Day 9: Photographical Evidence

Despite the sinister title, this blog is actually going to be quite lovely. No, it's not blackmail or paparazzi shots. On the contrary, I'm posting pictures of my weekend: photographical evidence of a lovely German Christmas (and German is pronounced "Cherman," as spoken by a true Frankenmuther).

Though I say "Frankenmuth" because it's more widely recognized, I'm technically from Frankentrost, a small community just north of Frankenmuth.  Frankenhilf (now called Richville) is a community just east of Frankentrost. Confused yet?  There's one more-- Frankenlust. Why do all these names sound similar? Each community was founded in the mid-1800s by a Franconian pastor (Pastor Loehe) from Bavaria. Each name means "___ of the Franconians."  For example, Frankenmuth means "courage of the Franconians;" Frankentrost means "consolation of the Franconians;" Frankenhilf means "help of the Franconians;" and Frankenlust means "joy of the Franconians."  Heartwarming, yes.  And a wee bit interesting, too-- if you're into that sort of thing (and I am).

My dad still lives in Frankentrost, and my mom lives in Frankenmuth-- right in town. So this weekend, because I was staying with her, it was easy to drive around town and take pictures (like I mentioned in my last blog). Each photo is a pretty accurate depiction of Frankenmuth around Christmastime. You should know that driving through Frankenmuth looks a lot like how one might imagine old-world Germany to look like. Nearly every building (and I mean nearly every building) looks like it came straight out of Bavaria-- yes, even the Dollar General and McDonald's.  The horse-drawn carriages clip-clopping down Main St. add to the whimsical atmosphere of this tiny town.  And though I can't remember ever enjoying working in Frankenmuth, I thoroughly enjoyed visiting this weekend. 


This is one of the back roads through town.  You should see Main St.




The Silent Night Chapel, free and open to the public, is a replica of the Silent Night Memorial Chapel located in Oberndorf, Austria.  On the chapel grounds, you'll find plaques featuring the hymn "Silent Night" in over 300 languages.  Visitors are peacefully serenaded by the song "Silent Night" both inside and outside the chapel. 




The sign marking the entrance to Bronner's Christmas Wonderland, the world's largest Christmas store.  The building (spanning an area of 5.5 football fields) boasts an impressive shopping wonderland, which spans an area of 1.7 football fields.  And yes, I've gotten lost.  That's kind of a given.




The driveway leading to Bronner's: 1/2-mile Christmas Lane (the address is 25 Christmas Lane).  Spectacularly illuminated by about 100,000 outdoor Christmas lights, the area is an inviting landmark for visitors to Frankenmuth. 




Main St. in Frankenmuth (and yes, this photo was taken while I was standing directly in the middle of the road)




Main St.  Frankenmuth





Zehnder's Restaurant (famous for its family-style chicken dinners)




Bavarian Inn Restaurant, also famous for its family-style chicken dinners




Bavarian-style McDonald's




Bavarian-style Dollar General




Yes, even the Tim Horton's has a Bavarian design.




the Christmas display along the river through town





one of the very many Nativity scenes along Main St.