Holland's Tulip Time is Ahead of Schedule for 2012

Photo courtesy of Tulip Time Festival brochure

Holland, Michigan celebrates their Dutch Heritage every year in the week leading up to Mother's Day.  The city plants thousands of tulips throughout town, lining six miles of city streets.

The unexpected warm weather has accelerated the blooming of tulips, resulting in a blitz of media attention to announce that the tulips are ready!  When Tulip Festival has no tulips, local residents call it "stem fest". 

Of course, the festival celebrates more than just the flowers themselves.  The Klompen Dancers are one of the main attractions, as over a thousand Dutch Dancers perform throughout the week.  Wearing the classic wooden shoes and attire patterned after the traditional attire of Dutch provinces, the dancers have been an intregal part of the festival for over fifty years.

Throughout the week-long festival, there are wooden shoe carving demonstrations, traditional Dutch foods to sample, tulip planting & care tips, Dutch style decor, hats and of course, wooden shoes to take home.

If you would like to see the tulips this April or enjoy the festivities at Tulip Time, keep in mind that South Haven is only a thirty-five minute drive from Holland.   This year's festival begins on Saturday, May 5th through Saturday, May 12th.  If you need accommodations for a group of gals or a family, consider a cottage rental from the Victoria Resort.  The rooms in the bed and breakfast are ideal for couples, with cozy fireplaces and whirlpool tubs.  Reservations can be made through the website http://www.victoriaresort.com/ or by calling 1-800-473-7376.

Wood-Fired Al Fresco Comes to South Haven



(Photo borrowed from Google's Street View)

 The iconic building at the corner of Eagle and Kalamazoo Streets in downtown South Haven has served a variety of purposes, originally a service station, more recently housing Sea Glass Cottage Decor, and now serving as the home for Brix.  The Marcoux family has been working hard this spring bringing in the wood-fired brick ovens and necessary equipment.  According to Jay, "Brix" will be ready for families & friends who visit South Haven this summer.

The Marcoux family has already shown steady success with the Phoenix Street, South Haven Catering and Cafe Julia at the Pavillion.  We're excited to experience Brix!

2012 Update: Cottage rentals in South Haven

Summer at the Victoria Resort - there's simply no better place to be!

June 9 - 16:  Save 20% off the regular weekly rate.  Cottage B, Cottage C and Cottage D are available.

June 16 - 23:  It's Harborfest on day one, and it's all fun.  Cottage E, Cottage B and Cottage C are available.

August 18 - 25:  Cottage B and Cottage E are available

When you're ready to make your summer vacation plans, call us directly.  But don't wait too long!  Looking forward to seeing you this summer!

South Haven's Beaches - Seven and Counting

South Haven's location on Lake Michigan make it a favorite destination for beach-goers, but many visitors only know about the two iconic beaches near the lighthouse.  There are many more access points throughout the city, so here's a quick list from the north to the south.

Newcome Beach - a long walkway from North Shore Drive marks this small public beach access point.  The historic Newcome Resort was located here over a hundred years ago, and today's visitors will park along North Shore Drive just south of Baseline Road to access the shore.
Oak Street Beach - a small parking area can host six to eight vehicles, and like Newcome, this beach access has more of a neighborhood beach feel as most visitors walk from the surrounding area.  This beach is closest to the Victoria Resort.
Packard Park - A semi-circular driveway from North Shore Drive offers plenty of parking, and a bathroom facility plus some picnic tables are available away from the heat of the beach.  This is a relatively long stretch of sand and is located just north of Dyckman Avenue.
Dyckman Avenue Beach - Cross the drawbridge to the North Side and where Dyckman Avenue ends is the Dyckman Beach.  Frequently overlooked for the larger, flashier North Beach, this particular access offers a fair amount of parking and a gentle stretch of stairs to the shoreline.
Woodman Beach - Located at the intersection of North Shore Drive and Woodman Avenue, this public beach access is often mistaken for a private parking area.  The sand slopes gently down to the waterline, and a short walk past the lakefront homes would bring you to the edge of the North Beach.
North Beach - Volleyball players, concession stand and the most famous cruising strip in South Haven mark the famous North Beach.  Aside from all of the comotion, this is a fabulously long stretch of sandy beach and it's a good walk from the parking area to the waterline.
South Beach - The South Beach is best known for it's easy access to the pier featuring South Haven's historic lighthouse and catwalk.  Less explored however, is the long stretch of sand passing by Saint Basil Church and the neighborhoods to the south.

Several other unofficial (but still public) accesses are scattered about the area, so feel free to ask the innkeeper at the Victoria Resort about Deerlick or 114th Street or one of the other less popular destinations.

South Haven's Foundry Hall features eclectic sound

Foundry Hall is known for bringing a wide range of musical styles, from folk singer troubadours to jazz ensembles.  The common thread throughout the year is always exceptional, talented musicians whose music defies convention.  Saturday, March 24th, Foundry Hall continues it's long-held tradition of non-traditional artists with "Kinobe and the African Sensation."

Kinobe is a gifted multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and composer whose early abilities in traditional African music quickly garnered acclaim on the world stage. The African Sensation are premier Ugandan performers representing the inspired synthesis of African roots and global fusion. Driving polyrhythms underlay transcendent melodies on traditional African instruments- koras, kalimbas, adungus, endongos, balaphon, and percussion- to show, once again, that music is the universal language.

The performance begins at 7:30 pm, and tickets will be available just prior to the show.  However, purchase tickets online to enjoy discounted admission.  For a long, musical weekend plan to attend the Friday evening concert by Montana Skies and include a stay at the Victoria Resort Bed and Breakfast.

South Haven's Foundry Hall looks to Montana Skies

A must see live concert experience: a duo with the full spectrum of an orchestra crossed with the energy of a rock band. Jennifer and Jonathan Adams create a “new acoustic” sound with their pairing of cello, six-string electric cello, Spanish/classical guitar and steel string guitar. Their music has been featured everywhere from NPR to the Travel Channel. Jennifer Adams' blazing electric cello and Jonathan Adams' guitar wizardry combine to create a sound that is truly remarkable.

The performance is scheduled for Friday, March 23rd at 7:30 pm at South Haven's Foundry Hall.  Tickets can be purchased in advance through FoundryHall.com.  Visitors coming to the South Haven area for the weekend can reserve rooms at the Victoria Resort Bed and Breakfast.

Sherman's Dairy Still Scooping in South Haven

Sherman's Dairy began as one of several dairies in the South Haven area in the early 1900s.  A horse-drawn wagon would deliver milk to local residents in glass bottles.  In the 1950s, one of the Sherman boys started tinkering with ice cream, making small batches in a small freezer.  Within a few years, the focus shifted to all ice cream all the time and Sherman's Dairy continues to produce ice cream one batch at a time.

Sherman's Dairy Bar is located just east of South Haven on Phoenix Road, and now boasts a menu of fifty flavors during the peak of the summer season.  The classics like Butter Pecan, Mint Chip and Blue Moon have their honored places in the freezers, but then Sherman's will roll out Pistaschio, Black Raspberry Supreme and Coconut Almond Fudge.

When visiting Sherman's, there are a few things you should know.  Experienced customers know that you never ask for a double or large, because the counter staff at Sherman's are never bashful with their servings.  Inside, you can help yourself to a free cup of coffee or a glass of water - one of the few places that still offers such a service!  For those who find the ice cream irresistable, there are gallons of your favorite flavors available and with a cooler & dry ice, you can make the drive all the way home safely!  (One of the guests at the Victoria Resort did this successfully from South Haven to Indianapolis so he would have his winter supply of Sherman's ice cream)

If you're headed to South Haven, Sherman's Dairy Bar opens at the beginning of March each year and closes at the very end of October.