A Visit to Zeeland, MI

My hubby and I spent last Tuesday thru Thursday visiting our youngest son, Jeremy, and his family in Zeeland, MI.   They moved from Chelsea to Zeeland last June and this is the first chance we've had to visit them and see their new [to them] house.  

It was about a three hour drive and most of the journey was beautiful skies until we approached Zeeland when the sky became ominous, but it never did rain.  Ellie's 4:00 o'clock tennis match in nearby Hudsonville proceeded as planned, and she and her partner won their match.

That's Ellie at the back of the court.  Taking a photo through a fence isn't optimal!

Her team is called 'Chix' because Zeeland has the most chicken hatcheries in Michigan, and was once known as the 'Chick Capital' of the Midwest.

After her winning performance we went to Russ' Restaurant in Holland, MI, for dinner,  It's a family owned restaurant since 1934 known for their burgers, although I was the only one who enjoyed a burger.  Everyone else enjoyed other menu options. 

On Wednesday, the clouds lifted and it was a beautiful day for driving to Saugatuck, less than a half-hour drive away.  I'd always heard it was a lovely, quaint area to visit, so was glad for the opportunity to go.  The kids were in school and Jeremy was working, so Samantha drove us. It's a tourist destination with three or four streets of shops to browse.  Unfortunately no tearoom, even though the area is so condusive to one.

We went into Tuck's gift shop on Butler Street, and I have never seen so many unique nutcrackers in one place in my life.  It's a nutcracker collector's paradise.  If I thought I'd be doing an Alice in Wonderland theme tea, I would have bought one of the two nutcrackers pictured below - or maybe both because they were very reasonably priced.

We walked a block farther down and came to Kilwin's Confectionery.  An employee could be seen making their famous fudge through a large window at the side of the shop, but it was their ice cream that drew us inside.  

Jerry and Samantha got their limited-edition Apple Pie Ice Cream [and declared it delicious!] and I got Pistachio, which was also very good.

We walked along the marina and saw many beautiful boats.  A large paddlewheel boat [Star of Saugatuck] went by with passengers taking a scenic ride down the Kalamazoo River, but I didn't get my phone out in time for a good picture.  That would be a fun activity for another visit.

There were many clothing shops, but we didn't go inside any of them.  I saw the cute sign below outside one of the shops and couldn't resist taking a picture of it.

Also liked this wheelbarrow of geraniums.

Then it was time to head back home.  Landon had a 6:00 p.m. football game in nearby Comstock. 

Landon attends Holland Christian Middle School, and how refreshing to see the team in a sideline huddle praying before the game started.

Landon is the team's quarterback and is #10 [standing at the sideline].  He scored four touchdowns in the game and his school won 50 -13.  

The temperatures were perfect for having breakfast out on Jeremy and Samantha's patio, as well as a cookout on Thursday afternoon.

Jeremy's 44th birthday is this Friday, so I baked a Boston Cream cake [his favorite] to celebrate his b-day while we were.

I don't know if Zeeland has an area of newly constructed homes [the city was founded in 1847 by families from the Netherlands]. Everything I saw was older, well-maintained homes. Jeremy and Samantha's house had just undergone a complete renovation [inside and outside] prior to their buying it.  Samantha said it's a tight-knit community and they've already attended one street party since they moved in.  What a great way to meet and get to know neighbors.

On our drive across the state we noticed the trees are just beginning to turn colors but there's still more green than red and orange.  I couldn't resist taking a picture of the young maple tree in Jeremy's front yard with just one branch of color going through the center.  All nature declares His glory!  Only our Creator could cause nature to do that.

Thanks for traveling along with me to Zeeland, MI.  The next post will return to our recent trip to England.