Tulips, windmills, and scenic bike rides, oh my! Those are the images that spring to mind when most people envision the Netherlands, but what does it look like when you travel to this western European destination on the backroads?

I lived near the Hague for a year after college, nannying for a family and traveling each minute I had off from my 12 hour work days. Never having a year abroad during college or traveling outside the US and Canada at all - I found a nanny job through a friend and jumped on it! I took care of twin five year olds and a six year old each day, biking them to and from school, making them lunches and dinner and transporting them to judo, swimming and playdates. On weekends I grew to love small towns like Leiden, Delft, and Gouda. I spent less and less time in Amsterdam as the charm of the smaller cities drew me in. I met one of my best friends in life while in the Netherlands through a family connection - and that is who we visited on our recent trip to Holland (and through a half dozen other trips that we have taken to see each other).

During my time in the Netherlands this past winter, my family and I enjoyed one of these small towns in the Province of Friesland: Langedijk. We were drawn here because Femke and her family of eight live there and we went to live life with them for a weekend and immerse our young family in Dutch life.

We traveled to this destination during the winter because flights are MUCH less and Michigan (where we live) is beautiful in the summer, but not so much at the end of long winters.

My husband and I enjoyed attending a FC Groningen Match, biking through the dunes at Drents-Friese National Park, and browsing the shops (including the Albert Heijn grocery of course) in the village of Oosterwolde the most during our time there. Our kids (Jack: 15, Willem: 13, Vivian: 11), on the other hand, passed the time by playing board games at home with my friend’s teenagers, watching professional speed skaters at the Heerenveen Thialf Track, and biking to town and ordering petite coffees and delicious treats at any and every small bakery.

My advice for anyone planning a small town trip to the Netherlands would be to scour Airbnb for gems to live in for the weekend like this one in Gouda, a condo in Leiden or a gezellig apartment in Groningen. The Van der Valk Hotels are reliable and clean, with a perfect Dutch breakfast buffet, but lacking charm and coziness that a rented home would offer. Rent bikes to scour every bike path and bakery, canal, seaside, and National Park. Shop for groceries at the Albert Heijn and eat in for most meals. Unless it’s fine dining, the Dutch are not known for eating supper out (and breakfast places are hard to find, although grabbing an Uitsmijter at a Tapperij — tap room with snacks and lunch — is invaluable.  

But what about those sticking closer to home who still want to experience a bit of Dutch fare?

For those of us from western Michigan, we don’t always have to travel across an ocean to get the postcard views that we dream of. Here in Holland, Michigan the Tulip Time festival comes around once a year and along with throngs of tourists there are so many great activities that DO reflect Dutch culture.

My favorite activities to try during Tulip Time include biking out to Windmill Island for the Tulip Fields and gardens, running through the tulips on the Tulip Time Run (or walk!) or nabbing a ticket to see the Tulip Immersion Garden. The immersion garden has a three tier raised display that puts fresh flowers right at eye level. The garden tells the story of how the Dutch found tulips being cultivated in Turkey and brought them home to the Netherlands where they became a cultural craze then and today (and in Holland, MI). Dutch Dancing is not to be missed - and with tons of performance times it's hard to miss in the main park downtown Holland. My kids and I walk with their schools through the Kinderparade and I think it is the MOST FUN thing to watch and participate in. My teenagers won’t let me end this article before I note that the carnival comes to town for Tulip Time - it is expensive, super fun and full of real locals…we love it. Find it in the parking lot of the Civic Center Place.

Restaurants that I enjoy taking visitors to during this time include starting the day at De Boer Bakkerij (either North or South side locations but I do not suggest going later in the day when most people stop for lunch) where we always try the banket pastry and sugar bread and grab a loaf of country wheat bread for later. Next, stroll downtown for some coffee at The 205, Lemonjellos Coffee or Bowermans Bakery for coffee and blueberry muffin. Those coffee shops are not Dutch, really, but the coffee is strong and lovely. LUNCH: buy some crackers and cheese at Nelis’ Dutch Village and take off to Lake Michigan (I like this park even though there are lots of steep stairs) and escape the crowds for a great picnic and a beach walk. Dinner during Tulip Time can be busy so on your way back to town from Laketown Beach stop over at the Paisley Pig for an interesting cocktail, wedge salad and any of their interesting pizzas. Another spot I love OF COURSE is Galleria where you can have whatever the chef is making that day with one of my cocktails on tap.  

Overall, my experience living in Holland, Michigan and traveling to the Netherlands made me reflect again on how the Netherlands IS where some people in my town are from BUT there are not a ton of similarities between the two places. In Holland Michigan we have individuals from so many different cultures around the world that have landed here in Holland MI - the Odawa tribe first of course and then the Dutch settlers and now about one quarter of our population is of Hispanic origin. The Dutch settlers sought water, farmland and religious freedom in the US and found that both locations also have some sand dunes, water, farm land and lots of dairy cows, churches and quant city streets.

Don’t take my word for it - come and see Holland, MI in May and decide for yourself!