"Welkom” to Holland, Michigan
By Holland Area CVB
06/02/2008
The only sample of Amsterdam that your group can get in the states for a spectacular three day trip. Let your group get a cultural delight from our delectables, shopping boutiques and entertainment venues.
Contact Information:
t: view phone 800-506-1299
e: view email wendy@holland.org
w: view URL http://www.holland.org
- You don’t need a passport to visit Holland, Michigan
- Windmills, wooden shoes, Delftware and Dutch treats
- Fine art, fine food, and first-rate entertainment
- Charming galleries and boutiques in historic downtown Holland
- Soaring sand dunes and spectacular sunsets
Tour Dates:
Number of Days: 3
DAY 1: Holland
Your “Welkom” to Holland includes a visit to Nelis’ Dutch Village
where you’ll experience the Netherlands of the 1800s. A guided tour
takes you through ten acres of authentic Dutch architecture, canals,
and spectacular gardens. Enjoy the Klompen dancers as they twirl to
the music of the Amsterdam street organ; take in wooden shoe and
candle carving, Dutch crafts and artwork. Delight in a traditional
Dutch lunch and then shop till you drop in the village’s specialty
shops. Afterwards, check in to one of Holland’s fine hotels, where
you can rest up for the evening’s activities aboard the Holland
Princess. On this beautiful Victorian-style paddlewheeler, you’ll cruise
expansive Lake Macatawa and, weather-permitting, venture out into
Lake Michigan. The dinner cruise includes the “Captain’s Feast”, relaxing
music, and a cash bar.
DAY 2: Holland
A Dutch-costumed step-on guide will board your coach for a funfilled
tour. You’ll end up at the spectacular Windmill Island Gardens,
with its 36 acres of manicured gardens, dikes, and canals. Tour five
floors of DeZwaan, the only authentic Dutch windmill operating in the
U.S., where you’ll learn about the grain-grinding process and see the
giant wind-driven gears. Complete your tour of the Island with a
Klompen dance performance and a walk through the little
Netherlands Museum. Be sure to sample the fudge, made fresh daily,
on your way out. Lunch is on your own in award-winning Downtown
Holland. In addition to many fine eateries, downtown features over
100 unique shops and galleries, tree-lined sidewalks, and beautiful
bronze sculptures. After lunch and shopping, enjoy a guided tour of
the Holland Museum, where you’ll get acquainted with Holland’s rich
history. There are a variety of exhibits, including the spectacular new
Dutch Galleries featuring 17th, 18th, and 19th century art and furniture
from a private collection. There’s no better way to complete this day
than with a sumptuous waterfront dinner at Piper Restaurant on the
shores of Lake Macatawa. You’ll also enjoy one of Piper’s many entertainment
options - a wine-tasting from our area’s award-winning
wineries, a performance by the Holland Chorale, or a comedic theatre
production.
DAY 3: Holland
Your final day begins with a visit to Veldheer Tulip Gardens ablaze
with over five million tulips in the spring, and beautiful perennials in
the summer and early fall. You can take a little Holland home with you
too—bulbs for fall planting become available in August. Next door,
at DeKlomp Delft & Wooden Shoe Factory, you’ll talk with the artists
who mold, hand-paint, and glaze the only authentic blue and white
delftware made in the U.S., and watch wooden shoe carving on
machines imported from the Netherlands. No trip to Holland would
be complete without a thrilling ride on the Dune Schooners.
Explore the hills and valleys of the incredible Lake Michigan dunes,
woodlands, and natural habitats of native wildlife. You’ll depart for
home with fond memories of a quaint Dutch community located
along the picturesque shores of Lake Michigan.
