CHRISTMAS IN SUMMER

Hi everyone

Still in Michigan

We left Petosky after a second night there, and even slept in!  Before we got on the interstate we did a little retail therapy – well I did – at a Marshalls – which is a department store like Farmers at home.  Then we took the back roads, more like NZ country roads/highway and was hopefully in search of lighthouses and stopped at Bay City – on a lake it’s life really is because of the waterways.  We stopped at the museum which was free to go in, and details the start of the city, the maritime life etc. 

Then we headed out of town – spying a flea market so we wandered around there for a while – nothing exciting bought.

But not far away was Frankenmuth.  This is a German-styled town – really busy as a tourist spot, but so pretty – they’ve done a great job with it.  On the outskirts just before the freeway again is the largest Christmas store in the world! – Heaven .  This place is ABSOLUTELY HUGE – probably as big as four football fields.  They have categories on everything you can think of and ones you would never think of.  Baubles for gifts for teachers, dogs, cats, baubles from around the world.   You could get lost there but they give you a map – there are fifteen different sections, and then more in the middle.  An cafeteria, a chapel, an hotel!  Can you believe it.

Me and the big guy!

Nativity outside the store

This says it all, but wait there's more - inside it's HUGE

They have snowflakes leading the way

Singing penguins on the way out!

There were bus loads of Japanese tourists just leaving and apparently on any one day there is 100 staff – though they normally have about 300 staff on the books working different shifts, and when its’ the real ‘season’ they have about 600 staff!   

From Frankenmuth it’s a short drive to Flint.  We’re really just bedding down for the night here before we head to Dearborn tomorrow.

Enjoy some photos.

Jane and Neil