Huntervf
Bored now
Is it really that time of year already? Well, maybe... almost. But it's close enough to start thinking about chicken 
And yes, believe it or not this will be the 7th dinner at everyone's favorite Great Lakes Christmas destination! Technically we could call it 6th, because the first Frankenmuth meet was actually in February 2006, followed in December by the actual Christmas dinner. But I digress. 2011 will be the 7th time we've hit Frankenmuth so 7th annual Christmas Dinner it is
The Place? Bronner's Christmas World/Bavarian Inn of course, in Frankenmuth, MI.
The Day? Saturday, December 10th
The Time? TBD, but I'll try to get dinner reservations as close to 5pm as possible. Figure on meeting up at Bronners at least a half hour before, but we all know that people start showing up like mid-afternoon anyway!
I'd really like to stick with Dec. 10th as that gives us some separation from Thanksgiving without taking us down to the wire on Christmas. Last year we went later and we almost couldn't park at Bronner's! I know some people can't make various dates, but unless there's major opposition to the 10th, this will be the best day.
So, for those of you who've never been to a Frankenmuth Christmas meet, the only thing I can say is HA, more chicken for me! Seriously, here's what you need to know:
Frankenmuth is roughly 2 hours northeast of Grand Rapids, about 1.5 hours north of Detroit, and it's possibly the only town in Michigan that gets busier in the winter. It's home to Bronner's Christmas World not to mention a ton of neat little downtown shops (Cheese Haus FTW), a nice outdoor mall, and then there's the big outlet mall about 6 miles away, right off I-75 at the Frankenmuth/Birch Run exit. This little town turns into a Christmas wonderland come December, and I challenge even the scroogiest person to not feel 10 years old again walking through this town (or taking a ride in one of the horse-drawn carriages) during the holidays.
We'll officially meet in the north lot of Bronner's Christmas world no later than a half hour before dinner, SHARP! Unofficially there's usually a bit of a parking lot meet in full swing long before that. We'll then cruise from Bronner's to the Bavarian Inn (just a mile or so away) for dinner. Sure, they have a nice selection of items but trust me, plan to get the all-you-can-eat homestyle chicken dinner. By homestyle, I mean they bring out bowls of potatoes, stuffing, gravy, salads, veggies, and chicken, and it's all passed around the table. And ALL of it is all-you-can-eat. And Bavarian Inn's chicken is unlike anything else you've had. Plan for dinner to be about $19 per person, not including an adult beverage.
That's the official meet. UNofficially, many people choose to get into town in the morning and spend the day in the area shopping or just enjoying the atmosphere. There's a great little antique shop that I visit every year, plus the outdoor mall and shops downtown. Some people have also elected to stay the night; there's a neat hotel right next to Bronner's that has an indoor water slide that I recommend.
This meet in definitely family friendly, so don't be shy in inviting brothers, sisters, or bringing the kids along...all are welcome. In the past I've tried to have little gifts or door prizes for everyone who attends; if you'd like to bring gifts to exchange you're welcome but there's absolutely no obligation to do so! Unless 100 people show up I should have a little something for everyone who attends--it's my chance to play Santa
Now, I'll need an RSVP no later than Saturday, Dec. 3rd. That's a week before the dinner and I'll need to finalize the reservations. Bavarian Inn is VERY busy this time of year so please, only RSVP if you fully intend to go! Emergency situations certainly come up, but this is more than just a parking lot gathering. And trust me, it's WELL worth the trip and the effort!
Okay, that's probably a long enough post but I'll end with this. When we started back in 06 I had no idea it would morph into this whole traditional thing. I look forward to this pretty much all year; the food, the atmosphere, and especially the people. I'm looking forward to seeing the "regulars" and new faces alike, and hey, maybe we'll even see some of the folks who've been gone for a few years. Either way you slice it, this will be a good time.
Frankenmuth Christmas Dinner 2011--see you there!
http://www.bavarianinn.com/
http://www.bronners.com/
Huntervf +1
And yes, believe it or not this will be the 7th dinner at everyone's favorite Great Lakes Christmas destination! Technically we could call it 6th, because the first Frankenmuth meet was actually in February 2006, followed in December by the actual Christmas dinner. But I digress. 2011 will be the 7th time we've hit Frankenmuth so 7th annual Christmas Dinner it is
The Place? Bronner's Christmas World/Bavarian Inn of course, in Frankenmuth, MI.
The Day? Saturday, December 10th
The Time? TBD, but I'll try to get dinner reservations as close to 5pm as possible. Figure on meeting up at Bronners at least a half hour before, but we all know that people start showing up like mid-afternoon anyway!
I'd really like to stick with Dec. 10th as that gives us some separation from Thanksgiving without taking us down to the wire on Christmas. Last year we went later and we almost couldn't park at Bronner's! I know some people can't make various dates, but unless there's major opposition to the 10th, this will be the best day.
So, for those of you who've never been to a Frankenmuth Christmas meet, the only thing I can say is HA, more chicken for me! Seriously, here's what you need to know:
Frankenmuth is roughly 2 hours northeast of Grand Rapids, about 1.5 hours north of Detroit, and it's possibly the only town in Michigan that gets busier in the winter. It's home to Bronner's Christmas World not to mention a ton of neat little downtown shops (Cheese Haus FTW), a nice outdoor mall, and then there's the big outlet mall about 6 miles away, right off I-75 at the Frankenmuth/Birch Run exit. This little town turns into a Christmas wonderland come December, and I challenge even the scroogiest person to not feel 10 years old again walking through this town (or taking a ride in one of the horse-drawn carriages) during the holidays.
We'll officially meet in the north lot of Bronner's Christmas world no later than a half hour before dinner, SHARP! Unofficially there's usually a bit of a parking lot meet in full swing long before that. We'll then cruise from Bronner's to the Bavarian Inn (just a mile or so away) for dinner. Sure, they have a nice selection of items but trust me, plan to get the all-you-can-eat homestyle chicken dinner. By homestyle, I mean they bring out bowls of potatoes, stuffing, gravy, salads, veggies, and chicken, and it's all passed around the table. And ALL of it is all-you-can-eat. And Bavarian Inn's chicken is unlike anything else you've had. Plan for dinner to be about $19 per person, not including an adult beverage.
That's the official meet. UNofficially, many people choose to get into town in the morning and spend the day in the area shopping or just enjoying the atmosphere. There's a great little antique shop that I visit every year, plus the outdoor mall and shops downtown. Some people have also elected to stay the night; there's a neat hotel right next to Bronner's that has an indoor water slide that I recommend.
This meet in definitely family friendly, so don't be shy in inviting brothers, sisters, or bringing the kids along...all are welcome. In the past I've tried to have little gifts or door prizes for everyone who attends; if you'd like to bring gifts to exchange you're welcome but there's absolutely no obligation to do so! Unless 100 people show up I should have a little something for everyone who attends--it's my chance to play Santa
Now, I'll need an RSVP no later than Saturday, Dec. 3rd. That's a week before the dinner and I'll need to finalize the reservations. Bavarian Inn is VERY busy this time of year so please, only RSVP if you fully intend to go! Emergency situations certainly come up, but this is more than just a parking lot gathering. And trust me, it's WELL worth the trip and the effort!
Okay, that's probably a long enough post but I'll end with this. When we started back in 06 I had no idea it would morph into this whole traditional thing. I look forward to this pretty much all year; the food, the atmosphere, and especially the people. I'm looking forward to seeing the "regulars" and new faces alike, and hey, maybe we'll even see some of the folks who've been gone for a few years. Either way you slice it, this will be a good time.
Frankenmuth Christmas Dinner 2011--see you there!
http://www.bavarianinn.com/
http://www.bronners.com/
Huntervf +1
I see what you did there, Chris...
