A Busy First Day in Holland, Michigan

 

I have tried the last few years not to late my days be overbooked. It didn’t work out that way for my first day in Holland with my friend, Lynn. We had a very full day, but it was all filled with fun.

We had a quick breakfast in the lobby of the Haworth at the Biggby Coffee before taking off for the day. I had their waffle egg sandwich, and it was quite good.

Our first stop was Critter Barn in nearby Zeeland. It was the perfect place to put on our schedule as it focuses on those with special needs. They have mobility equipment to lend, quiet spaces and fidgets for those with neurodivergent issues, and an easy to access location with smooth paths everywhere.

Critter Barn is a working farm which promotes learning to individuals and school groups as much as possible. It is not a petting zoo, though there are a few opportunities to visit with the animals (the piglets were especially adorable). It is mostly going through the barns and learning about the animals and how they play a part in the farm.

I wish we had more time at Critter Barn, but we were off to Nelis’Dutch Village. A center point to Holland’s Tulip Festival, the village is a combination of an amusement park, shopping center, and history of Dutch life. 

It reminded me of Colonial Williamsburg. The only tulips we saw, though, were ceramic since it was summer.

Neilis’ was almost completely accessible. I just found a few stores that had steps to get inside, but I was able to walk through other stores to get to them. We wandered through the Dutch Gift Shop, Wooden Shoe (Klompen) store, Delftware Shop, and Cheese Shop, where there were lots of samples. We were able to watch one of the Klompen dance lessons and have lunch at Dutchman Café.

I had a Dutch Tosti, which was fresh ham and smoked Gouda cheese on grilled rye-pumpernickel swirl bread. It had a tasty dill dressing. We also had Dutch apple pie and almond pastry.

Soon we were off again, this time to go the beach. It was a beautiful day to be there, and I was going to get my first track chair to use in the sand. I met with Sean, a ranger at to Holland State Park, who set me up with the chair. It took a little while to get used to it before I headed down to the Lake.

I always thought Lake Michigan looked more like an ocean and it was no exception here. Lynn walked along the sand and looked for stones and shells (she makes jewelry).

I relaxed and listened to the waves. It was a wonderful way to get a rest in on the busy day even though I was buried under UPF clothing and SPF lotion since my Lupus and Dermatomyositis do not go with sun.

Originally, our plan was to go sailing the day before, but the weather and waves weren’t cooperating. Instead, we headed back to South Haven after the beach for a private boat tour with Fresh Coast Sailing.

We saw some of the Tall Ships during the trip which came from the nearby Michigan Maritime Museum. I can’t say enough about Captain Andy and Topher, who made it an incredible experience for us, despite some choppy waves. I highly recommend you book a trip with Fresh Coast Sailing if you are in the area.

We were really hungry by the time we were done sailing and headed back to Holland for dinner at Boatwerks. It was a very busy restaurant, especially since it was a popular place for sunset dining. We settled for a table inside, so we didn’t have to wait too long.

The food at Boatwerks was fantastic. We started with the Goat Cheese Bruschetta. I then had the Garlic Herb Chicken, while Lynn ordered the Honey Teriyaki Salmon, which she raved about. We were exhausted from the long day and skipped dessert.

We headed back to the Haworth Hotel for well-needed rest. We had another busy day ahead of us coming in Holland, Michigan.