a spoken and written language. They were seasonal and migratory peoples traveling along the waterways using their canoes,” explains Raymond Cadotte, the Cultural Center’s visitor services representative. One exhibit showcases how they built their wigwams, using tree bark to hold in the heat. “You can touch the birchbark with which they built their winter shelters,” explains Cadotte. “It dropped all the way to the ground to keep them warm, with grass and mud in between.” Other exhibits explain how the Anishinaabek used plants for food and medicine, the history of their fur trading, and the culture’s Seven Prophecies that predicted the arrival of Europeans. “What the Ziibiwing Cultural Center does is a lot of thought provoking,” continues Cadotte. “Some people come out of here more knowledgeable, while others leave angry or tearful because of what happened to the Anishinaabek. We want to invoke all of the emotions when learning about the people.” Another big draw for visiting Mount Pleasant is the massive Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort, owned and operated by the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Nation. The four-diamond property is home to the state’s largest gaming floor with thousands of slot machines and more than 70 tables for Blackjack, Mini-Baccarat, Roulette, and others. One of the casino’s most popular games is Bingo. Decorated with Native American themes, the resort also has a large pool, conference rooms, and features an Outdoor Summer Concert Series accommodating more than 13,000 spectators to see famous rockers and bands. Sporting enthusiasts will enjoy swinging their golf clubs at 13 area golf courses, while outdoor activities include hiking in preserves and nature parks, and kayaking or canoeing on the Chippewa River. Mount Pleasant is also the home of Central Michigan University, welcoming 11,000 students each fall. A vibrant college football season fills the school’s 30,000-seat stadium to see the Central Michigan Chippewas with fans cheering “Go Chips!” a tribute to the area’s Native American heritage. Mount Pleasant and Frankenmuth are, respectively, about a two-and-a-half and one-and-a-half-hour drive from Detroit, so if you’re heading that way, a few attractions are worth a stop. The Detroit Institute of Arts is famous for its wall-sized Diego Rivera industrial murals in a central atrium. The Motown Museum, in two adjacent neighborhood homes offers a close-up
Inside Zehnder’s Splash Village Hotel and Waterpark in Frankenmuth
Two Indoor heated waterparks also make Frankenmuth a great family destination. Zehnder’s Splash Village Hotel and Waterpark feature more than 50,000 square feet of pool areas that include a six-story raft ride and a looping body slide. Geysers shoot up within a pool also used for water basketball and volleyball. There’s a lazy river, dumping bucket, and splash area, and the so-called Perilous Plunge four-story tube slides. Part of the Bavarian Inn Lodge, the Bavarian Blast Waterpark includes 16 waterslides, a huge wave pool and its so-called Not So Lazy River attraction. Adults can relax in private cabanas and at a swim-up bar. Family fun activities also include laser tag, a mini-golf course, climbing walls, a ropes course, and game arcades. When the German settlers first arrived in 1845, they engaged with the local Chippewa Indians as part of their missionary goals. We learn more about this Native American history when visiting Mount Pleasant, a college town located northwest of Frankenmuth and reached in just over an hour via Interstate 75 and State Highway 20 West. Mount Pleasant is the county seat of Isabella County, which is home to the Isabella Indian Reservation. Our first stop is the Ziibiwing Cultural Center, which highlights the culture and history of the Michigan Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe and other Anishinaabek Native Americans of the Great Lakes. Life-sized dioramas and displays showcase how the native tribes survived for generations. “Prior to the colonizers coming here, the original people had both
SPARKLING FRANKENMUTH
COAST TO COAST MAGAZINE SPRING 2026 | 21
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