A Sweet Day Through Holland, Grand Haven and Oz to Muskegon

My Southwest Michigan trip with my friend, Lynn, had been going well. We were enjoying the waterfront along Lake Michigan, the Dutch heritage, and lots of tasty food. We were excited to explore even more places in the region, but first we had a couple more things to see and do in Holland.

We started with breakfast at Deboer Bakkerij. This popular spot has been a staple in Holland since the original owner came from Nederland in the 1950s. Five generations later, the authentic Dutch recipes are still being made.

Everything on the menu sounded delicious. Lynn had an omelet and I, as I typically do, leaned toward something sweeter with the Blueberry Bliss pancakes. It was the perfect choice. I did my best to finish them, but it wasn’t possible since the portion was so big.

When we were done, we headed to a spot I was looking forward to while planning the trip. It is a little-known fact that L. Frank Baum, author of the Wizard of Oz, was a frequent vacationer to Holland, Michigan. Rumors have swirled around the possibility that he actually wrote that infamous  book here. A tribute to that is the Wizard of Oz Sculpture Garden in downtown.

Although the brick isn’t quite yellow, we followed it through Centennial Park and across the street to the library. There we found bronze sculptures of all the main characters in Oz. It was a whimsical way to start our exit from this creative town.

First there was another attraction to see. Windmill Island Gardens is a beautiful display of Dutch heritage among a perfectly manicured landscaping of flowers and windmills. I found it to be a picturesque site that was accessible for me to easily wheel through.

We didn’t have a tight schedule and decided to take advantage of the spare time to stop at Grand Haven State Beach after leaving Holland. It was another warm summer day along Lake Michigan. Lynn walked the beach looking for shells, stones, and gems. The heat was getting to me, and I decided to enjoy the scene while staying in a shady area.

It was already into the afternoon, and we stopped at my favorite Michigan chain, Grand Traverse Pie Company, for lunch. I could never get enough of their food, and I was excited about the stop. I had made a habit of visiting one of their locations whenever I was in the state.

Grand Traverse Pie Company has a Combo special that can’t be beat. It includes a pot pie or slice of quiche, salad or soup, and slice of pie. We both decided on the Chicken Pot Pie,  Chicken Noodle Soup, and Cherry Ganache Pie. It was all as good as I remembered. I couldn’t finish it all and saved the soup for later.

We were only a half hour from our next stop, Muskegon, where we would spend the next two nights at the Delta Hotel. It was a huge property in this small town, which offered a different atmosphere, though still on the lake.

By the time we got settled in the room, we were exhausted. We decided to skip going out to dinner and stayed in to rest. It turned out to be the ideal night to do it as we had an incredible sunset right outside our window.

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.

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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.

 

Starting a Southwest Michigan Girls’ Getaway

 

My friend, Lynn, and I left 21C Museum Hotel in Chicago in the afternoon to start our trip north to Michigan. It had been years since we were last in the state together. We were both huge fans of the state and were looking forward to the opportunity to check out some new towns.

We didn’t have a chance to get lunch before we left and decided to stop in South Haven, Michigan, for dinner. It’s a quaint waterfront town and we headed to a strip by the water to park. South Haven Brew Pub was on that block and looked like a casual place to eat.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t that simple as there didn’t seem to be a way for me to get in the restaurant with my wheelchair.

As we were trying to figure out if I could get in, the manager of the Old Harbor Inn next door came out and led us through her hotel to a downstairs path that led to the brew pub. We thanked her and found a table in the busy restaurant.

I had a pulled pork sandwich with house made chips and coleslaw and Lynn had a salad and tacos with chips and salsa. It was all good, but we were tired and anxious to head to the hotel.

We walked outside in time to see the first of many incredible Southwest Michigan sunsets. It made us especially excited about the upcoming sailing trip we had out of this town.

It only took about 40 minutes to get to Holland, which would be our home base for the next few days. I had wanted to come there to their famous Tulip Festival for many years. It never seemed to work out. I finally decided to at least spend some time exploring this town in the summer.

Our hotel was the Haworth. It is right in the middle of the area where Hope College is located. The modern hotel had a very spacious lobby, the first clue I had that it would be wheelchair accessible. We had a nice spacious room, though it was a little tight around the furniture at the wall.

The bathroom was large and easy to wheel around in. The shower had a chair that I could safely get in and out of.

 

Lynn and I unpacked and wound down for the night. We had a very full next day, and we wanted to be ready for it.