It took me 24 years of my life to go to Frankenmuth, Michigan.

No, that wasn’t a typo. For those who have never heard of it, Frankenmuth - pronounced exactly how it’s spelled - is a small Germanic village in the middle of Eastern Michigan.

I’ve always had Frankenmuth on my bucket list because its claim to fame is the world’s largest Christmas store, called Bronners. I’m not a Christmas fan, but I’ve been ordering their ornaments as gifts for my friends and family for years. And honestly, after visiting a couple of times now, I have to say, that it can put even the biggest Scrooges of us all in the holiday spirit.

The lights, the ornaments, the snowmen and trees… it’s all so… merry.

I personally love the Old World and international ornaments sections. More than one of our tree adornments have come from Bronners. I’d highly recommend you check out their online store if you’re not local because they really do have everything.

And if you feel peckish while wandering through their decked halls, you can stop in their cafe for a delightful Christmas cookie or two.

But Frankenmuth is more than just a giant Christmas wonderland. It’s also an adorable place for a stroll and a shop.

And as to be expected in a place that's famous for their Christmas store, they go all out for the holidays in every corner.

And it has a sort of old-world charm about it.

But I must say that thanks to Ethan, my absolute favorite reason for going to Franmuth, Michigan is the all-you-can eat traditional chicken dinner at Zehnder’s.