Catching Up, Pt 3

     June 19, 2019 - When we returned from Saint Joseph/South Haven the previous week, Drew reached into the bowl to see where we'd be going for our second official Wednesday of this summer break. South Haven was actually one of the places we'd put in the bowl and just so happened to be the one chosen. So, we decided to substitute it with someplace we had realized wasn't too much farther north than we had already been...Holland, Michigan. I had never been to Holland before and Drew hadn't been since he was little (and didn't remember any of it anyway).

     We knew we wanted to go to Nelis' Dutch Village and Ottawa Beach to get a view of Big Red Lighthouse. Let's start at the Village. First of all, let me say that the $13/person entrance fee was almost enough for me to find something else to do instead. But we wanted to check it out so we forked over the cash and in we went. We weren't able to check out too many of the demonstrations because of timing. But we got to see how wooden shoes are made as well as watch some very talented teenagers do some Dutch dancing in their wooden shoes. Both of those were fantastic! Even with missing the other demonstrations, it was fun to walk down the cobblestone paths and get an idea of what an old Dutch village would look like. I enjoyed the street signs which were written in Dutch as well as the description signs on various buildings that gave the Dutch names as well as English translations. There are so many learning opportunities. They have a nice selection of rides for kiddos to enjoy. There are a couple cute little gift shops as well as a nice cheese shop. You can sample various cheeses that are imported from The Netherlands - which we did and fell in love with some that came home with us. We were concerned about how to get cheese home as we had quite a few hours before we'd be home and it was warm out. But for under $4 you can get a nice little insulated bag and they throw a reusable ice pack in for you. If you're up for a trip just a couple hours north of the Michigan/Indiana state line, you should totally check this place out! It's fun for kids and adults alike.
     We grabbed a quick bite to eat at Tim Horton's. It was actually inside a gas station which threw us off. But it was a beautiful gas station! There was a nice seating area inside, the place was super clean and the food was great (even better was a delicious cup of Tim Horton's coffee)! After a light lunch, we headed toward the Big Red Lighthouse. We went to Ottawa Beach as stated earlier. The entrance fee to the park is $9 for the day. They give you a ticket with the date on it which allows you to leave and return as often as you like during that day. (We found out later that, had we gone to Holland State Park, we could have walked right up to the lighthouse. But we still had a great view and were able to get some nice photos.) I walked out the pier which wasn't as easy at other piers I've walked on. You have to watch your step because it's narrow and if you get too close to the edge, you're in Lake Michigan.
     My handsome navigator noticed we weren't far from Grand Haven, Michigan. Knowing my overwhelming love for lighthouses, he suggested we make the almost 30 minute drive there. While talking to the shoe cobbler at the Dutch Village about our planned travels, he said that GPS would take us one way but told us a more scenic route to take that literally took us right along the lake shore. It didn't disappoint. It was beautiful! We made it to Grand Haven and found another beautiful lighthouse. The nice thing was, since we had paid to enter at Ottawa Beach, which is technically a State Park, we didn't have to pay again. There's a super travel tip for you! Always ask at the gate if the entrance fee at the last park covers this one as well. The worst they can do is decline. There is a lot of beach area to play on and there are even beach volleyball nets set up. I walked out to the beach and then along the edge of the lake as I headed to the pier. The sand was very nicely kept along the way. The pier is nice and wide which meant that, even though there were a lot of other people walking and fishing along the pier, it didn't seem at all crowded. *Note: there is a campground on one side so many families come from the campground to walk their dogs along the pier. It was a nice walk and I loved being able to say I saw another lighthouse I had never seen before.
     After our longest travel day so far, it was time to head home. But we still needed to find dinner somewhere. We headed in the general direction towards home and Drew looked for an idea of places to eat long the way. We settled on the tiny town of Zeeland, Michigan where there were three restaurants we had never heard of. For some reason, we were drawn to Elbo Room Bistro. We certainly weren't sorry! The prices were reasonable and the food was delicious. Everything is homemade there...even the rye bread Drew's sandwich was made on as well as the refried beans that came with my tacos (which were made on the best homemade corn tortillas I've ever eaten!). We left Zeeland with full stomachs, happy hearts and tired feet. But it was a great day! Where will next week find us? You'll have to wait and see.