Centennial Park in Holland

Gorgeous Centennial Park in Holland was established in 1876. The fountain is the focal point with its flowers in full bloom. The statue of the city's Dutch founder, Dr Albertus C Van Raalte, was erected in celebration of their 150 years of existence. James L Gafgen is the sculptor. On October 2, 1997, it was unveiled when Princess Margriet visted from the Netherlands.

Hope College in Holland

Signs everywhere in university towns this week say "Welcome back college students!" Tucked away in Holland, Michigan lies a beautiful 90 acre campus called Hope College.  When it was established almost 150 years ago, Holland's founder Albertus Van Raalte said, "This is my Anchor of Hope for this people in the future". Thus, the beautiful anchor at the entrance to the campus is a reminder of its history and its legacy. Their motto is Spera in Deo, or Hope in God. The liberal arts college has about 3200 students just a few miles from Lake Michigan. This higher institution of learning has outstanding undergrad research programs and they are well known for their fine arts programs of music, theatre, dance and art. Their colors are orange and blue with the nickname the Flying Dutchmen.

Fenn Valley Winery in Fennville

The Fenn Valley Winery has been perfecting their fruit of the vine for over 30 years now in the southwest corner of Michigan. They have a 3 ring binder of all the awards their vintages have won. Their red wine was voted the best of the state. Tours involve seeing the vineyards where guides share their in depth knowledge of how the grapes are grown and cultivated and a trip to the cellar, a wine glass with logo to take home and of course, a sampling of wines in the largest tasting room in the US. We found the wines to be extremely good and had to purchase several.

Holland's Pillar Church

The Ninth Street Christian Reformed Church is most often called the Pillar Church. Built in 1856, it is Holland's oldest church, being one of the few buildings that survived the huge fire of 1871. The founder of the city of Holland, Rev Albertus Van Raalte was its first pastor. This imposing structure stands right in the middle of downtown where everyone can hear their Wednesday 12:15 organ concerts  in the summer. Jonathan Tuuk is performing this week.

SS Keewatin in Douglas

The Great Lakes passenger ship, the SS Keewatin, was born in Glasgow, Scotland back in 1907.  It plied the waters of Lake Huron and Lake Superior as a luxurious ship for decades and has been permanently docked in Douglas since the late 1960's where it is open to the public as a museum. It is amazing to see how small the compartments are where people bunked. It carried 288 passengers with a crew of 86. The tour takes you all the way through the captains quarters and the bridge.

Oval Beach in Saugatuck

The word that came to mind yesterday upon seeing the waves rolling in on Oval Beach was resplendent, even majestic. The breathtaking views make you realize why this is one of the top sandy shores in our state. Some publications have even rated it as one of the most beautiful in the world. Sandwiched three ways between the towering sand dunes, the Kalamazoo River and Lake Michigan, it is very private and serene.

Climbing Mt Baldhead in Saugatuck

The stairway to Heaven? You'll huff and you'll puff all those 282 steps to the top of the Mt Baldhead, but the view over Saugatuck and its sister city Douglas is so worth it. The climb is entirely shaded and there are several strategically placed benches if breaks are needed. We witnessed one man with a weighted vest who was ascending and descending continually. What a great workout! Once at the top, you have the thrill of a race down the sand to the beaches of Lake Michigan --supreme fun.