6 Day Holland, Michigan Tulip Festival

We are greeted by our driver and tour director as we board our deluxe motorcoach to begin a delightful 6-day tour to Holland, Michigan for the annual Tulip Festival. We travel north through the Bluegrass State of Kentuckyand the Buckeye State of Ohio, for our first overnight in Perrysburg, Ohio.

This morning we depart Perrysburg traveling to Dearborn, Michigan,to visit the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village. This tribute toAmericana covers 12-acres and contains major collections in transportation, machinery, agriculture, communications, and other areas of human endeavor. See Ford’s first car, the limousine which carried John F. Kennedyin his last fateful motorcade, and one of the world’s largest locomotives. Marvel at the technological advances man has made over the years as we view many forgotten items from years gone by. After lunch, on our own,at Greenfield Village, we depart Dearborn and continue north to GrandRapids for a two night stay.

It’s a short drive to Holland, Michigan, for the annual Tulip Time Festi- val. We will visit Veldeer’s Tulip Gardens and Windmill Island, with its 200-year-old Dutch windmill, “DeZwann” surrounded by an abundance of colorful tulips. We will visit the De Klop Wooden Shoe Factory and see the Volksparade (the People’s Parade) and street scrubbing. Throughout our visit, more than 800 high school girls perform Dutch Folk street dances, wearing copies of authentic costumes of the various provinces of the Netherlands and wooden shoes—lots of entertainment, parades and more. We will enjoy lunch and dinner (included) at area restaurants. This evening we will enjoy an incredible dinner followed by a festival favorite, New Odyssey Dinner Show. Three guys with 30 different instruments perform outstanding arrangements of almost every musical style.

We return to Holland this morning to see more of the beautiful tulips and attractions that we missed yesterday. Downtown is the Dutch Marktplaats, featuring genuine Dutch products and foods, souvenirs, Dutch music, klompen dance performances, and more. It’s just what we need to take that “Dutch Touch” home with us. Nelis’ Dutch Village is like a step back into the Netherlands of over 100 years ago on a day when the festival came totown, complete with authentic Dutch architecture, flowering gardens, canalsand windmills. The history and culture of the Dutch come to life as their associates dressed in authentic costumes and wooden shoes demonstrate old Dutch traditions. We depart Holland after lunch (included) and travel south through Michigan and Indiana to Lima, Ohio for the night.

We have a short drive to Dayton, Ohio to visit the The National Museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The Museum of the U.S. Air Force galleries present military aviation history, boast- ing more than 360 aerospace vehicles and missiles on display—many rare and one-of-a-kind —along with thousands of historical items and powerful sensory exhibits that bring history to life and connect the Wright brothers’ legacy with today’s stealth and precision technology. Lunch at the Golden Lamb Inn at Lebanon, Ohio. Since 1803, the Golden Lamb has been a community gathering place for neighbors, travelers, statesmen, presidents, families and friends. Thelegacy runs deep – infused with a spirit of hospitality, accented by the flavors ofhistory and framed by inspiring events. The Golden Lamb owes its early success to location – halfway between Cincinnati and the National Road (now U.S. Route40). The Golden Lamb has hosted a number of historical figures, including 12United States Presidents (from as far back as John Quincy Adams to as recent as George W. Bush). Welcome to historic downtown Lebanon, where tree lined streets and inviting store fronts are bursting with country charm. From homedécor to jewelry to unique and affordable antique finds, it’s no wonder USAToday called Lebanon one of the “Ten Great Places to Browse for Antiques”. Middletown, OH is our destination for the night.

After breakfast this morning we travel to Williamstown, Kentucky to visit the Ark Encounter, a one-of-a-kind historically themed full-size, all wood Ark, which is the largest timber frame structure in the US. This is an experience like no other. From the moment you turn the corner and the towering Ark comes into view, to the friendly animals in the petting zoo, to the jaw-dropping exhibits inside the Ark, you will experience the Bible like never before. This marvel of engineering is seven stories talland is a football field and a half long. Get ready to experience close-up encounters with stunning animals. Some life-like recreations from Noah’s day and many living-and-breathing animals from today. Buffet luncheon included at the Ark’s Emzara’s Kitchen. We have about a three hour drive to Knoxville.