Holland, MI - Grand Haven, Saugatuck, South Haven

[Music] has your life been a complicated mess lately well maybe all you need is to take a stroll back to the simple life feel the breeze of the great lakes on your face soaking up the nature of pure western michigan today we go to the eastern shores of lake michigan and explore the dutch city of holland situated around lake nakatawa [Music] this is one of the most colorful regions in the country known for its tulips it is also a haven for water recreational opportunities its simple lifestyle a walk in downtown holland exploring shops and eateries in an old world architecture or experience the dutch heritage on windmill island or at neil's dutch farm bella will then sail the high seas while i show you ottawa beach tunnel park port sheldon and grand haven we then take you to the sand dunes of saga tuck and explore another quaint beach town with majestic vistas south haven the hall in michigan region is not only a great place to visit but also a great place to live or go to school [Music] so gear it up bella ahoy matey journey with us by boat by drone by car and by bike as we explore holland grand haven saga tuck south haven beautiful and pure michigan [Music] windmill island is a mild half northeast of historic downtown it has the only authentic dutch windmill in the u.s it is the iconic symbol of holland you can take a guided tour of the mill and see the milling process take place from the 4th floor deck you can survey 36 acres of manicure gardens dikes and canals walk the village and see a amsterdam street organ a dutch carousel there are children's playground areas and horses in the back pasture in the spring you can see more than a hundred thousand tulips in bloom windmill island can also be rented for weddings and events [Music] just on the other side of the north river bridge from windmill island is howard b dunton park where there is plenty of trees a playground a really nice pier a boat launch that is close to downtown it is here where you can ride the holland princess a 65-foot victorian-style paddle wheel river boat it has two cruises a day with the exception of mondays and thursdays from spring to fall it is 60 dollars for adult and 35 dollars per child the hall and princess sails at lake makatawa in lake michigan we'll show more of the boating in the lakes later in the video but for now let's explore downtown window on the waterfront at riverview park across the river from windmill island along the south edge of the makatawa marsh is a colorful sight to see in the spring with a hundred thousand tulips blooming in season in the winter it is the location of an ice skating rink we were here in july so most of tulips were already gone centennial park is on the edge of the historic district it has a 20-foot rock fountain placed at the park by a dutch immigrant plenty of benches throughout the park colorful gardens lots of trees a gazebo and victorian lighting at night a very colorful scenic area for pictures [Music] we now move to the center of historic downtown on 8th street holland is a patriotic town very appreciative of its veterans from boutique shops eateries family-friendly events cultural attractions downtown is a great place to hang out in with plenty of benches trees a great place to begin your stroll in downtown is at ferris coffee shop delicious vanilla latte looking for a hotel in the middle of historic district the courtyard by marriott hops at 84 east with a brick oven pizza and craft beer across the street is kira's irish pub a horse racing themed pub with dancing to irish music most of the buildings in downtown are two and three-story commercial structures built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with brick stone and terracotta facades a mixture of late victorian and renaissance revival architecture for dessert try some chocolates and ice cream at kilwins or a healthy option some frozen yogurt or gelato at peach wave find original paintings at the lake effect gallery [Music] a popular restaurant but you want to get there early is the windmill where you can get breakfast all day the clock tower building originally built in 1892 now the home of jean-marie's a women's apparel store experience a little bit of the netherlands at neil's dutch village where you can enjoy dutch themed outdoor rides learn how to clump and dance pet a bunny feed goats get up close to a llama make sure you come though on an empty stomach as you can enjoy dutch food at the hungry dutchman cafe or taste imported dutch cheese or homemade peanut brittle and dutch fudge ice cream cookies coffee tea tickets are fourteen dollars for adults twelve dollars for children ages three to fifteen well worth the money a mile south of neil's dutch village is sunday sunday golf a dutch themed mini golf [Music] we now head down east 32nd street as we head towards a lakeside park i figure give you a chance to see some of the residential areas of holland holland has 23 parks we've shown you two of them colin park is on the south side of lake makatawa it has a waterfront walkway a boat launch gazebo cover pavilion water fountain fishing decks boardwalk and a playground [Music] next door to colin park is the boatworks waterfront restaurant [Music] we are now going to head up the north side of lake makatawa to ottawa beach the majority of things to do are on the north side of the lake the stew visser trails with rustic boardwalks takes you into the natural raw beauty of the wetlands of holland you can access the trails either from ottawa beach road or lakewood boulevard they are pet friendly this is as green as it looks on video next to the ottawa county fairgrounds is the park township skate park [Music] there is also a playground picnic shelter and dog park here [Music] we arrive at two large marinas on ottawa beach road first anchorage marina with a lounge where you can get crab cakes pizza or burgers and sit on the upper deck with a great view of big bay closed mondays and tuesdays a clubhouse which requires being a member has a game room and heated pool next is yacht basin marina where you can get gluten-free mexican pizza at lolo's bar and grill or stay in a vacation rental for parties up to 12 people with a conference center that can host weddings and events with a pool salon and spa in between the two marinas is a boat launch in holland water sports where you can rent jet skis power boats and pontoons we are going to rent our pontoon on the other side of the river [Music] we reach holland state park great area for bicycling with a path on both sides of the road we'll hop on the bike later and show you more but now let's get on the boat we head over to the south side of lake makatawa where you can rent the bungalow a lakeside home overlooking the harbor [Music] we choose one adventure rentals which is located in this trailer for our pontoon boat they were cheaper than the places on the north side of the river and had no issues at all it was 165 an hour for this 20-foot pontoon and 25 dollars to bring your dog you can also rent kayaks here as we head out on the holland harbor channel we enter the ottawa state beach area the entrance into ottawa beach by car is five dollars for michigan residents and nine dollars for out of state but it is well worth it picnic areas with trees for shade as people chill and watch the boat sail through the channel a bike path through the sand [Music] the hauling harbor light known as the big red lighthouse opened in 1872 while it is on the south side you also get a great view from the north side as well most of the south side is vacation rentals and private property there is a boardwalk on the north side you can walk all the way out over the jetties popular for fishing now if we continue across lake michigan to the southwest we would be in chicago in 95 miles there are two ferries that go across lake michigan the fastest is the lake express which goes from muskegon michigan to milwaukee it takes two and a half hours or the ss badger which goes from ludington michigan to manitowoc wisconsin takes about four hours okay bella is going to drive the boat while i fly the drone and show you some of the beach ottawa beach is one of the most popular beaches in michigan it can get crowded on certain days so it is good to get there early in the day especially on july 4th weekend like we are at times the seaweed and algae can be heavy but the advantage to ottawa beaches there are good concessions here with an ice cream shop there is a new playground volleyball courts and also two modern campgrounds and paddle boat rentals if you want to live on the beach here just north of ottawa beach is spyglass condos and further down is tunnel beach which we will show just a little bit later for now let's head back to south of the channel the beach house at makatawa park is just 200 yards from the lighthouse a row of charming historic cottages it allows you to listen to the waves rolling over the sand as you lie in bed in the morning sound good back through the harbor on the north side is the black lake boardwalk black lake is the former name of lake makatawa it was changed in 1935. i think that sounds much better than black lake it has nice long boardwalks great for fishing in biking looking for cottages on the north side of the lake the gables cottage rentals are walking distance to the beach and can be rented on lakem.com you can get espresso donuts ice cream at the old fashioned general store a holland tradition across the street is dune dogs mount pisgah is a 157 foot sand dune which you can climb via a boardwalk stair system it gives you a great view of lake makatawa just a great area for recreational bicycling check out more of the homes the makatawa boathouse is where you can rent kayaks and paddle boards [Music] across the street is the oak grove resort and campground with full rv hookups modern cabins playground free bike rentals and a heated pool and hot tub [Music] we now head north to lakeshore avenue to tunnel park lake shore avenue is really a beautiful drive all the way up to grand haven tunnel park is a 22-acre preserve with a swimming beach picnic shelters four sand volleyball courts horseshoe pit vending machines and a large playground area you can get to the beach by a sand dune climb stairway with scenic views of lake michigan or go through the tunnel which gives this park its name the lakeshore trail runs alongside of lakeshore avenue uninterrupted for 20 miles from holland to grand haven nine miles north of ottawa beach is port sheldon and pigeon lake this is one of the more popular spots for kayaking and canoeing after 6 30 there is no wake on pigeon lake which makes it a great place to paddle and take in the sunset it is also a popular fishing port [Music] we arrive in grand haven an old-fashioned town that combines small town living with big lake waterfront activities a haven for boaters located at the mouth of the grand river the longest river in michigan at 252 miles long it flows through grand rapids which we will show next week grand haven has over 100 miles of black trails [Music] it is a popular staycation destination for residents of michigan's inland cities the water temperature in the summer is in the low 70s downtown like holland a historic popular place for dining and shopping but more of a nightlife here than what you would see in holland the grand haven theater bar a martini bar with live music with a delight bar and grill next door also the kirby house restaurant with live music and second floor water views grand haven is popular for fishing charters like black label sports fishing charters located near the chinook pier the chinook pier park is a great hangout easy to find look for the old cold tower and the pier marquette locomotive the grand haven farmers market is here from may through october just recently opened up again after the kova 19 shutdown this is a beautiful park it overlooks grand haven boardwalk and municipal marina it must do after sunset as the grand haven musical fountain a synchronized display of water and lights on dewey hill on the north side of the river but you view it at lynn sherwood waterfront stadium on the south side of the river the shows have been put on hold during kova 19 but normally runs nightly from memorial day through labor day i have to say the grand haven boardwalks is one of the nicest waterfront areas in the country it is 1.5 miles long from the chinook pier to the catwalk of the pier and lighthouse grand haven has been given the honorable title of coast guard city usa with a major coast guard station here next to escanaba park with the red paved sidewalk there is ice cream available at the pure peddler here and you can learn about the history of the coast guard in the park the grand haven pier is a great place for catching the sunset you can also camp here with rv parking there are two lighthouses on the grand haven south pier connected by a lighted catwalk this is one of the most photographed lighthouses in michigan we did a video two years ago of the lighthouses around the state of michigan if you would like to see more [Music] lighthouses we now had 10 miles south of holland to saugatuck named one of 10 all-star american beach towns by coastal living magazine it has a quaint beach town atmosphere sagatuck is where you can really get back to nature and one of the best ways to do that is to take a saugatuck dune ride for twenty two dollars for adult or twelve dollars for children ages two to eleven you can ride out in the dunes of elegant county we cross the kalamazoo lake on the blue star highway [Music] the big red dot cafe is a quirky hangout offering american pub grub and full bar [Music] try an accommodation literally on the water on the c-suites bed and breakfast luxury yacht one of the best ways to tour saugatuck is a two-hour tall ship cruise on the shooner serenity the sunset cruise is 49 for adult or an afternoon sale for 39 [Music] we drive up the west side of the kalamazoo river heading towards oval beach most of the restaurant shops and cottages are in the downtown area on the east side of the river you can take a chain ferry for two dollars to travel across the river the only operating chain ferry in the country it departs each dock every 10 to 15 minutes it is run by the star of saga tuck which also offers daily cruises on a paddle wheel boat the beachway resort is the closest resort to oval beach on perryman street to get to the beach you can either drive up on perryman street or you can also climb 302 steps of mount bald head and on the other side descend into the grassy coastal sands of oval beach oval beach was voted one of conde nast travelers top 25 beaches in the world the daily entrance fee is ten 10 it has easy parking concessions and a picnic area south haven is 30 minutes south of holland another vintage downtown so many neat places to visit like the 12 corners vineyards tasting room on the right or clementines a restaurant in an 1800 saloon with seafood and american food [Music] or grab an espresso and pastry at the golden bakery [Music] nestled on the banks of the black river the south haven riverfront is host to a variety of musical performances from jazz classical to folk contemporary and are free to the public viewers can relax on a gently sloped hill while watching the musicians as well as the boats going through the harbor riverfront park is just beyond the south haven south municipal marina it also hosts public events as grills picnic areas shelter and a great place for taking a stroll to the lighthouse with picnic tables along the boardwalk the north beach is ten dollars to enter always highly reviewed the south beach is also ten dollars to park as well as grills picnic area and playground it also has the boardwalk to the lighthouse both north beach and south beach not as crowded as ottawa beach the south haven south pierhead light first lit in 1872 this steel lighthouse was built in 1903 replaced an earlier lighthouse built of wood in 1925 the steel catwalk was installed and extended to 1200 feet in 1940 [Music] if you are looking for a sporting adventure relaxation or just a good time fishing check out the south haven fishing charters [Music] also the admiral jacks bar and grill where you can sit right on a boat while enjoying a meal and a great view of the black river southaven is ideal for a quick trip from many areas it's five hours from cincinnati two hours from chicago and a little over three hours from indy for more info on events in western michigan see the shoreline visitors guide for all the fun from muskegon to south haven [Music] for the five days we were in the holland's grand rapids area we ate at the shanghai restaurant in holland every day great chinese and japanese food and it's walking distance of three hotels the quality inn next door and the pet friendly days inn and microtel hotel across the street all within five minutes of downtown [Music] the hall in grand haven south haven era is one of the best places to live in michigan as we have shown you there are a lot of parks good schools a safe family friendly atmosphere a variety of fine dining and as you can see some of the best water recreation in the country if you are looking to move a business or have a business in the holland region the experts at colliers international will partner with you to accelerate the success of your commercial property and help you to achieve your business goals holland has come a long way since its dutch settlers first landed here in 1847. it has uniquely kept much of its old real charm originating from the netherlands yet has also grown with modern conveniences and still maintaining its heritage there is a lot we can learn from those immigrants the simplicity of life respecting our heritage family values and boldly moving into the future whether it's holland grand haven saga tuck or south haven whether you are coming here to visit or to live i think you might find just what you are looking for on michigan's west coast we have listed addresses and links in the description below so that you can plan your coastal michigan getaway we are tampa aerial media which you travel promos across the usa for licensing or stock footage contact us at info tampa aerial media dot com next week we travel inland to grand rapids subscribe to our channel to see more thank you for watching

Channel: TampaAerialMedia

Views: 294,509

Keywords: holland michigan, Holland MI, Michigan, Grand Haven, Saugatuck, South Haven, Holland Princes, Windmill Island, Neils Dutch Farm, Ottawa Beach, Tunnel Beach, Travel Michican, Travel Holland MI, Port Sheldon, Oval Beach, Coastal Michigan, Lighthouses Michigan, Boating Michigan, West Coast Michigan, michigan, holland michigan tulip festival, What to do in Grand Haven, What to do in South Haven, Beaches of Michigan, Dutch cities in US, pontoon boat

Id: xoeuD4T78iE

Length: 25min 11sec (1511 seconds)

Published: Sun Jul 19 2020