Welcome to our travels and adventures


Welcome to our travels and adventures

The Tulip Fest

1305040 May 07 Dick Terry Looking At Wooden ShoesHere I am again, trying to catch up. We’re in Holland Michigan, attending the tulip festival, May 7-9th. Dick & Marcia greeted 1305045 May 07 Tulip Bedsus as we arrived and after we set up, went for lunch and a little tour around the Holland area. The main stop was Veldheer’s farm. Inside they have all kinds of Dutch stuff available and a wooden shoe store with all sizes for anyone – I’m fearful of woodpeckers so I didn’t get a pair!  Also, their wooden shoe factory was open to watch demonstrations of how they make their shoes. After we wandered not so aimlessly, we made our way back to the campground to find our friends John & Di, Ray & Donna and Jack & Barb from Ontario setting up. 1305048 May 07 St Thomas Gang ArrivesThey came all the way from St Thomas under the guise of coming to the tulip festival but we know it was an excuse to have an occasional beverage and the ‘odd’ game of Mexican Train! Once they were set up, we broke out the lawn chairs and brewski’s and had lots of laughs catching up with each other’s1305050 May 08 All Of Us Parking winter activities. After happy hour, Dick & Marcia headed home and the rest of us had a meal of wiennies and burgers, yum. You have to appreciate where we choose to play our train games – we all have 5th wheels, ours and John & Di’s are pretty spacious, Jack & Barb’s is a customized bunk house type 5er and Ray & Donna’s is a comfortable unit for 2 people so hey, let’s jam 8 of us in there to play Mexican Train!

1305057 May 08 Getting Ourselves OrganizedOn Wednesday, May 8th Dick & Marcia – they are crazy for punishment – came back over to join us for coffee before we headed into downtown Holland to enjoy more of the festival. Of course, coffee with this gang means fortifying it with Baily’s or Kahlua to clear out any lingering cobwebs from the night before. After we start to feel normal, we climb into the vehicles and try to find a parking spot that is somewhat convenient to the 1305058 May 08 Organ Grinder With His Monkeyexcitement. The flowering trees and the tulips in full bloom were magnificent throughout the downtown area.

Our fairly short walk brought us to the civic centre and fast food vendors. In the civic centre, there are several booths set up selling Dutch 1305060 May 08 Pink Tulip Patchsouvenirs, cheese, baking and various demonstrations. There was a demo showing how they used to carve the wooden shoes so Jack & I asked how they do the inside and the gent says that there will be a demonstration in a few minutes. Jack & I wait patiently. In about 20 minutes, the gent comes back to the booth and starts to set up to demo shoe carving and when we asked about the inside, he gave us a surprised look and said ‘not to day, that’s not his demonstration’. Wow, and we thought we were speaking clearly! So, Jack gets a plate of apple pie and ice cream to drown his disappointment while the rest of us make our way down to the vendor row to find a delectable morsel to tempt our palettes for lunch.1305072 May 08 Street Sweeps Pose For Picture

Back at the campground, Barb, Marcia & Barb head back out to visit the quilt show at the festival while the remainder of us not so crafty types set out the lawn chairs and proceed to cure the major woes of the world. When the 1305104 May 08 Dragonfly Wallhangingquilt ladies returned we again climbed into the vehicles and drove into Grand Rapids to meet up with George & Dottie – another couple we know from the Plantation – to enjoy a nice meal at Rush Creek Bistro. Our waitress was quite the social gal and provided lots of fun for us. We were not too quiet either, a lady & gent were trying to have a quiet meal to celebrate her birthday so of course, being friendly 1305111 May 08 Great Food Great View Great GroupRVers, we surrounded their table and serenaded them with our rendition of Happy Birthday. Too much fun to be legal.

Thursday was a quiet hang out day. Dick & Marcia came back again to visit - I can`t believe their fortitude. We also had a visit from friends of Jack & Barb that live nearby in Le Grange. Another evening of Mexican Train, snacks and beverages – I’m sure I put 1305117 May 09 Gary & Vicki Join Usmore pounds on with all the eating and drinking we’ve done.

Friday we break camp and head back to Ontario and our summer perch. After dumping our tanks, we take off, all 4 units as a convoy with Barb & I bringing up the caboose but after a wrong turn which I missed, we never did catch up with the front 3. No big deal, we were headed that way anyway and arrived back in Ontario after a1305130 May 11 Wow My Tulips And Daffodilsn easy crossing even importing a case of our favourite wine.

So, we’re set up again, looking forward to getting back to normal, yes, that means Barb sewing/quilt centre back in operation. Come back again to see what we’re doin’. Hope all is good where ever you are…..

1 comment:

  1. yes and we felt so bad not having you in our convoy ...we could not eat or sleep right until we found out if you made it home..we had a great time ..as usual ,,we cant wait until august when we overwhelm you guys in olympia.. ok ttyl and c u soon ..huggs..

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