Wednesday, May 8, 2024 Holland Tulip Time

Wednesday, May 8

55 degrees at 7AM this morning.  Since crowds are predicted for the festival, we decide to visit Veldheer's Tulip Farm as it opens at 8:00.

We are the first to arrive at Veldheer's and find that the tulips are a bit past their peak.  They discount their admission, admitting that only about 1 million of their 5 million tulips are beautifully blooming.  That is still a lot of flowers!  So we wonder the gardens, soon joined by a trickle of other early risers.  (By the time we leave, a few buses and many others have arrived.)

There is still dew on many of the flowers. The beds 
 are marked with numbers which are identified in a small catalogue handout.  They also sell bulbs here, so you can note your favorites.  (Tulips will grow in Texas but require a complicated rigamarole including refrigeration to get them to bloom, so you don't see many at all.)

There are many beautiful flowers.  I didn't realize there are so many varieties with differing shapes and colors beyond the basic cup shape. Some look almost like peonies, they are so full!  Some have lacy edges, some fringed.

There are also some blooming trees, including my favorite - lilacs - which smell divine!  And other flowers like daffodil and narcissus.

There is also a factory that makes wooden shoes and delft pottery.  I can't imagine people buying the shoes but we will see many people wearing them over the next two days!

Next we drive into town.  We park near a colorful caboose at the train station.

Pere Marquette was a French Jesuit who came to Quebec and the Great Lakes region as a missionary to the native people.  There are many places named after him.

We walk 8th street, stopping at the visitor's center and a few shops.  One shop has all things cherry - another thing Michigan is known for.  We enjoy sampling their goodies and buy some cherry salsa.  Lots of tulips in evidence along the street.

Beth had read about a restaurant by Lake Macatawa  and the ladies at the visitor's center say it is good, so we head that way.  It is a bit farther than expected, but we eventually reach Boatwerks and have a nice lunch.  Greg has a spicy shrimp salad while Beth enjoys locally caught walleye fish. 

 Lots of booths and carnival-like things set up along 8th street and a pier.  Cotton candy, candy apples, etc.  Elephant Ears seem to be a big draw -  a big piece of fried dough topped with cinnamon sugar.

From here we head to the Tulip Immersion, which is just down the road from our campsite.  These tulips are in pots and they can better control their blooming time, so these are perfect!  Very cool and quite busy but tickets are timed entry so it isn't too crowded.  Lots of signage tells the history of tulips, which were first cultivated in Iran around the 10th century.

There are hyacinths mixed in some beds, which smell terrific.

Next, we arrive at the Ottawa County Fairgrounds and check in.  There are many rv'ers, but things are pretty quiet. There is a bathhouse with nice showers, so we clean up and relax and enjoy chicken fajitas that we've brought from home.   We are surprised how much longer daylight lasts this far north!

I admire these Lilies of the Valley, and violets by the caretaker's house - signs of Spring from my childhood!

Temperatures today began in the 40's but reached 70, with plenty of sun.  Perfect sleeping at around 60 degrees.