cn0805_0152

Clockwise from left:
Mackinac Bridge
Grand Hotel
Biking on Mackinac
Island
get up
and
go!
There is still time to hit
the road this summer
Summer is ticking away and school will be
back in session before we know it. Many
Chaldeans know that with their hectic work
schedules, no time is a good time to take a vacation
— but perhaps it’s time to plan at least a few
days away before the leaves fall from the trees.
“Go and leave your cell phone behind and just relax,”
is the advice of Mazin Kattula. He and his wife, Tanya,
live in Sterling Heights but spend as much time as possible
at their waterfront cottage at Houghton Lake.
“Lately we are seeing more and more Chaldeans
there,” Kattula said. “I would recommend it to
anybody, just so they can get away for a little bit.
Once they get there, they will enjoy it.”
Should you decide to take some well-earned
time off, here are a few suggestions — all right here
in Michigan and most, like Houghton Lake, close
enough for a weekend’s trip.
BY JOYCE WISWELL
FESTIVE FRANKENMUTH
“Michigan’s Little Bavaria” makes a great getaway
because it’s only about an hour’s drive from Metro
Detroit. The city draws more than 3 million visitors
each year who come to eat its famous chicken
dinners, browse in specialty shops — including the
world’s largest Christmas store — and stroll along
the Cass River.
Kim Abro of Richmond likes to Frankenmuth as
a nearby getaway for her and her three kids, ages
12, 11 and 7, especially when her husband can’t get
away from work. “It’s a place a mom and kids can
go without their husband,” she said. “It’s very safe
and family oriented.” Abro and her children also
like to browse the Birch Run outlet shops nearby.
There are lots of hotel and motel options in town.
Many families opt for the Bavarian Inn Lodge — a giant
resort with lots going on all over the place. You don’t
need to worry about the weather with all the indoor
attractions, including five pools and 18 holes of miniature
golf. There are also four outdoor tennis courts, a
Children’s Village, two bars and two restaurants on the
grounds, all in a German-themed atmosphere. Rates
start at about $120 weekdays, $150 weekends.
A new spot called Zehnder’s Splash Village just
opened this summer. As the name implies, it’s all
about water fun, with pools, tube slides and the like.
Rates are about $240 a night for a family suite, which
accommodates from four to eight people. Be sure to
inquire about packages that include the water park.
MAGICAL MACKINAC
Getting to Mackinac Island is half the fun. After a
scenic five-hour drive straight up I-75, visitors
jump aboard a ferry in Mackinaw City or across
the bridge in St. Ignace.
The island harkens back to Victorian times. No
motor vehicles are allowed, so everyone gets
around via horse and buggy or bicycle. It’s a laidback
place of pretty scenery, handsome houses and
cute restaurants and gift shops.
GET UP AND GO! continued on page 32
32 CHALDEAN NEWS AUGUST 2005