Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Small Town Charm: Holland II, A Riot of Color!



Holland, Michigan, is said to be one of the "happiest" places in America.  

In the center of Holland, is a beautiful park with a unique fountain in the center.  The park was made during our country's centennial, in 1876.  The trees are very tall and majestic; a lot of them are unusual, many not commonly seen where we live.


It's a beautiful place, with people milling, or sitting, or picnicking on a blanket enjoying all the gorgeous tulips -- and I noticed we weren't the only ones snap happy, everyone was taking a lot of pictures.






All of these pictures were taken in the city park or on the perimeter of it.


It is surrounded by beautiful old homes in a square...






Of course, tulips are all around, and in every hue possible.










This is the most unusual tree I've ever seen in Michigan in my whole life.  Neither of us had ever seen it before and there was no marker to tell what type of tree it was.

If any of you know the name of this unusual tree, let me know, the curiosity is killing me!  It was so gigantic, I couldn't get all of it in my lens!






Have you ever seen anything like it?!





And the roots of the tree that lay above the ground were unusual, too!










We strolled and snapped and oooh-ed and awww-ed, and the sun was shining right down into the cups of the tulips making them light up like lamps!





Color, color, everywhere.  

The Dutch love color, and lots of it.  Here, it's in their homes, clothing, their hats, and of course, their tulips!  

Such happy color is so welcome after such a long, long winter.






Wooden shoes are still worn by all the costumed participants, even as they stroll all over town.










The detail on all the beautiful old homes were set off so well by the blooming trees and flowers everywhere.







We saw some of the most beautiful colors on homes, some we'd never seen put together before, and oh, how beautiful it was!


One home we saw was bright white, with a bright red roof and trim-- and the front door was bright yellow.  It was just gorgeous!  
(I couldn't take a picture for you because I was driving.  ;0)




Any color you could think of--there's a tulip in that color!






A beautiful old stone and brick home with several beautiful porches.













Next up?  The many beautiful and colorful Dutch costumes of the street dancers.


TULIPS ARE HAPPY FLOWERS!


8 comments:

elena nuez said...

those are stunning!!!
really love them!
thanks for sharing and greetings from Spain

Laura said...

We visited Holland once. In November. During a blizzard. I've always wanted to go back to see the tulips!
I'll ask my husband about the tree. He usually knows his trees...

~Christine~ said...

Love the pictures! thank you for sharing. You make me want to jump in the car and take a trip to Michigan! Wish I could!

Anonymous said...

This post has made my day a bit brighter (gray and rainy today)....I simply adore tulips! Xoxoxo 1942charm.blogspot.com

Danielle@ six tastes chef.com said...

Great photos! I enjoyed them all. I wish I knew the name of the tree, it's gorgeous. If you find out you have to post the answer!

Kimberly said...

It's been years since I've been through Holland. I had forgotten how charming it is. Thanks for sharing your visit!
It will definitely be on this summers list for a road trips!

mary your sis said...

It was a beautiful day in a beautiful place! It's somewhere I've always wanted to go, but I had forgotten to pursue it. Thanks for inviting me on a great adventure!

Anonymous said...

Those pictures are beautiful! My dad is part Dutch and had wooden shoes. Not sure if he still does...my mom was in a habit of throwing them out and my dad was in the habit of finding them in the trash and looking for a new hiding place for them ;)