TRAVEL THROWBACK: AMSTERDAM'S KEUKENHOF GARDENS

"There are places I'll remember......"

For some reason, I've been humming that tune

for the last few days.

I'm not sure how or why it popped into my head,

but it's actually apropos as I think about our visit 

to Keukenhof Gardens during tulip season eight years ago. 

Memories of exploring this glorious park outside of Amsterdam haven't faded; 

in fact, they're as vivid as the colorful riot of blooms
which blanket the grounds. 

I'd like to say that it was cleverly intentional on my part 
to plan our trip to Amsterdam during tulip season,
but, nope, it didn't even occur to me.  
There was no flexibility in our travel dates........
we went during Junior Goo Shoes' spring break from school.

The fact that we ended up in the Netherlands during 

peak tulip time just happened to be a lucky coincidence.

Seeing Keukenhof Gardens in full bloom, 

if I might humbly opine,

has got to be one of the most lovely sights the world has to offer. 

I'd go as far as calling it one of the wonders of the world.......

okay, not one the top seven, 
but certainly high up there on the "Wonder" wheel.

Perhaps most spectacular of all was the rainbow panorama 
of endless tulip fields growing outside the park.

It was Flower Power to the nth degree.

When I planned this family excursion to the park,

I was more than a little concerned that Junior Goo Shoes 
would be bored out of his 11-year old mind;

and frankly, I wasn't so sure about 

Mr. Goo Shoes' interest level, either.

I'd have bet the farm that after half an hour

of tiptoeing through the tulips, 
I'd be hearing, "Are we done yet?" in stereo.

But, to my surprise.......and delight.......my boys were enthralled!

After miles of walking through the park,

 we worked up an appetite, 

and stuffed our faces with Dutch treats, 

like stroopwafels and poffertjes, 
readily available at the park's kiosks.

If you know me, joy of travel 

is equal parts sightseeing and eating. 

Okay, 60/40, with food getting a slight edge. 

Hey, if the wooden shoe fits.......

Or not. 

Surely, I jest.

Seriously, the essence of why one travels is

to see things we can't see at home, 

like medieval architecture, or other-worldly natural landscapes.

In this case, it was a floral razzle-dazzler of epic proportions. 

Sometimes, we need pictures to remind us of what we've seen,

 and then, there are those gems 

that are etched into our memories forever. 

Keukenhof Gardens in tulip season is such a place. 

 "There are places I'll remember...........

In my life, I've loved them all."

 

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
  

Traveling With Kids To Amsterdam

LINKING WITH:
Best Of The Weekend
Our World Tuesday