Holland, Michigan Centennial Park (+42.787, -86.108)
The Tulip Time Festival has been held since 1929, with the exception of the World War II years. New tulip bulbs are planted each year along the streets. Klompen (wooden shoes) dancers perform for the audiences. In my lifetime , I had never been to Holland for Tulip Time events, until this month! This year, we saw the Klompen dancers practicing their dances. One girl had her poplar wood shoe break in half, so ended up dancing in her socks. It was a worthwhile experience. There is much more to the festival, but at least I have had a start…
In the northern part of Holland, in a former swamp along the Macatawa River, is Windmill Island. It is the home of a 250 year old authentic Dutch windmill from the Netherlands which was moved to Holland in 1964. The windmill was fixed up, and is currently used for grinding grain. Tours are available. In the second photo, you get an idea of the size when you see the people on the deck that goes around the mill. My picture is overexposed to show some of the varieties of tulips that are in the fields.
References:
http://www.tuliptime.com
http://www.cityofholland.com/windmillislandgardens
www.cityofholland.com/windmillislandgardens