Tulip Festival

Earlier this week, we joined my in-laws for their annual trip to the Tulip Festival in the town they live in (it’s about a half hour drive from us). We did it last year and had a lot of fun – even though I was more waddling than walking since I was pregnant with Small Fry at the time – so we accepted their invitation to go again.

We started the day with a picture in one of the many cutouts…

And then they traded spots since neither wanted to be in the lower one. This was our way of compromising.

This windmill was in the center of the kids’ play area.

The kids took a ride on the wooden shoe train. It’s basically shoe-shaped wagons atop tractor wheels towed by a small tractor. Both last year and this year, the boys’ favorite part of the ride was the “biggest puddle in the world.” Boys!

Then we walked through the huge tulip field. I don’t know how many acres it is, but these pictures represent only a small portion of the field.

It was too big for Small Fry to make it all the way through ;). Because of the way he fell asleep, he was sporting his very first sunburn later that night. However, because of babies’ Wolverine-fast healing ability, he was all better by morning.

In the middle of the field was an old John Deere tractor for kids to climb on.

This is kind of interesting. There in the front of the picture you can see that white line… it’s a strip of mesh fabric. They put those on each row of tulips and then plant the bulbs on top. Then at the end of the season, they just pull the mesh out of the ground and the new crop of tulip bulbs comes out of the ground easily without risking damage to them. I thought that was pretty ingenious.

Another cutout, this time with Grandpa 🙂

I thought these ones were pretty. I like the traditional smooth edges to tulips, but I also liked how these ones looked like ripped paper on the edges. Kind of like the difference between a rag quilt and a traditional quilt. Both are pretty but in unique ways.

And to end the day on a high note, the kids did the pony ride. Pardon my finger in Munchkin’s picture; I’m still getting used to the new camera phone.

–Wendy