Tulip City Dispatch

  Not So Shabby Marketplace  is an antique mall located at 2975 West Shore Drive in Holland Township, sorta near the Harbor Freight and the mold and fire hazard Springhill Suites .  It's a wonderful setting, with some 70 booths selling everything from handmade soaps and lotions to HO Scale trains to mall photographs !   I myself have purchased a bitchin' Urban Cowboy-era Resistol hat from them, as well as a handful of printed books that I've used for this very blog.  Basically, if I'm out on the ol' thrifto trail on my weekends, and I'm up around West Shore Drive, I'll stop in...it's not a  regular  stop for me, but it's one of my favorite antique stores.  Now, in the book  100 Things To Do In Holland Before You Die , the title of this particular entry is "Make A Stop On The Antique Trail At Not So Shabby Marketplace."  The Antique Trail is an association of antique shops .  The ones mentioned in  100 Things To Do ...

Part of the whole ethos of the book "100 Things To Do In Holland Michigan" is about highlighting the culture and community that we have in Holland, Michigan. As such, the book is divided up into sections: Food And Drink; Music And Entertainment; Sports And Recreation; Culture And History; and Shopping And Fashion. It's followed up with suggested inteneraries and activities by season. As I was entering a transitional phase in my lil' ol' blog here, a serendipitous discovery at Barns & Noble one idle Saturday led me to the actual book itself. I took advice from the book, and went to a local store to actually purchase it . As it pertains to Action Item #37   Expand Your Mind And Your Digital Experience At Herrick District Library , that's literally how I started this very blog .  I was unemployed and trying desperately hard to maintain some semblance of a normal schedule with my time.  Basically, I'd wake up at my normal schedule (up at 6:30, shower...

 Honestly, this entry could be a series.  I have at least a full page of notes in my old blog notebook about Tunnel Park.  As I started this blog back in 2019, this particular book kept on coming up in my early research.  The area north of Holland proper was incredibly touristy in the early 20th century, and featured many lakeside resorts and attractions - not the least of which was Tunnel Park (subject of this entry).  Located on 22 acres north of Holland, the park's namesake tunnel actually goes through the dune.  There are stairs and everything, but - why a tunnel? And, what's this got to do with The Farm That Was A Zoo? See, the land that Tunnel Park sits on was donated by Chicago industrialist, George Getz, who owned the aforementioned  Farm That Was A Zoo , to Ottawa County in the 1920s, in an effort to get beachgoers away from his property - he set Tunnel Park up as strictly beach access.  The tunnel?  There's an urban legend that it ...

 ...ok, so the official title is "Pet A Pig Or A Pony At Fellinlove Farm," but hear me out:  Shortly after Fellinlove opened, we went to a Live Nativity at Fellinlove!  The flier that I linked was dated 2016, which definitely lines up with my memories of the event.  For some reason, we were brought into the animal area - we might've gotten there toward the end of the actual live nativity happenings or something.  There was a little nudge on my leg, so I looked down and saw a goat staring up at me.  I scratched the lil' guy behind the ears, and he nudged my leg again.  I started walking away and he followed.  Ever so gently, he reached up and nibbled my fingertips.  I can't reiterate how gentle it was. Turns out, the goat was very tame, and had gotten accustomed to getting treats whenever a guest came into the animal area...normally, guests are sequestered from the animal area, and only volunteers are allowed.  The goat, through no faul...

 "Put your fingers in the holes of the exterior wall of The Warm Friend in downtown Holland," Ms. Bareman implores us, "to get the feel of some real-life history." This part of her book is about the Eddie Bentz Bank Robbery, which I covered in 2020 !  I keep threatening to start a bike ride at that intersection and make a time-lapse video of the escape route that the bank robbers used out of Holland and into Drenthe, but I don't actually own a GoPro or anything. Anyway, whenever I'm in the Holland Social District walking around with friends, I always regale them with the tale of the Eddie Bentz bank robbery.  You know, like some folks go on and on about how New Holland Brewing used to be the JC Penney, or maybe it was the Woolworths, or was it Thompson's Hardware or Sears And Roebuck?  Point is, all my friends have heard the story a dozen times thus far, so it's gotten pretty boring.  But it's still a rad as hell story, and would actually be wor...

 I'm taking some creative liberties here - I've never actually ridden an E Bike. BUT Velo City are homies.  Back in their old location on 8th Street, they helped me build up a road bike from scratch.  They're always willing to lend a hand to stuff like that, with an ample parts department, and the know-how to offer any advice on wrenching your bike, or having them do it for you.  They're some of the best bike mechanics in the city. With the exception of the CoVid era (2020, 2021), I've been to at least one of Velo City's Tuesday Night Rides a year since 2017 or so.  In 2024, I intentionally made a point to ride with their groups almost every week! I made a few posts on Instagram this summer, sharing their posts that you can see my big dumb face in.  Their community outreach (in group rides, social media, and community activism) is second to none - they run mentorship programs for young children on bikes, casual ice cream or beer rides, weekly Tuesday Night...

This entry is where the whole inspiration behind "Tulip City Dispatch Does The 100 Things To Do In Holland Before You Die," came from.  Since I started this blog in 2019, I've spent an inordinate amount of time at secondhand stores , bookstores , antique stores, and the library trying to find books on local history and culture. I've got a pretty good pulse on what's out there, and the types of books on the market right now.  There are a few specific authors who have written many books on local history , of which, I own several. 100 Things To Do came across my dashboard sometime in 2023; I don't remember if it was a targeted ad on Instagram or a post or what.  I do remember that I became aware of the book through Instagram, but details aren't important here.  Point is, I was oot and aboot on a Saturday (hitting up the aforementioned thrift stores and antique stores), when I happened to duck into the Barnes & Noble in Holland and walked to the "L...

 I come from a family that's pretty big into hockey.  My dad, uncles, and cousins have been involved in the West Michigan hockey scene for over 50 years.  Hardly anything hockey related in West Michigan hasn't been touched by someone I'm related to. Case in point:  Last time I played hockey was at a drop-in event at Griff's West (gah, that was right as I was starting this blog up in 2019).  As Ms. Bareman notes in 100 Things To Do In Holland Michigan , Griff's West has learn-to-skate programs, learn-to-play-hockey programs, several schools' hockey teams, and a plethora of public ice and skating times - including the aforementioned lunchtime drop-in hockey.  I arrived early, and was in the locker room getting dressed, when one guy walked in and didn't ask, but outright declared that he knew my uncle. How did he arrive at this conclusion?  He saw my name on the sign-up sheet in the lobby, and he saw the normal crew of 10ish guys that played at noontime,...

 Nestled in the heart of Downtown Holland sits the Curragh Irish Pub.  Opened in 2004 , The Curragh has garnered a reputation as being one of the best Irish pubs in the West Michigan area - their famed Guinness-breaded fish and chips are, according to some, the most traditional fish and chips in North America...I'm really reaching back trying to remember who told me that; it was a dear sweet old woman who I was assisting when I worked at a business in Downtown Holland, but I cannot remember where.  The fish and chips are really stinkin' good, but then again, so are the mozzarella sticks.  Can't sleep on their burgers either , although after CoVid-era supply chain disruptions, Curragh has revamped their menu a little. With 24 beers on draught at any given time, they've got a great beer selection, too - Two nitro lines keep the Guinness flowing all the time, which leaves one nitro tap up for rotation.  They've always got a solid stock of beers from the UK - as men...

Alright, so this one is kind of cheating - It's not actually at the Holland establishment, Cranes In The City, but it's at Crane's Orchards south of town in Fennville.  BUT, this orchard visit is  called out in the footnotes of Ms. Bareman's 100 Things To Do .  Cranes In The City has been in Holland since 2010 (Bareman), and they do offer snacks and drinks, as well as a host of apple-themed gifts.  It's absolutely wonderful to be around orchards and the like - south and west of Holland around Fennville, Glenn, and Ganges; then north of town in Chester Township and into northern Kent County. I've definitely gotten sandwiches at Crane's In The City, but I can't distinctly remember when...I was flipping through some digital clutter and found these pictures, which triggered my memory.  Check out the views, from the panorama to the sunbeam shining through the apple tree branches.

 While we couldn't actually phone in the order (that side of the restaurant was closed for a private event), we did eat at the OG Russ' Restaurant at the corner of 8th and Chicago Drive in Holland!  Spittin' distance from Holland's Energy Park , sharing a parking lot with West Michigan Cycle Shop , and just a few blocks away from (potentially?) the oldest building in Holland , I'd actually like to offer Russ' Classic Double Cheeseburger as a late entry into The Best Burger In Holland debate. Founded in 1934 (meaning, 2024 is their 90th year in business), J. Russel Bouws bought Doc's Diner at the corner of 8th and Chicago Drive in Holland.  The original building(s) were torn down, and a new shop was built in the 80s or 90s.  There are pictures of the original sandwich/ice cream shack in the current restaurant, as well as pictures from slightly later when they went to a diner/drive-in format.  They also have locations in Holland at 210 River Ave on the north ...

 Fricano's Too ( 174 S River Ave, Holland, MI 49423-2848) just off the beaten path in Downtown Holland boasts pizza that, according to a former boss of mine, was the best in North America.  There was a firm I worked for in Zeeland that was owned by a conglomerate out of Italy - whenever the head honchos would come stateside for various meetings or whatever, they'd ALWAYS cater in lunch from American Char in Drenthe , and they'd wine and dine the department heads at Fricano's Too.  They always said it was the most authentic pizza they'd ever had in the States. I, personally, dig the old-school vibe...the paper wrapped pizza served on cardboard reminds me SO much of being a youngster and getting pizza while Dad was playing hockey or whatever.  It's a little basic, the "gimmick" is how simplistic the pizza is, or how there isn't any gimmicks at all.  They got an honorable mention in my Best Pizza In Holland article back in 2020 . Earlier this year,...

 Going WAY back to the very first post I made on this here blog , I talked about deep cuts, hidden spots, locals-only venues, and other truly weird stuff...It was apparently in my handwritten notebook that I mentioned "eccentric business owner with a squadron of garden gnomes," because I distinctly remember having the realization that there was, in fact, a business owner with a squadron of garden gnomes:  Lemonjello's Coffee. Now, I graduated from Jenison High School in the heat of the 2000s, when emo and indie culture were starting to blossom in a big way - I had friends who have posted things like "I'm so bummed, I just heard my favorite band on the radio :(" and I myself have unironically said "They're a pretty obscure band, you probably haven't heard of them."  And, from Jenison, there's this weird paradox where Holland is SO FAR AWAY, but Grand Rapids is *just right there*.  The faraway, exotic locale of Holland had this legendary...

 I came across this book, written by Veronica Bareman, by way of Instagram.  She and I have quite a few followers in common, so it's natural that her book promo came up on my feed.  I picked up the book and started paging through it, and realized that I've already done a LOT of the things in there, and continue to actively participate in a lot of them!  It seemed like a natural fit for me to take my historical perspective and apply it to some of the stories and recommendations in the book, and I certainly hope I can do so in a manner that'll uplift and support Ms. Bareman's vision and add some new context.  Words and thoughts are my own, and I'm in no way affiliated with her, Reedy Press, or anything...we may have shared a beer at Brew Merchant or something at some point, but I have no idea. With all that being said, I'll add the label "100ThingsToDo" to each blog post about an entry in the book, and if possible, I'll add corresponding pics to the ...