Like many city dwellers, every now and then Mitch and I need a break from the hustle and bustle of Chicago. We decided a four day getaway was exactly what we needed to rest and recharge. There are several destinations a quick drive outside of the city and we landed on Holland, Michigan. Yep, Holland. In the midwest.
About 30-40 minutes outside of Grand Rapids, Holland is a little Dutch-founded town just on the other side of Lake Michigan. And yes, it too is known for tulips. Aside from their Tulip Time festival, Holland has state parks and a beach front – what we decided was the perfect spot to getaway and experience Michigan for the first time. We did miss tulip season, but now we have an excuse to go back. 😉
If you’re up for a three hour drive or Amtrack ride, then this town might be just for you to getaway too! Here’s my round up of what to expect and do when visiting Holland of the Midwest.
Things to Do in Holland, Michigan
Rent a Tiny Home
With just two of us traveling, we opted for a cute Airbnb right in between the main “downtown” area and where the nature adventures are. We thoroughly enjoyed relaxing, cooking, board games and enjoying the silence and vastness of the yard.
Although it wasn’t the regular location of lodging (down town or on the beach front), it was really perfect to be located in the middle. I highly recommend!
Hike the Trails
Getting “out in nature” was our main reasons for our trip. We aren’t extreme hikers or anything, and were pleased with the options! Here are some hiking options in the area, just to name a few.
- Holland State Park
- Kuker-van Til Nature Preserve
- Riley Trails Park
- Stu Visser Trails
- Winstrom Park
- Sanctuary Woods Preserve
- Dune Pines Nature Preserve
- Castle Park Nature Preserve
- Window on the Waterfront Trail
We ended up going through Holland State Park, Riley Trails and a bit of Stu Visser. Riley Trails was by far the best. It’s massive, had great signage throughout, different types of forestry and even different levels of “difficulty.” We could have gone back there each day and loved it.
If you’re up for ~300 stairs, check out Mt. Pisgah at Holland State Park for a great view!
Enjoy the Beach
Holland is situated next to Lake Michigan, but also Lake Macatawa which is a more normal sized lake that feeds into the Great Lake. Ottawa Beach sits just at the convergence of the two. You can enjoy walking by Lake Macatawa and walk the paths around marina, make your way toward the beach and see the Big Red Lighthouse and then hang in the sand facing Lake Michigan. It was nice to say I’ve seen both sides of the lake now. 🙂
Head a little further north and there’s Tunnel Park which has some sandy, beachy spots too. We didn’t stop here, but hope to next time.
Bike Around
Similar to Holland Holland, bikes are abundant in the quaint town. Our Airbnb was equipped with two perfect cruisers, but you can bring your own or rent some. We enjoyed being able to bike along the pathways (unlike the city), which were meant for walkers and bikers with wide paths. The closer you get to the water, the more bikers present. It’s an easy activity to get out without much effort. Plus, it’s a lot easier to park your bike than car to hit the trails, marina, beach or town.
Stroll Downtown
The “city center” of Holland is basically between 7th and 10th streets and Pine Ave and Lincoln Ave (3 blocks by 5 blocks-ish). Eighth Street is the main drag with all of the expected cute boutiques, restaurants and coffee shops. We brought most of our own food for the trip to cook in our tiny home, but we did get take out from New Holland Brewing and it was delicious. We also enjoy The 205 Coffee Bar and Ferris Coffee as well.
A must-stop is definitely Centennial Park. It’s about five acres of a perfectly picturesque park. Gazebo, flowers, fountain and weirdly shined park benches. Grabbing to-go coffee and hanging out here was definitely a trip highlight.
What We’ll Be Returning For
Like many trips, you rarely get to do everything you wanted to. With having just missed tulip season, we’ll definitely be back in April-May to see the 5 million+ tulips around the city for the Tulip Time Festival.
And since the tulips weren’t in bloom, we also decided to skip going to the Windmill Island Gardens to view the 250-year-old windmill (typically surrounded by tulips) and Dutch-like village.
Plus, we’ll have to come back for Veldheer – a wooden shoe factory and tulip farm! They were actually closed during our trip.
There’s also Nelis’ Dutch Village, a small amusement park that resembles Holland. Doesn’t seem quite our thing but might be good for those with kids.