July 26th - August 3rd

Transcription

1 Holland Michigan July 26th - August 3rd 1

2 Every year, my family travels (6 people) to Holland, Michigan for a weeks vacation. We travel the 12 to 13 hour drive through New York State, Pennsylvania, Ohio and most of Michigan. It becomes a challenge to see how long we can drive without needing a bathroom break or to stop to fill the tank. The main reason for the vacation is to visit my Aunt and Nana who both live in Holland, Michigan. The added bonuses include, but are not limited to: pure Michigan air, beautiful "beaches" (Yes, beaches!) and the amazing people we meet along the way. We stay in Michigan anywhere between 7 to 9 days and we reside in my Aunts home. Amazingly enough, she is able to accommodate 6 different people in her home. She is a retired first grade teacher, she can handle it. Throughout those 7-9 days we tend to keep ourselves busy doing some of the following: sunbathing at the state park (beach), going to a minor league baseball game, visiting the Coast Guard Festival in a neighboring city, shopping downtown, dining at the local dutch bakery and golfing. Typically, we do have ideas for activities, but we tend to do things by ear once we get to Holland, Michigan. The itinerary that I have developed is just an example of ideas that we have developed over the years. Hopefully, it will influence others to visit the beautiful Western Michigan. 2

3 Day 1: The source of transportation is my very own car. We leave at 6am to start the long drive to Holland, Michigan. The drive ranges between 12 to 13 hours and we travel a total of about 800 miles. In past years, the Pennsylvania turnpike I-80 has caused delays due to construction. This road could add anywhere from an hour to 2 hours of travel time. 3

4 Sample Travel Project - Holland, Michigan Day 2: After a full day of traveling, we don't really like to do anything the following day. This day is dedicated to sleeping in and relaxing. 1) 5k run - there is a loop that I have mapped out that I run every morning at 8am. 2) Beach - State Park/Tunnel Beach 3) Casual Lunch at Aunt's house and Nap 4) Early dinner at Nana's house 4

5 Day 3: 1) 5k run 2) Breakfast/Brunch at deboer Bakkeriji The profession that today includes the baking of artisan sourdough breads and assembling elegant pastries and desserts began thousands of years ago with the gathering of wild grass seeds and grinding those seeds between stones. A classic art form from father to son has not changed for de Boer Bakkerij. The de Boer's have been crafting incredible artisan breads, buttery pastries, and delicious cookies in Holland, MI since immigrating from Kollum, Nederland in ) Beach/Family friend pool 4) Downtown Holland - Shopping and New Holland Brewery 5) Nana's house for pre-dinner snacks 6) Home cooked dinner 7) Late night mini golf at Craig's Cruisers - Michigan version of Fun Central (Rt. 9, NY) 5

6 Sample Travel Project - Holland, Michigan Day 4: 1) Bike ride - Riley trails 2) 10 am Salon Cheveux/ Golf 3) After lunch, beach and boat ride on Lake Michigan with family friend 4) Visit to Dutch Village - souvenir shopping 5) Home cooked dinner at Aunt's house 6

7 Day 5: 1) 5k run 2) Holland Michigan Farmer's Market - Every Wednesday in Holland, Michigan, local bakery (ex. deboer's), florists, restaurants and farmers set up in Downtown Holland (near Hope College) to sell their products. The produce is fresh and delicious and gives us an opportunity to support the local community. 3) Beach/Relax for the afternoon/ Visit Nana 4) Travel to 5th/3rds Bank Stadium outside of Grand Rapids, Michigan (about 45 minute drive) to West Michigan Whitecaps Baseball game. The West Michigan Whitecaps are a class A minor league team affiliated with the Detroit Tigers. Similar to the Renegades in the Hudson Valley (a little better than the Renegades). In the past we have seen professionals playing while in "recovery". **Fireworks included at this game 7

8 Day 6: 1) Bike ride - Riley Trails 2) Grand Haven, Michigan (30 minute drive) - Coast Guard Festival - Every day is filled with activities, events, and attractions for all ages. Many activities are free, and you will find plenty of fun and choices from Kids Day to the Street Dance and Cruise-In Car Show, to carnival rides, picnics, Grand Parade, and ship tours. (In the past, we have met marines who served in Iraq at the festival) 3) Early lunch in Grand Haven 4) 6pm - Concert in Downtown Holland, Michigan Local performers take the streets of Downtown Holland - musicians, magicians and other artistic performances. In addition to the performances, we spend our time walking up and down the streets searching for sales. There are really great street sales that are only available at this time. 5) Dinner at the "8th Street Grille" in Downtown Holland (treat from Nana) 8

9 Day 7: 1) 5k run 2) 9-hole golf course (Macatawa Legends - local golf course that used to be a fancy country club, but is now open to the public) 3) Beach 4) Small lunch with Nana - feed the ducks 5) Family Dinner at local restaurant "Russ' Restaurant" 9

10 Day 8: 1) 9 am Art in the Park - Holland, Michigan The 45th annual art festival that is second to "Tulip Time", which Holland, Michigan is most famous for. The event brings in over 300 different artists from all over the country. 2) 10 am drive to Canton, Ohio We travel about 360 miles to Canton, Ohio and check-in to a hotel. 3) Early local dinner 4) Professional Football Hall of Fame 2014 Enshrinement Ceremony - (7-10:30 pm) This year Michael Strahan will be recognized and inducted into the HOF. 10

11 Day 9: 1) Continental Breakfast At Hotel in Canton, Ohio 2) Drive 9am- traveling through Ohio, Pennsylvania and home to New York ETA 7pm 11

12 COST OF TRAVEL/TRANSPORTATION Total Miles Driven: About 1800 miles traveled Miles Per Gallon: My car averages 32 miles per gallon # Gallons Needed: 1800/32 = gallons of gas Price per gallon: In new york it is about $3.75 Total cost of gas: (3.75) = $ The estimated cost for gas is about $210. However, the cost could be more or less depending on traffic en route to and from Michigan. In addition, if the itinerary changes and we decide to travel somewhere for the day, we might use more gallons of gas. 12

13 Cost of Accommodations While in Michigan, we do not need to worry about paying for accommodations because we will be staying at a relatives house. However, when we go to Canton, Ohio, we will need to pay for one nights' stay. Holland Michigan - FREE Canton, Ohio - $ for one night (for two people) Cost of Meals and Snacks The snacks/drinks for the car ride both to and from Michigan will cost around $50 for two people, which we will purchase at the local market. deboer Bakkeriji - Dutch Bakery New Holland Brewery 8th Street Grille and Russ' Whitecaps game food/drink Ohio Restaurant $75 Homemade B/L/D $20 per person $25 per person FREE (Nana pays) $10 per person $50 per person for the week TOTAL COST $ 285 (for 2 people) 13

14 Cost of Activities and Entrance Fees State Park/Tunnel Park/Beach FREE Facial at Salon Cheveux $75 Golf for One $40 Boat Ride FREE Grand Haven - Coast Guard FREE Baseball game $13 per person Hall of Fame $23 per person Mini Golf $6 per person Golf (9 - hole) $20 per person Art in the Park FREE TOTAL COST $239 (2 people) The estimated cost for activities for two people is $239, but additional spending may include souvenir shopping. I like to allow for between $100 - $150 for souvenirs between the two of us. In past years, we have gone to the Michigan theme park (Michigan Adventure), which is equivalent to our Six Flags. The cost of the theme park is $30 per person -an additional $60. 14

15 TOTAL COST FOR VACATION $ 1,020 for two people, and $510 per person. Although this does seem like a lot of money for a vacation, $510 is not that much considering everything that we managed to do in a matter of 9 days. 15