I live near Holland Michigan, a city that was founded by immigrants of the Netherlands. Every year they celebrate their Dutch heritage with Tulip Time, a festival that has been called the best small town festival in the United States. It's an 8 day festival which has parades, art fairs, a carnival, fireworks, concerts, Klompen (wooden shoe) dancing and of course - tulips, lots and lots of tulips! There are about 5 1/2 million bulbs planted every year! There are parks filled with tulips, the streets are lined, and you can find fields full of color. It is truly beautiful!
Heather and I usually try to visit Holland around Tulip Time, but not the actual week as tourists come from all over the world to take part in it and we try to avoid the crowds! The Festival is going on right now, but we went and walked around the city on Friday.
Here's one of those fields full of tulips.
I enjoy the statues set up around town. This whimsical piece has wooden shoes!
Here's a statue depicting the original settlers of the city.
Those beautiful tulips are everywhere!
We checked out a lot of little shops too, and I had to share this cute sign I saw in one of them.
More fun art!
The beautiful shops on main street, with tulips blooming everywhere!
Here's one more thing we checked out. This is the DeZwaan Windmill. It was erected in the Netherlands in 1761. It came to the US in 1964, the last windmill to leave the Netherlands and approval was only granted because it was in such bad condition. It was rebuilt and repaired and now stands on Windmill Island - a 36 acre piece of land that feels like you've stepped back in time, to an older era in the Netherlands.
If you are ever in Michigan in May, be sure you stop in Holland!
22 comments:
I enjoy this post every year! You are so lucky to live close enough to visit! Beautiful!
What a beautiful place to be able to go and visit and enjoy the beautiful tulips! Oh my...I would love it there! I also enjoyed all of the different statues that you shared...the last one in particular. What talent!
So glad you and Heather shared your pictures with us. I've always heard how beautiful the tulips are there from John and family. I love the white tulip with touches of red, and the downtown shops with tulips all around. The wind mill is lovely and very interesting. Hope you have a nice day, Mari.
I have heard of Holland and would love to visit. There is a little town in Kansas called Wamego that has tulips everywhere and when they bloom, the whole town seems to 'light' up. They also have a big windmill. I dont know the story behind their tulips, but enjoyed hearing and seeing about Holland.
Oh my goodness!!! I would be in heaven!! Tulips are my favorite flowers! So pretty.
Amazing!! We have some friends who are headed to the U P next week. They are worried about the temps as it still looks to be quite chilly up your way. Thanks for sharing those beautiful tulips. They do not do well here as it does not get cold enough in the winter. We have to plant bulbs just about every year if we want tulips.
I remember that area...I know I have said this before, but we use to vacation up at Hamlin Lake at North Bayou, Ludington. Sigh, I miss those summers...what fun we had as children, very found memories.
Wow... just wow!
Such a pretty place, and all those tulips are breathtaking!
Love that cute little chicken sign.... very apropos for this p.c. world we live in ..*grin**.
Have a great day!
~K
Extraordinary. my favorite is the white tulip with the red tinges at its base.
The windmill is cool too. What a proud culture of the Netherlands. I'm glad they have the festival.
Great place, thanks for taking us along.
I would love to be able to see this. I love tulips and sculpture. I doubt I'll ever make it to Holland, but Michigan is a possibility!
Just beautiful. I've always wanted to see the tulip festival. Tulips are my favorite flower. Thanks for taking me along, Mari. :)
Oh so beautiful! My very favorite of all flowers. I have a friend who lives in the Netherlands and he sent Hunter a pair of the wooden shoes when she was little.
I know you really enjoyed everything, and I've enjoyed seeing all that you share. :)
xoxo
Nice pictures! I like the sign, Alaina is a main culprit of that chicken questioning unfortunately! :)
Ahhh tulips!! Ours are all finished already for this year and I miss their beauty and cheer.
Just beautiful. Maybe when I retire, a road trip to Michigan will be in order!
They are just beautiful, ours are all gone until next year.
I can only imagine fields of tulips. I love visiting them through your pictures. What an incredible place!
Those tulips are so beautiful!
Aren't tulips beautiful!! Your pictures are wonderful!
Aaaargggh, I'd love to see that tulip festival some day with my own eyes! With you! But thanks for the gorgeous pictures. I'm all about that old windmill. xoxo
This was very interesting to read. I enlarged each photo and just when I thought I saw the best tulips another photo caught my eye! So colorful.
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