Day trip to Holland,Michigan

From sandy desert-like trails to lush green landscapes, the vast, wide ocean-like lakes to some of the best beers I have ever had, this is in short Pure Michigan. Every time I go to Michigan I get to see something new and some of the towns are simply beautiful. I love looking for places that people haven’t heard of and seeing such places makes me realize there is beauty in every part of the world. On this trip, I planned to spend a day in Holland, Michigan. I felt like I had traveled back in time and stepped into a cozy Dutch town.

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I started my day at Nelis Dutch Village, an amusement park which will you take you straight to the Netherlands. This is a perfect place to come with your family and it caters every type of crowd. Imagine having a place with shopping places, a wooden carving station, Dutch dancer’s performance, a petting zoo, food, and mouth-watering fudge.  You can take out a few hours to enjoy this place and capture some moments in those Dutch village alleys. 

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I had very little information about this town, so I did borrow a map from the information center which came in very handy. The only thing I had known of Holland was that is known for a magnificent Windmill. So moving on, a ten minutes’ drive later I reached Windmill Island Gardens, a massive park and the house of iconic 250+ year-old windmill, De Zwaan. With a small entry fee, you get the see the only working authentic Dutch Windmill and get a 30 minute demo by a costumed guide. Windmill Island Gardens is a perfect place to bring your kids and get the essence of a typical Dutch village. I will definitely go back in springtime to see thousands of tulips bloom. 

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I was overjoyed to experience the cultural aspect and filled my soul by shopping souvenirs at both places. As I got hungry, I stepped to Holland’s downtown which was again, 10 minutes by drive away from Windmill Island Gardens. This beautiful town has some of the cutest boutiques, cafes and some amazing breweries. I settled for a their house special apple cider and a sandwich at Crane’s in the city and later grabbed a beer at Our brewing company. 

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I wonder sometimes how wide can the lakes in Michigan be and it fascinates me to see such large waves with beautiful white sand.  I ended my day at the Big Red lighthouse located at Holland State Park where I watched the sunset with a cup of warm coffee.  You can’t miss out on the most photographed lighthouse in Michigan and the fact that this place has so much to offer for a day trip is amazing.  Water at the Lake Macatawa is just right and a perfect place for a swim.

Final word

I love visiting Michigan and it is one of my favorite’s states in the US. If you happen to be going to Grand Rapids or want to plan for a road trip around Michigan, do include Holland as a part of your itinerary. Holland is a perfect getaway from the hustle of the city and is a definition of a perfect day trip. Happy traveling my hungry travelers! Cheers