Michigan - Day 2

This morning we woke up, had breakfast and decided to drive down to Holland, Michigan. Holland was settled by Dutch immigrants and still closely identifies with that heritage.

As we drove into town, we noticed a sign that said "Windmill Island Gardens" and decided to check it out. Not knowing exactly what to expect, we were very pleasantly surprised to discover that the park has a genuine, 250 year old Dutch windmill, called De Zwaan (The Swan).

The windmill is still operational, and has a Dutch certified miller who supervises the milling of wheat into flour.   According to our tour guide, this was the last windmill that was sold by the Dutch. They are now considered cultural treasures in Holland and cannot be sold and removed from that country. Our tour explained why the windmill has slanting bricks, the process for milling grain, and some intersting facts. The windmill is 125 feet tall, and it takes winds 16-25 mph to power the sails. 

In addition to the windmill, the park has an antique carousel for children, and an antique street organ from Amsterdam. In the spring the park has thousands of tulips in bloom.

After leaving the gardens, we wandered through Holland's farmer's market as it was closing down for the day. Then we headed back to Muskegeon.