I had a real nice PDF of area events emailed to me today. Click on the thumbnail below to view and print the PDF!

Rosewood Pointe is a great spot to stay if you are coming to Holland for Tulip Time. The resort is just two miles from downtown Holland and you can watch the fireworks from our beach and docks. The adventurous sort could easily walk to downtown and not have to bother with all the traffic.

Or you could drive part way and park at in any of the old Pfizer parking lots off Hoard Ave. Then you just have a short 1/2 mile walk into downtown Holland. Or could drive all the way and possibly park at the Holland Civic Center parking lot, that might work too.

Either way, Rosewood Pointe still has 3 units remaining for the May 1-3 weekend and more availability during the week. Don’t miss the millions of tulips in bloom all around the city. It’s a great family event with wonderful parades and lots of great food to eat.

View the 2009 Tulip Time Schedule

I recently took a ride out to Pigeon Creek Park to do some sledding.  Pigeon Creek Park is located about 13 miles north of Rosewood Pointe.   The park is in somewhat of a remote area and has 10 miles of cross country ski trails on over 400 wooded acres.   Three miles of the trails and the sledding hill are lighted until 10pm.

The sledding hill is small.  It is meant for small kids.    There is a wonderful lodge with a large wood burning fire i the middle.  They have modern, clean bathrooms and a snack bar.  Best of all if you don’t have cross country skiis, they rent them at the lodge for $8 for the first 2 hours and $2 per additional hour ($5 for the first 2 hours for kids).  They also rent snowshoes and skating skiis.  Call 616-738-9531 at any time for up to date skiing and sledding conditions.

View Larger Map

Many guests to Rosewood Pointe enjoy kayaking in Lake Macatawa and on a calm day, heading out into Lake Michigan to paddle near the shore.   However, for those of us, who enjoy a more leisurely kayak, I would suggest visiting Hemlock Crossing in Port Sheldon Township.

Hemlock Crossing / Pine Bend

Hemlock Crossing opened in 2003 and offers 239 acres of woods and wetlands along the Pigeon River. Over 6 miles of trails for hiking and cross country skiing meander through bottomland and upland forest, old pine plantations and along the river. A pedestrian bridge and numerous overlooks offer scenic views of the river corridor, wetlands, natural springs and woods. Facilities include two small picnic shelters, a kayak/canoe launch and over a mile of paved trail.

Pine Bend is a secondary access on the west end of the property that offers parking and a trail head. Pine Bend is also the site of the Weaver House, a restored 1901 home that is available for reservation for business meetings, family outings and other activities. There are no entry fees at Hemlock Crossing or Pine Bend and both are open year ‘round.

Facilities

• Kayak/canoe launch
• Unique pedestrian bridge
• Many scenic overlooks along the trails
• Two small picnic shelters with tables and grills
• Weaver House (reservable)
• Historic interpretation at Pine Bend
• Modern restrooms open warm months at Hemlock Crossing. Pit toilets available year ’round at Hemlock Crossing and Pine Bend
• Hiking and ungroomed cross country ski trails

* Barrier free facilities include picnic shelters, restrooms, kayak launch and a one mile paved trail through woods and fields.

Park Hours

Hemlock Crossing and Pine Bend are open year ’round at the following times.

April 1 through October 31 – 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

November 1 through March 31 – 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Fees

There are no entry fees.

Directions

Hemlock Crossing is located in Port Sheldon Township just west of US 31 on West Olive Road.

If traveling northbound on US 31 from Holland, follow signs from Port Sheldon Street.

If traveling southbound on US 31 from Grand Haven, follow signs from West Olive Road.

Pine Bend can be reached by traveling west on Croswell Street from US 31 to 156th Avenue. Turn south on 156th Avenue and follow the signs to the Pine Bend entrance.

View Larger Map

On the other side of the lake,  the city and state have been pouring millions into fixing up and expanding Kollen Park.  Thanks to a generous easement  by the Heinz Corporation, a new boardwalk was constructed and completed in October 2008.    The city has shown some pretty good foresight in their continued efforts to make the lake more accessible to residents.

Adjoining Kollen Park is a very nice waterfront restaurant called Boatwerks that was opened several years ago.  They have a great bar area, and a ton of outdoor seating (with umbrellas).

Outdoor dining at Boatwerks

The new boardwalk allows ambitious walkers to walk from Rosewood Pointe down Howard ave (using sidewalks or low traffic side road), over the new bridge, into downtown Holland and the Holland Farmer’s market and then back up along the south side of Lake Macatawa, stop for an outdoor lunch at Boatwerk’s, and then continue up the boardwalk through Kollen’s Park and past the Heinz Pickle Factory.

Layout of Boatwerks

According to Google, that is a 3.1 mile walk – one way!! Here is a map showing the route:

How to walk from Rosewood Pointe to Kollen Park

New Boat Launch at Kollen Park in Holland Michigan

Boardwalk stairs leading to the top of Mount Pisgah

The Facts:

Mount Pisgah is…
• owned by the Ottawa County Parks Department
• located east of Holland State Park
• rises 157 feet above Lake Michigan
• has north-south width of 524 feet
• has east-west width of 656 feet

The base begins with a trailhead kiosk along Ottawa Beach Road that will have a bench, maps and historical information, Scholtz said. From there, a paved trail leads past a landscaped area and through a forest to a large bike-rack spot.

The path then transforms into a turnpike trail, which has wooden retaining walls, stones and fabric beneath it, before leading to the staircase.

“It’s going to be a bonus for the public for many years to come,� said Joyce Rhodes, Holland State Park supervisor. “Walking up those stairs is a lot easier than climbing up the dunes.�

Once on top of the dune, a boardwalk and stair system leads to a higher view of Big Red and Lake Michigan. Another boardwalk takes visitors along the narrow ridge of Mount Pisgah and connects with Holland State Park trails.

This is a really nice piece of work by the Ottawa County Parks and Recreation Department.  My wife and I have always enjoyed hiking the sand dunes near the Holland State Park.  But getting to the dunes was always very difficult.  Even though it sounds like we won’t actually be able to hike the dunes, at least there is now an easy way to access the dunes and enjoy the views!

Here are a few pictures and a map:

Most folks locally and otherwise have no clue or care about Lake Michigan and the land that surrounds it.  However,  if you’ve ever been to Saugatuck or been through the Saugatuck channel or taken a ride on the Saugatuck dunes you know that a certain billionaire outbid the city over 140 acres of pristine Lake Michigan shore front, threatening to develop it into a development with over a 100 of million dollar plus homes.  Now it appears they might have an opportunity to purchase it back.

http://www.hollandsentinel.com/opinions/x1570386639/OUR-VIEW-Saugatuck-has-exciting-opportunity-to-purchase-lakefront-property

I had never heard of Lake Delton in Wisconsin.  But I have definitely heard of “The Dells”.   It was horrible to read today that due to all the rain,  Lake Delton broke through some barrier and drained away into the Wisconsin River.

There are a lot of cottages and resorts on Lake Delton.   It’s hard to imagine or comprehend how those resort and cottage owners must feel right now.  I would be devastated.   It’s the start of the summer season, you’ve taken all those deposit from guests and now the lake is gone, leaving thousands of vacationers stranded with no reason to visit the Dells (unless you love waterparks).    What a mess.

I hope the Wisconsin DNR figures out how to refill that lake fast, but I doubt much can be done to salvage the season for the Lake Delton resort and cottage owners.

I am willing to offer a special discount to any of the displaced guests from Lake Delton.  We only have a few spots left for the weeks of July 19-26 and August 16-23,  but if you are a family looking to salvage your family vacation, give us a call at 612-501-2548 and mention your situation.  We’ll see if we can be of help.

Our prayers are extended to all Lake Delton business and home owners.  Hopefully,  the city and state will come together to get everything cleaned up and back up and running very soon.