Taking the Scenic Route

I went on a road trip to Caseville this past weekend, which is located in the Thumb area of Michigan.  Rather than take the fast, boring freeway route, I decided to take the scenic route. Good times ensued. Read all about it and see a few fun photos.

Blue Water Inn located in Caseville, MI.

While I dislike driving, I love summer road trips in Michigan when I can take the back roads and old two lane highways. Freeway driving bores me. It is nothing but an endless sea of concrete barriers and billboards.

The quick, boring route according the Googles.

But, when I take the back roads, I get to drive past some of Michigan’s most beautiful scenery. Forests.  Farms.  Cozy little towns. Quirky businesses.

The slower, interesting route I took instead. Each letter is a stop or point of interest.

The first leg of the trip began with heading due north on 127.  About 30 minutes or so outside Lansing, you can find Uncle John’s Cider Mill (B on the map)–and they sell more than just cider.  The wine tasting room opens at 11:00 AM, and it is well worth the stop.

The view from Uncle John’s Cider Mill

You can sample a few wines and hard ciders for free (up to six, I think). I walked out of there with two bottles of hard cider and two bottles of wine. Great stuff.  Also at Uncle John’s is the famous Pie Barn. A few minutes later and I was the proud owner of a mixed fruit pie, fresh out of the oven.

Heading East, Chesaning (C on the map) was the next stop.  The self-described, Showboat City has long been on my radar. I’ve made several stops in the past to try and spot the showboat in question, but never had any luck (which was just my not paying attention)

But this time, luck was on my side.  I found the showboat docked, and nearly missed it while leaving Showboat Park (where I looked first).

Cheasaning’s famous Showboat.

Up next was Frankenmuth (D on the map). This place is Michigan’s “Little Bavaria.” Nearly everything has a German theme. Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland made for a very interesting, yet brief, stop. This place is open 361 days a year and only sells Christmas decorations–they even sell ornaments for every job possible, including funeral directors. It is a sight to behold.

Bronner’s in Frankenmuth, MI (photo taken last July)

Lunch was at the famous and iconic Bavarian Inn. This is perhaps the most famous restaurant in Frankenmuth. No trip to Frankenmuth is complete without a stop here. It also houses several gift shops and offers a great selection of German style beers (try the Bavarian Dark, it is brewed especially for the Bavarian Inn).

The Bavarian Inn, Frankenmuth, MI. (photo taken last July)

While walking the streets after lunch, a coffee shop promoting a “Bacon Mocha” caught my eye. The Harvest Coffee Cafe offers a mocha coffee drink, flavored with bacon flavored syrup. The one upside to visiting a tourist town is that you’ll find unique stuff like this–everyone is fighting for attention.

Apparently the syrup was created by Torini to be used to make brandy Alexanders, but that didn’t stop the folks at Harvest Coffee Cafe from experimenting.  It was a unique flavor: a bit smoky and salty, and it was complimented by the mocha half of the mixture. And yes, you could really taste the bacon.

The Bacon Mocha.

Driving through the sprawling Michigan farmland in the Thumb was breathtaking. Yes, it is kind of flat, but I loved every farm and old barn I passed. Sights such as those make the trip go by so much faster, and help keep me awake, due to my frequent “Wow! Look at that!”

If you ever take M-25 through Sebeweing (E on the map), make sure to stop by the massive Pioneer Sugar silo.

The coast of the thumb has plenty of charm as well, take Bay Port for example (F on the map). It is home of the annual Fish Sandwich festival, which I have never had the chance of attending, but I would like to some day.

At last, I arrived in Caseville (G on the map, home of Ribstock and Cheeseburger in Caseville), and I already had a full day. But it was a fun day full of adventure. It was all made possible by my avoiding the busier highways and taking the scenic route.

The funny thing is, the route I took only added about 20 minutes or so to the trip (not counting the time spent at all the stops).  The next time you go on a trip in Michigan, skip the busy freeways, try the old highways and take in some pure Michigan beauty.