NOTES: I need an “at a glance” way to introduce contributors. It would make submitting easier too… some ideas: Name, Time living in Holland, Neighborhood, 5 words to describe yourself, Favorite food, Occupation, What you like about Holland, Favorite Possession, Who is your hero, What is your ideal vacation? What one thing instantly makes your day better? What do you enjoy spending money on? Outside of necessities what do you “need” every day? What do you really enjoy that is a little embarrassing? What do you most often order at a restaurant? Who do you include in your household (unsure of the wording)? If you are going to have a deep and intense conversation with someone would would that conversation be about? What else would you like to share?
Maybe I also add why I choose the person as well?
I am the of Centennial Inn and the adjacent property (which includes long term apartments and a short term apartment as well). I am the primary creator for this site. His wife Lisa is the sculptor professor at Hope College just down the street. Together they have lived downtown on 12th street for almost 20 years.
I enjoy being downtown, I believe in walkable cities and I try to teach my kids the ownership of being able to walk into our big front yard of downtown holland.
I love to stay in houses, bed and breakfasts, and locally owned places when I travel but I also believe in local regulations on short term stays. I have made a point to always include housing as part of my short term rentals.
I need places to go with a small young family (my children are 4 and 7 years old (in 2023) but I also like to meet friends for drinks or go out with my wife as well for great food or drinks.
I enjoy arts…
How I like to travel
I love traveling to large cities but equally love to explore small towns. I love observing and experiencing unique cultures and hearing the stories that come from years and years of specific geographic, ethnic, or commercial characters to an area. We typically equate culture to larger and older places but I think everywhere has a story worth hearing… and there are a multitude of tour guides that are required to understand them. Sometimes it is a historian, a city octiganarian, a biologist who can read the landscape, the business bureau, … I don’t believe in a hierarchy of culture. I have been making and you-tube binging custom work van to camper conversions for almost 2 decades… maybe to an embarrassing degree. As much as I get frustrated with how roadways cut into pedestrian life in cities it is a double edged sword for me as I’ve learned to lean into it and make myself comfortable in my van in parking lots and small parks… I love doing day trips to small Michigan towns.
My ideal trip is a aimless roadtrip. My wife and I have a habit of pulling up wikipedia and reading all the details to every small town we go through.
What I eat/drink:
Honestly, I probably order burgers more than 50% of the time. A burger and a beer is enough to keep me happy. That being said I really enjoy a thoughtful meal and I am not scared to try something new. I order drip coffee (but have very high standards), I drink IPA’s and most often make myself an Old Fashioned.
My Recommendations
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Rob Walcott recommends Hops at 84 East
Recommended for Lunch, Dinner, or Drinks.
Most notable for a large variety and a great chef
I think Bob (the chef) does an excellent job offering a huge variety of options and still maintaining high quality. I typically order a burger… Im not drawn to “award winning” but the Trumpet Burger is really good and yes, it is James Beard awarded. I often get the Tacos as well. I like to recommend Hops because it will have something of good quality for almost every diet.
I especially like Hops because I have a young family but meeting a friend for a drink
This should probably be categoized: Food, Coffee, Drinks, Parks, Outdoor activies, Sites, Shops… need to work on this.