Hey!... What's up here? Oh I just did some modifications to my HTML code and changed around my template so that I can have some more room for text and pictures. It may mess up the look of some of my past posts, but they are done anyway. I hope that you like the new format, but I do, so it will more that likely stay this way until I decide to change it again in a year or two! Although I don't mind coding in HTML, (but it is) the real reason I gave up coding my other websites and started blogging instead.Many of you may have remembered my post from Pella, Iowa a couple of years ago? But I have been promising Mrs. LZ that I would take her back there some day for another visit to their famous Tulip Festival. Well last weekend was "the time" of that promised re-visit to Pella and although I probably don't have much new to tell you either about the town or even the festival, I do have a lot of new pictures of this years crop of beautiful and unique tulips. So consider this a week late "Mother's Day gift" from me!
The same things that were there on our last visit here are still all there: The Vermeer Mill & Interpretive Center, The Wyatt Earp House, The Miniature Village, The Flower Gardens, The Scholte House and the normal Annual Festival Events. The Pella Historical Village itself is a collage of more than twenty buildings, some more than 150 years old. Others were built later or even moved in and restored in keeping with our Dutch heritage. These structures are nestled in a courtyard laced with brick walkways.
As we were watching the Glockenspiel (or as they call it "the Klokkenspel") again this year, I noticed something that I don't think I had ever noticed before. That being, that the benches around the Klokkenspel are made in the shape of the letter "S"... which unless you know what a "Danish Letter" is, may have NO significance to you at all. But, if you do know about these Danish pastries, you'll know that they are a sure joy to eat for breakfast, lunch, and even dinner (and for that matter) as a snack anytime in between. I'll try and slip in a picture of one of the benches so you can see how well they match up with the shape of the Danish Letters. (Darn! I wished I had taken some shots of the "Danish Letters" too.
This little town's economy seems to be related to two things, the first is the Pella Window Company which has its manufacturing, training and corporate headquarters all in this relatively small and quaint little town. The other industry that seemed to be thriving was the "tourist industry" activities (at least at this time of year)!
This town always reminds us of Solvang, California for all of those who are familiar with that town. But I am sure that in the winter, there would be no comparison (at least as far as the weather goes). But the upside is that I doubt that the folks in Pella have to put their tulip bulbs in the refrigerator all winter either. Or worry about earthquakes either.
We have always tried to time our visits to Pella at least a week before or a week after the Tulip Festival for the obvious reason; there are just too many people there then. This year by Mrs. LZ and me going on the week after the festival, we still got to see a lot of beautiful tulips, but we didn't get to see a lot of tourists (like us) there.
Although we did not do the Scholte House Tour, we did do the Scholte Gardens which are done for FREE. Most of the tulips you'll see in my picture were taken at Scholte Gardens.
Pella is beautiful and unique all year long, but at Tulip Time it comes alive with tulips, Dutch attire, parades, food, fun and more. Thousands of residents wear Dutch attire and celebrate our Dutch heritage. Three days each spring, Pella becomes Holland to Pella residents and visitors like Mrs. LZ and I.
You can travel back in time with Pella the first week in May to a European village full of windmills, tulips and excitement as we celebrate their 72nd anniversary (2008) of this colorful festival. Anytime you visit Pella, there are historical sights, ethnic foods, Dutch architecture, great shops, and friendly people.
Another place that I love is the little Wooden Shoe Pond that is shaped just like a little wooden shoe and is surrounded by little tulip gardens everywhere. Another thing that you can see is how they people who live in the city plant tulips in the parkways in front of their houses. I thought that this was just the GREATEST!
Another place that we had a nice meal was at a place called "Smokey Row" and although it was much like a cross between a coffee shop, a 50's diner and a restaurant, it was till kind of fun and the food was good. The service (what there was) involved you going up to the counter and ordering and then paying, but they did bring your food to the table when it was served, but it seemed to be run by some college kids, who seemed more interested in the kids that came in to just talk than they did with the people who were actually eating there, but kids will always be kids!
We had a couple of very nice meals there but as for dessert, we moved down the street to Jaarsma Bakery to stock up on some Danish Letters for the trip back home. We also got a couple of other goodies that just looked too good to pass up!
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” ~ Soren Kierkegaard (Danish Philosopher and Theologian)
