Holland Tulips

Holland, Michigan is about 20 miles from my house.  Holland was settled by people from the Netherlands and is named after it.  It's best know for it's annual Tulip Time Festival, which people come from all over to attend.  There are parades, dutch dancers, a carnival, special speakers (this year it was Bill Cosby), beautiful sights and lots of tulips! 

This is our Governor.  Almost every year the Governor comes and participates in the "scrubbing of the streets".  Check out the costume and shoes.
I've gone to see some of these events, but most years I go after it's done. I can enjoy the tulips and Holland without the crowds.  :)
This year the tulips were a little late, due to the long, cold winter. However, they were at peak late last week when Heather and I wandered around Holland and enjoyed them.  It was a cod day - 45 degrees, but we still enjoyed ourselves.

 You know you're in Holland when you see crazy statues holding tulips and wearing wooden shoes!

If the tulips aren't blooming, you'll see some metal ones scattered around.

This is the DeZwaan Windmill.  It is an actual working windmill that was moved here from the Netherlands in 1065 and reassembled by men who also came from the Netherlands and work on them there.  It's 125 feet tall.

The tulips!  There are fields of them and they are such a pretty sight!



This area was really pretty with rows of tulips on the hillside.


Each variety of tulip has it's own beauty.




These orange tulips were my favorite.




The whole city gets into planting tulips.  There are beds near every business and down each street.  This bed is at the Amtrack station.

Here's Heather with one last statue.  This is the attire the dutch people wore when the immigrated here.  I don't know how they put up with those wooden shoes!