We celebrated the weekend of our anniversary with a day-trip! We downloaded hours of The Black Tapes podcast (a spooky, paranormal podcast) and drove to Holland, Michigan for the tulip festival. The town was so adorable, like Stars Hollow - straight out of the Gilmore Girls. The town square was set up with vendors selling their wares. There were tulips all over the town, just like the original Holland is known for.
The town is rich in it's Dutch history. There were young girls wearing traditional cultural dresses, including clog shoes. At the local diner, they all had their clogs off and lined up at the foot of the booth while they ate their meal, resting their feet from the day.
There were so many more foreigners than I expected. My expectation was that it's a small midwestern festival showcasing the city's Dutch history, and celebrating the arrival of tulips, signifying spring! However, on our trek to the windmill, there were so many different languages being spoken around us. Who knew that this small midwestern town would draw visitors from around the world.
There was this gorgeous, loud, and intricate organ that was still in operation. An old man changed out the tunes, and it rolled the notes like an automaton. It was mesmerizing to watch. It was used back in the early years of this festival, in which it would have led the parade, on a float, echoing music across the avenues.
At the windmill, we witnessed a war re-enactment. It's incredible to think that this is how people used to fight wars, slowly marching toward each other, slowly reloading their rifles with gun powder.
It was gorgeous weather that day in Michigan. We left Chicago behind, in a cloud of misty rain. Ahead were blue skies, a bright sun, and a cool breeze. The colorful tulips were all in bloom, and each one was different than the next.
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