It's been tulip time in West Michigan. For those of us who look forward to these colorful signs of spring each year, there is no better place to enjoy them than in The city of Holland and the yearly Tulip Time Festival.
The weather has been especially nice for the festival this year. We visited Windmill Island where there is a real working Dutch windmill "DeZwaan" that is more than 240 years old.
There is also a replica of a 228 year old Dutch Inn.
The gift shops resemble a Dutch village and are filled with souvenirs such as delftware, Dutch baked goods, and candy.
After leaving Windmill Island we headed over to Veldheer's Tulip Farm. Here they have the midwest's only working tulip farm with 125 varieties on over 30 acres. They also have the only delftware factory in the U.S.A. In addition, there is a wooden shoe factory and a shop where you can order not only tulip bulbs, but many varieties of perennials. The gardens here are beautiful with mostly tulips, but also daffodils, and some hyacinths in purple, blue, pink, and white.
Downtown Holland looked interesting as we passed through, and it seems that many new restaurants and opportunities for shopping have cropped up since I last visited there many years ago. We decided we would visit again soon.
Veldheer's Tulip Farm, 12755 Quincy St. & US 31, Holland, MI, ph. 616-399-1900
Windmill Island, 1 Lincoln Ave., Holland, MI, ph. 888-535-5792, 616-355-1030
