Travel to unique, European-style towns on this day trip without ever needing a passport. On this day trip in Michigan's Great Bay Region, you will travel from historic Saginaw to Frankenmuth, a city with rich German roots and history that has been well-preserved and celebrated to the present day. You'll start the day visiting an extraordinary French castle dating back to the late nineteenth century, which once served as Saginaw's post office. The castle has been converted into a museum where you can learn about the history of the region and Saginaw's industrial past.
You'll then take your journey to Frankenmuth to walk the Bavarian-style streets and appreciate the German roots of the city. You'll stop at a wine and charcuterie bar for lunch and then take a riverboat through the city to learn about Frankenmuth's history and rich tourism industry. A trip to Frankenmuth cannot be made without enjoying their famous family-style chicken dinners, so you'll eat at the long-running Zehnder's Restaurant for dinner, which has been operating since the town's inception over a hundred years ago. Just outside the quaint downtown streets, you will make a necessary stop at Bronner's Christmas Wonderland, an enormous all-season Christmas market that prides itself on being the largest in the world.