Holland, Michigan

In the never ending quest for scenery ideas we drove up the western shore of Lake Michigan – the coastal towns of Michigan are absolutely beautiful – starting in Holland, Michigan.

Holland was founded by Dutch Americans, and is home to Hope College and Western Theological Seminary, both associated with the Reformed Church in America. In fact, there are 170 churches in Holland, which is why it was once known as the "City of Churches.” And here’s one for you: The city is the home to the church that kicked off the trend of the What Would Jesus Do? bracelets in 1989.

We checked into the Hampton Inn, then drove around Hope College. Even though it was a hot day we ate dinner on the patio at the Boatwerks Restaurant on the shores of Lake Macatawa. Afterward we took a drive along the shoreline which, as it turns out, is full of some incredibly beautiful homes.

The next morning it was pouring rain but I couldn’t resist checking out the town’s beautifully restored train station. The city is served by regularly scheduled Amtrak service (the Pere Marquette) east to Grand Rapids and west to Chicago with connections to all points east and west.

Holland, by the way, is well prepared for the cold Michigan winters. The downtown streets and sidewalks never freeze because they have 125 miles of plastic tubing underneath. The local power plant pumps 95 degree water through the tubes all winter keeping the ground temperature around 50 degrees. Consequently, shoppers don’t have to worry about slipping on ice or traipsing through snow in downtown Holland. It’s aptly named snowmelt system is reported to be the largest municipally run system in the US. Kind of cool, literally, huh?