We left Tennessee on May 30, with new shocks on the rig. Headed for Holland, MI, we stopped for the night at a Flying J between Cincinnati and Indianpolis. As always, the stop over at Flying J was uneventful except for the young man who ran our door bell at 1:15 in the morning because he didn't see our reserved sign taped on the window. In the grand scheme of things, this was a minor irritation.
We got to Holland at about 2 pm and checked in at Oak Grover Campground. This campground is great! Good space between campsites (in the new section), nice grass and a paved patio. The weather was perfect, sunny and warm and we relaxed, finally.
The next morning, after a delicious cup of coffee outside, listening to the birds chirp, we took off for our first sightseeing adventure. We started at Nelis' Dutch Village. This little village showed us what life was like for the Dutch in the old days. It featured a windmill, an authentic polder mill and was used to move water to drain land. Much of the original Netherlands are below sea level, so these types of polder mills played an integral role in keeping the land dry and habitable.
There were several cement statuaries throughout the park, modeled after some local villagers and handcrafted in cement by local artist Joyce Sweers.
The bridge tender drops the wooden shoe to collect a toll from a passing boat that needs the bridge to be raised.
Cheese vendors transport their products to the weigh house.
The baker transports his fresh products to the farmer's wife.
When the fleet comes in from the sea, the fish salesman sells a herring to be eaten raw at dockside.
The netmender repairs his net - notice the long points on his wooden shoes that hold the net.
Pieter with his finger in the dike and the priest represent the fairy tale by Mary Mapes Dodge.
The wagons and carts throughout the village each had a specific use and were powered by horses, goats, dogs and bicycles. They were used for transporting mail, people and products and hauling manure. On the narrow streets in Holland, these small wagons were more maneuverable.
We got to Holland at about 2 pm and checked in at Oak Grover Campground. This campground is great! Good space between campsites (in the new section), nice grass and a paved patio. The weather was perfect, sunny and warm and we relaxed, finally.
The next morning, after a delicious cup of coffee outside, listening to the birds chirp, we took off for our first sightseeing adventure. We started at Nelis' Dutch Village. This little village showed us what life was like for the Dutch in the old days. It featured a windmill, an authentic polder mill and was used to move water to drain land. Much of the original Netherlands are below sea level, so these types of polder mills played an integral role in keeping the land dry and habitable.
There were several cement statuaries throughout the park, modeled after some local villagers and handcrafted in cement by local artist Joyce Sweers.
The bridge tender drops the wooden shoe to collect a toll from a passing boat that needs the bridge to be raised.
Cheese vendors transport their products to the weigh house.
The baker transports his fresh products to the farmer's wife.
When the fleet comes in from the sea, the fish salesman sells a herring to be eaten raw at dockside.
The netmender repairs his net - notice the long points on his wooden shoes that hold the net.
Pieter with his finger in the dike and the priest represent the fairy tale by Mary Mapes Dodge.
The wagons and carts throughout the village each had a specific use and were powered by horses, goats, dogs and bicycles. They were used for transporting mail, people and products and hauling manure. On the narrow streets in Holland, these small wagons were more maneuverable.
The same afternoon, Dave and Chacho opted for a nap, so Sage and I went to the Windmill Island Gardens. What a beautiful place! The gardens were spectacular and the De Zwaan Windmill is the only authentic, working Dutch windmill in the US. The windmill was brought here from the town of Vinkel in Noord Brabant. It's still being used to make mill-ground flour.
Last, but definitely not least, we were able to enjoy watching the sun set over Lake Michigan last night. What a beautiful view, seeing the sun go down over the water and watching the sailboats glide by. It was a sight we'll treasure forever.