Michigan trip

[low_delta]

Cindy wanted to visit her Aunt Joyce. Joyce lives in Holland Michigan, so Cyn decided that she go for the Tulip Time festival, which coincided with her birthday.

We arrived late Friday night, and stopped by New Holland Brewing, the home of our favorite beer, Dragon's Milk.

Saturday morning, we met Aunt Joyce plus her daughter Pam, and two other cousins, Bonnie and Carla. We went out for breakfast, then went to the festival. The first event was the Klomepenstompers, er, Klompen dancers. The Dutch dancing with the wooden shoes. They had a couple hundred high school girls in costume (as both boys and girls). Then we walked around the art fair for a while. I picked up a tulip welded of silverware. After a while, Joyce was not feeling well and asked to go home. On our way back to the car, we took a detour to New Holland for a tasting flight of four different versions of Dragon's Milk.

After a rest, the cousins and I went out to another park to view more tulips. Then dinner where I had an odd burger. It was topped with onion rings, cheddar, maple/bacon sauce and served open-faced on a waffle. The very sweet waffle, and maple sauce didn't go well with the cheese or onion.

The next morning we met for breakfast again, and then split up. Cyn and I stopped at South Haven and walked out on the pier. It was sunny but about 45 degrees and very windy. Painful. Then we went on to Three Oaks, where stopped at Journeyman Distillery for lunch in their Staymaker restaurant.




I noted the outfit on the right. This is real clothing, not a costume.


They take the dancing class in phy ed class, and are drafted to dance for the festival. It looks like they're all having fun.


The leftmost "boy" looks like Brent Spiner (Data).


I wonder how many costumes the organization owns. Hundreds.




Try high-kicking with blocks of wood on your feet!




Each area of Holland had its own distinctive style of bonnet.


Carla discussing her purchases with her cousins.


Carla took tons of photos of the tulips, and other flowers.


I can't help but think they'd have more fun if they just turned around so they could see the tulips.




From left, Dragon's Milk (standard), Mexican Spice Cake, Brewer's Select (extra nice bourbon barrels), and Tequila-something.


Enjoying the sun and fifty-five degree spring afternoon.






There were a lot of people taking pictures of their kids in among the tulips. Some of the kids weren't even cranky.






Pam, Cindy, Bonnie, Carla.


Cousin Pam.


A couple of streets are lined with tulips.




This side of the pier was sheltered from the wind and waves. There are two piers, with a ship channel between. On the opposite side (to the right), the waves were crashing over the pier.







Here's the Journeyman Distillery...


A pot still and a column still (made up of two columns).






The event venue on the third floor.


Looking down behind the bar.




Restaurant on the second floor.


Working on a Sunday.


Grain silo.

Comments

[ravenfeather.livejournal.com]

Wow, those floors on the event venue are gorgeous! The street tulips are really pretty too. Looks like a nice place to live.

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

...and less than an hour from where I grew up. I know Holland, MI  well.
:)

[ravenfeather.livejournal.com]

Did you get nostalgia from his post? :)

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

I did, a little. I remember going to the Tulip Festival as a kid...a happy event.

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

I grew up going to the tulip festival every year since Holland is less than an hour from Grand Rapids where I was born. We also loved going to Holland State Park  on Lake Michigan on Sundays.  You brought back memories...klompen dancers included.
:)

[mummm.livejournal.com]

Great pictures Kevin! Looks like fun to me.

[cynnerth.livejournal.com]

That group picture with Carla kneeling by the tulips...too bad the sign for the tulips isn't clearer. It says Esther which is Aunt Joyce's middle name.

[sirreal13.livejournal.com]

Looks like fun trip. Nice photo set. The French version of klompen is sabot(s). It's where the word "sabotage" came from. According to Wikipedia, "The traditional all-wooden Dutch clogs have been officially accredited as safety shoes with the CE mark and can withstand almost any penetration including sharp objects and concentrated acids. They are actually safer than steelcapped protective shoes in some circumstances, as the wood cracks rather than dents in extreme accidents, allowing easy removal of the clog and not continued pressure on the toes by the (edge of the) steel nose.[2]"

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

Funny, I didn't see anyone wearing them in our plant in The Netherlands when I was there last year.