due to the time of the year of our visit, they actually had the Easter Bunny instead of Santa Claus available to take pictures with.  Since this is our last blog, for the sake of humor there is a picture of us with the Easter Bunny in the picture below. 

Birch Run is adjacent to Frankenmuth and is an outlet type shopping center.  We went into the American Eagle and got a few things that were very inexpensive but we did not spend much time at Birch Run in general.  If going there again I would like to explore Birch Run more but we were so entranced by Frankenmuth that we simply did not find the time.  What we did see of Birch Run was very impressive though.  

Lakeside Mall

Lakeside Mall is a pretty well-known mall located in Sterling Heights.  This prime location is just past the end of m-59 surrounded by restaurants, Best Buy, Dave and Busters, and many other places that make this area quite attractive for someone looking for something to do.  Lakeside is quoted as “the best in shopping, entertainment, and dining” near Detroit.  Personally, I found my most recent experience at this mall to be quite entertaining and would definitely visit Lakeside Mall again.

During all four years that I was in high school, I went to Lakeside Mall with my older cousin for the Black Friday sales, bright and early at around five in the morning.  So typically when I imagine Lakeside Mall I picture a fun place bustling with people, all of which were finding great deals.  Though this certainly holds true, it was not quite as busy this trip as the ones I remembered, obviously because my only other encounters at Lakeside Mall were on Black Fridays.  This is not to say that the mall was not busy, because being a popular shopping center, there were lots of people, just not to an excessive extent.  Rather, it was a comfortable atmosphere. 

Lakeside mall is a perfect place to go shopping if you have children.  There is an amazing play center for kids.  Additionally there are stroller rentals for youngsters.  In terms of shopping for kids, Lakeside Mall has stores like Toy Box, Carousel, The Children’s Place, Crazy 8, Disney Store, Gymboree, Justice, and Carnival Cuts.  Personally, I would suggest taking children into the Disney Store.  Though I might be biased loving Disney as a kid, it is undeniable that the Disney Store offers a great selection of toys, clothes, and movies.  Not to mention the atmosphere created for kids is ideal, with a Disney movie playing on a giant television and occasional activities held here.  If I have children, there is no doubt in my mind that this Disney Store would be an essential stop. 

Lakeside Mall, like some other malls previously discussed, has programs to encourage involvement at the mall.  Last month was March as “Music is in Our Schools Month”.  This program invited elementary, middle, and high school students to perform their music at Lakeside Mall at various times throughout the month of March.  Lakeside Mall has also collaborated with Habitat for Humanity in order to develop a program, to help impoverished people in the community.  Finally, it was interesting to find out that Lakeside Mall is another mall that offers an “Inside Track Walking Club”.  I cannot help but be interested in these clubs due to my love for brisk walking so I now think even more highly of the mall finding out they too have a walking club and I think it is a wonderful idea that perhaps all malls should adopt. 

The apparel shopping throughout the mall ranges from casual to classy.  The Charlotte Rousse immediately caught my eye and I wandered in, purchasing the perfect jeans and a few tank tops all for one low price.  There were also Abercrombie, Aeropostale, American Eagle, Hollister, and countless other common shopping stores.  This mall also included Spencer’s and Hot Topic for more eccentric styles.  Overall, I was extremely impressed by my shopping experience at Lakeside Mall.