The Kleiber Family Timeline

Category: Shopping

Shopping trips

  • Bronners in Spring 2013

    A cool spring day presented the perfect opportunity for a trip to Frankenmuth and a visit to Bronners. James went shopping at Bronners and bought a couple Easter lights that were on sale (after Easter sale).

    James and his family then had a chicken dinner at a pretty crowded Bavarian Inn (We did not expect it to be crowded because it was still pretty cold out, but I think lots of family’s were like us and just said “enough” to winter). For those of you who have never tried Zenders or Bavarian Inn chicken dinners you have to put it on your bucket list. This is a popular tourist attraction on Sundays just for the chicken dinners, several of my friends in Canada make the trek once or twice a year – its that good that people actually go through the hassle of customs to get some of the Frankenmuth Bavarian Chicken dinners

    We then shopped at their outdoor mall where Mary got to visit the cupcake shop that won a reality show contest (cupcake wars). On the way home we got to listen to the Tigers win over the Yankees so it was a good day all around.

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  • Nashville Phillips Toy Mart 2013

    A visit to Nashville would not be complete without a visit to their largest toy store known fondly as “Phillips”. James simply loves this place and you can go in and see toys you have never seen before. A great option to the mainstream toy stores and they try to focus on toys that our educational or help in devlopment (They are not known for Nintendo or Playstation).

    The store has been a fixture in Nashville since 1946 and if you get a chance be sure to stop in. Even if you don’t need toys or don’t want to spend money on toys, you will enjoy the traditional layout and the opportunity to watch their train display running.

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  • Loveless Cafe Nashville 2013

    Perhaps you have already seen or heard about the Loveless Cafe. Stories about the Loveless Cafe continue to be told around the world.

    USA Today named us the “Top Down-Home Dining Spot” and one of the “10 Great Places to get a Southern-style Biscuit.”

    Southern Living named the Cafe one of the “Five Must-See Sights in Nashville,” in addition to “Favorite Southern Dives” and the “South’s Best Breakfast Spots.”

    Taste of the South magazine included us as one of the “35 Iconic Southern Restaurants,” saying we serve the “South’s Best Pies.”

    The Atlanta Journal Constitution included the Cafe as one of the “8 Restaurants to Try if you Want a Taste of Nashville.”

    The Tennessean called the Cafe’s pulled pork sandwich one of the top 5 in Nashville, a city full of legendary barbecue joints.

    Thrillest online said the Loveless Cafe is one of “Nashville’s Best BBQ Joints.”

    The TV cameras just love the Loveless Cafe too, from The Today Show to CBS News to Ellen DeGeneres to the Martha Stewart Show. When we ate there it was so good that we got up early the next day and brought a breakfast to Grandpa.

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  • James Christmas Shopping Spree

    James at the store spending the money he got from relatives and friends at Christmas time.

  • Christmas Visit At Frankenmuth 2012

    A trip to Frankenmuth in December is special, especially as the sun sets and all the Christmas lights turn on. We usually make this visit anytime but Christmas but we felt that we had to visit both Frankenmuth and Bronners at Christmas time (Actually Christmas Eve Eve Eve to be exact).

    Meanwhile Mary got to visit a cupcake bakery that she had seen on Cupcake Wars (a reality series on cable). Seems this bakery in Frankenmuth came in first place so we bought some cupcakes while we were there and ate them on the way home.

    As the sun began to set the Christmas lights came on in the city and it was a gorgeous spectacle. We drove through the town and across the covered bridge then headed home for the evening.

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  • Christmas Trip To Bronners 2012

    We had planned to get to Bronners to surprise James with a Titanic Christmas bulb which we saw in an ad. James also got a Statue of Liberty bulb and a free bulb for spending over $25.

    We usually visit Bronners when its not Christmas time so the crowd was a little bigger than what we are used to, but everyone was still as friendly as ever and we had a great time. They have a giant Christmas telescope that you can look through that I thought was cool, and an elf fishing in a swimming pool which was colorful but I did not really understand the purpose. I think it was meant to be ice fishing but it looked more like a swimming pool to me.

    The weather outside still had snow, so that made it a white Bronners visit which is something we don’t often do.

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  • After Halloween Sale 2012

    Each year Mom goes out and buys Dads birthday gifts at the After Halloween sale. People often ask where we get the Halloween props and the secret is to purchase it after Halloween when everything is 50 – 70%.

    This year we went to the Halloween store the day before to see what they had left and decided on 3 new animations that we felt would fit into our display. The next day we got there about 50 minutes early to wait for the half price sale to begin (we were third in line).

    Our 3 main items were “The Howler” werewolf to go with our other werewolf. The “Popping Goblin” which is really nothing more than one of those plastic pumpkins, except the back moves out and a Goblin pops out of it.

    The Witch from the Wizard of Oz was the final one on our list. The Halloween store had two left and when Mary lifted the top one, another person immediately lifted the one below hers so it took about two seconds to sell out. Good thing we got there early and waited.

    We also stopped at Jo Ann Fabrics and picked up some Halloween crafts and decorations at 70% off and Marshalls where Mary bought a bunch of stuff for $12.

    James came home from school and one of the Hoover teachers (we don’t know if the teacher wants us to use her name or not) gave us a haunted house cookie jar!

    Finally, KMart had one Jason left at 60% off and that concluded our after Halloween sale. Our next purchases for Halloween will be in the Spring when the garage sales come around again.

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  • U.S. 12 Garage Sale 2012

    We only made it to the Irish Hills because of the bad weather but we still had much fun on the US 12 garage sale, an annual event that we attend. Many times this event takes place the same week as the Magic Festival but this year it was the week later so we made two treks to the Western side of the state in back to back weekends.

    James enjoys this event as well and gets a chance to spend time on real farms that allow people to sell their items on their farmland along US 12 (aka Michigan Avenue). He also does a little shopping and picks up many little trinkets on the trip.

    We also continue our tradition of eating the best barbecue around at the Top of the Hill restaurant on US 12 in the Irish Hills.

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  • Sea Shell City 2012

    James has been going to Sea Shell City for years now, he loves playing in the pirate boat outside and enjoys the shopping inside. He usually always walks out with something, maybe a hat or maybe a shirt, ironically never a sea shell (they have thousands from all over the world here).

    The story of Sea Shell city is an interesting one. We always lump it in with Mackinaw since its only a few miles from the bridge, but it actually is in Cheboygan. It is right off interstate 75 at exit 326 and is quite visible from the road. Its been here sine 1963, but its the story before 1963 that is interesting.

    Sea Shell City originally opened for business on Old 27 in Gaylord, MI. Since Interstate 75 did not come this far north, It was an excellent location as everyone had to use Old 27 to continue north to Mackinac City, Mackinac Island or to take the ferry across the Straits of Mackinac to get to the Upper Peninsula. When Interstate 75 was completed in 1957, the business decreased severely as there was no need to travel Old 27 to go farther north.

    So you could say the Mackinaw Bridge being built which forced 75 North was almost the undoing of Sea Shell City. Now its probably the main source of visitors for them.

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  • Spring Frankenmuth Trip 2012

    James picked up a few Mario brother characters, a hard hat with a light in it that says Frankenmuth on the side, and an Easter bunny from Bronners (yes, he went to the Christmas shop and bought something for Easter). James had lots of fun and the place was strangely quiet for such a pretty day. We had most of the place to ourselves and had no problems getting seated for a chicken dinner at the Bavarian Inn.

    Highlights include James feeding a horse named Gus, flinging about 100 pennies into various fountains, and the many photo ops where you stick your head through a hole (in one James could not reach the boy fairy hole with his head so he stuck his head through the next hole which was the girl fairy). The picture is very funny looking and we all had a little laugh at the fairy pic. You can see that pic and a whole bunch more by clicking the button below.

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