Blogs from Holland, Michigan, United States, North America

I am hitting the road again tomorrow (more on this in my next blog). But, while I spend the day cleaning, organizing and packing it made me think about how often people ask me what and how I pack. As you might expect, I pack more clothes than I need since I like to be prepared. But, I thought you might be interested in the items I have learned to bring to make life a bit easier in a developing nation. Making Packing Easier: Reusable Ziplock Bags: after having regular ziplock bags rip on me during travel I now travel with lots of reusable ziplock bags. They keep items from leaking but they also keep my items more organized Liquid Travel Pouches: It took me awhile to find travel pouches for liquids that are actually leak ... read more

Friday, Rain, rain go away. We have been blessed since departing on Sunday with fantastic weather...warm and dry. But all good things come to an end. We spent the night in South Bend, Indiana. I woke to the sound of steady rain. We were prepared that this day would come. We have rain jackets and two small umbrellas. Today, we were glad we had both. While we anticipated the rain we were not really prepared for the cold. It was in the low 40s when we got up and stayed there all day. Plus, a steady 10-15 mph wind. But, we have had another great travel day. Exhausting, but fun. We decided that we had to explore the Notre Dame University campus. Jackie plugged in her GPS the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and off we ... read more

Aug. 6: Holland, Michigan has been on my bucket list for a long time. I really always wanted to see the tulip festival. Obviously, my timing this trip was way off. I will have to come back again some spring-time and catch the fields of flowers in bloom. In the meantime, I settled for some other flowers and Dutch type buildings and gardens, complete with windmills. I drove around downtown a bit, then parked to walk. Downtown Holland is very clean, with numerous specialty shops and sidewalk cafes. I was impressed with the cleanliness and the the décor of some of the buildings, but didn't stay around to shop. Next stop was the Windmill Island Gardens. I don't think this is where the tulips and other spring flowers are commercially grown, but I'm sure there are ... read more

It's day two of our vacation and after spending our first day here catching up on some much needed sleep, we were ready to venture out into our surroundings. Our first stop: the mall. LOL. Lar's mom, Peggy, has been spoiling us rotten from the moment our plane touched down. This morning she treated us to new haircuts and surprise goodies from Bath & Bodyworks. (I've decided that every great vacation should include a mom doling out heaps of TLC.) After a bit o' pampering, we grabbed a map and headed west, our goal being Holland, Michigan, a Dutch community reknowned for its windmills and tulip festival. We found our way into town and meandered through the charming brownstone buildings and downtown storefronts. I'd imagined spending the day in a large-scale version of the "It's a ... read more

After all the planning, all the excitment, all the shopping, all the packing, it's all come down to now. Tonight will be the last time I sleep in my bed before I leave tomorrow. I have a camera now, Benj sent me his old one and the softwear and all that goes with it, unfortunately it's not letting me install it and no one seems to be able to figure out why. So this may turn out to be a blog of words rather than pictures, unfortunate, I know. Don't worry, though, I'll be taking a lot of pictures so if anyone wants to see them when I get back I'm sure we'll find a way! Bethany... read more