Funny story ca. April 26, 2009

Here's my funny trip story!� My friend Linda and I were
STARVING Saturday afternoon after the show and after touring a
couple of antique malls. The day manager at the hotel said the
Bavarian chicken really WAS good, not just a tourist trap. "What
is Bavarian chicken," I wondered? There was a sign for a place
called Freeway Fritz's, but I couldn't tell if it was supposed
to be at our hotel's exit or further on into Frankenmuth. A
quick trip down the road revealed that Freeway Fritz's was very
closed; so that couldn't be the Bavarian chicken place; just
another German restaurant (of which apparently there are many,
none of them open--but we'll get to that). Linda and I decide
we'll bet on Frankenmuth, so we continue down the road, when
RRRRR-stop! HUGE billboard pointing us to the Famous Bavarian
Chicken ("is a FrankenMUST", the sign read); mouth watering, I
pulled into the parking lot, in the pouring rain. I proceeded to
potty the dogs, in the pouring rain while Linda ran for the door
and waited. "Wrong door," she said, so we trotted around the
front (why is it when I take my umbrella, I forget to use it
anyway?). Ah, the door opens and in we fall and no sooner are we
in when a friendly face says "WELCOME!" Then "Grab a plate, try
anything you like!"...huh? There are picnic tables set up, paper
plates, paper cups, a cooler containing ice, women, men and
children dressed in ethnic clothing and signs for "African",
"Asian", "German", "North American", etc....food...hmm, an
international buffet night at the Bavarian Chicken restaurant?
Maybe. Linda and I exchange glances and shrug, wondering where
and when we are supposed to pay! More people smile at us and
suggest we get in line. Well okay then! We fill our plates. We
follow the other full plates through another door. Inside,
people are spreading plastic cloths on large card tables; lots
of people are sitting down family style, already chowing down;
beyond all the tables are pews...and an altar..and someone
getting ready to perform. UH-OH! This is most definitely NOT the
Bavarian Chicken restaurant! A friendly, florid, chubby man
welcomes us and wants to know "How did you hear about us?" Well,
I admit we "stumbled" upon him, but I do not say "quite by
accident," nor that I mistook his church for a famous German
chicken bistro. I humbly sit down and EAT. Others sit down and
eat with us and want to get to know us. We try. Mary and her
little son ask us about the "pet show" (I don't remember calling
it a pet show) We get up and get more food. Linda and I are
thinking the same thing. Soon I nudge her and tell her I'm going
to get dessert right quick and then we'll skedaddle, before
Mary's sister starts singing and we can no longer exit
gracefully! I don't tell Mary the plan Linda follows me back
into the corridor where I nab two brownies and a chocolate chip
cookie from the North America booth and make for the door.
Outside I say to Linda "Can I laugh now? Really loud?!" We run
to the Jeep laughing, pull away and when we continue down the
road THEN and only then do we see the sign in front of the
building that reads: UNITED PENTECOSTAL CHURCH.

SO we never did get our Bavarian chicken that night (I briefly
thought of finishing my plate at the free buffet and THEN
continuing on to the Bavarian chicken place). We got into
Frankenmuth, only to find another German restaurant with a sign
on it that said: For Sale.

OH well!!!