Holland, Michigan - part two

Roger here...  Here is the second part of our week in Michigan with friends.  Just so ya know, ice cream was important to each day.  Thursday was winery day.  I know, I know... It sounds like we go to wineries every day, but that is NOT the case.  We just like to sample wines from different areas of the country.  We think it is fun and part of the culture of the area, and we do write about them every time we visit.   

We crated the boys and headed to the Fenn Valley Winery just outside of Holland.  The free wine tasting included a variety of wines.  Dianne and I, of course, opted for the dry reds.   We bought a couple of bottles that we liked, and a mini-box of "BIB," (bag in a box.)  The whimsical part of the visit was the pictures of our friends, and us, in the cut-outs in front of the winery.  Doesn't Pat look cute as a winery maiden?  I bought a silly t-shirt at the winery, which means I now need to throw one away.


We followed the wine tour with a visit to the country store near Holland State Park -  two million ice cream flavors....  I had chocolate coconut.  Dianne had cherry-amaretto chocolate.  Yum!!!!!!  (Dianne again:  We ate so much ice cream this week that we are all starting to resemble the chubby wooden cut-outs above.  The feeding frenzy last week definitely took its toll on my Amazon-thinned figure from last fall.)

The next day was doggie day.  We went to the Holland dog park where the boys and Sophie had a great time.  Lots of chasing, running and sniffing.  Chaplin, who has not been himself lately, had a wonderful time running and chasing the other dogs.  So did Jasper until, OUCH!, he ran full speed (35 mph) into a chocolate lab who was chasing the same tennis ball that I threw.  No broken bones, lots of yelping, but all turned out OK, despite our worries.  By the way, the owners of the chocolate lab that Jasper bounced off of, were a very caring couple from England - now U.S. residents.


Dianne here:  The heat wave we experienced in Michigan the first few days took its toll on my whippets; they were skin & bones from not wanting to eat.  You can see in the photo of Jasper taking the ball (this is before the collision with the lab).  You can count his ribs.  I read on the whippet message board about "fat burgers" that others feed their whippets to help them put their weight back on.  Anyone have any opinions on this?  They are made with fatty hamburger, Total cereal, eggs, and I forget what else, fed to them raw.  Chaplin is putting his weight back on, but Jasper is still TOO skinny.  I see some fat burgers in their future.  I'll post updates if it works.

We then checked out Holland State Park on BICYCLES for our next visit.  No crashes for Dianne.  The beach at Holland State Park, the light house, the waterway filled with watercraft, and the sandy bluff were amazing.  A trip back tomorrow is a must.   Another visit to the ice cream place at the general store.  Dianne had coconut- chocolate.  I had a gatorade drink ----- very thirsty.

The next day was beach day.  We crated the dogs, since they are not allowed on the beach, packed a lunch and headed for a beach that rivals those anywhere in the south.  Say hi to the silouettes in the sun (too much light).  Say hi to our friends (+ Dianne) waving next to the shore.  The sand and the bluffs were an amazing setting for a quiet day.  We had a wonderful time watching families playing in the sand and water.  The waterway was filled with all sorts of watercraft.  A great day on the beach.


The trip back included a stop at the general store (more ice cream).  Dianne repeated her cherry/chocolate selection.  I had sleeping bear dunes chocolate with caramel and chocolate covered almonds.  Wow!

We said goodbye to Audrey and Pat on the next day,  but the ice cream extravaganza did not end.  After a drive by Macatawa lake, looking at luxury homes and beautiful settings, we landed at Captain Sundae's in Zeeland.  We all (Chuck, Cindy, Dianne, Roger) indulged in a Tommy Turtle Sundae while the doggies watched with envy.   Chocolate is NOT good for dogs.  There were lots of pics of George W. Bush's (I liked the ice cream anyway) visit to the shoppe.   After a dip in the campground pool and frozen drinks we landed at Steak and Shake for burgers and more ice cream in the form of milk shakes (for everyone except the ever-temptation-resistant Chuck).  


Ahhh! So many calories.  So much ice cream.  Time to return to the grind of moving from Indiana to Texas where it is DEFINITELY time to eat healthier.