Wishing to see tulips/flowers and windmills.
My mother-in-law will be visiting us in the UK, from the states, for the first time in May 2008.

We have five children from age 2 - 12 years.

I would be happy for us to travel by ferry if possible, for something different.

I would be happy for us to spend one or two nights visiting while seeing what we want to see.

A guided tour might be good if not too expensive.

Who can help?

Thanks!

Angie

Forgot to mention that my mother-in-law can walk but not for great distances. She has a nerve condition which causes her great pain in the following days if she stands for too long or walks too far.

Would it be advisable to bring a rented wheelchair with us from the UK, rent one in Holland, or ???

I am sorry. I think May will be too late to see the tulips. Especially this year. The winter has been so mild, spring will be early by almost one month. Would it not be possible to interest your mother in English Gardens?http://www.invectis.co.uk/sissing/#idx Have a look at these pictures from Sissinghurst Castle Garden.

Are there other flowers to see that would be in bloom at that time or are tulips really all there is...?

She would be happy with English gardens I am sure. I was wanting to expose all of us to a bit of other culture though during their visit.

Thanks for the link, I will look at it.

Angie

Oh, they have all kinds of flowers. Just as all of us. But they are world famous for their tulips. http://www.keukenhof.nl/ Especially in this park. I was there late April a few years ago. And we were even lucky. Spring was delayed that year, so we saw it when it was most lovely.But for gardens, no country is more famous than England.

If at all possible, I highly recommend staying on a houseboat in the center. It is a unique experience that speaks so much about Amsterdam and will be loved by all.

We spent a few weeks there when we first started our open ended trip around the world and had a ball. There are tons of great places for kids. Just follow the link I left above for my Amsterdam pages in our blog.

Don't miss the Open Air Museum


Not only will you see great windmills there, but you will be able to go in them, see crafts people, watch wooden shoes be made|( plus a fabulous collection), get a demo on cheese making with free samples, plus more and lots of beautiful grounds to run around in.

If you can add a few more days!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Marta,

Keukenhof is open only until mid-May. As soljet mentioned, it depends upon the season as to when you will see tulips and typically mid-late April tulip time. We went early May one year and they were a beds still blooming. They do have several covered pavilions where you will find other bulbs blooming (lilies, etc). If you can make it the first week in May - maybe. But otherwise, it will be past its prime.

You can rent a wheelchair at Keukenhof but it will probably be a good idea to bring one because it is usually a distance to walk to areas in Holland. Also, there is a lot of cobblestone/brick in Holland so it is not the easiest to get around.

WT, if there isn't a link at your site for the houseboat rental, could you get me one? I know that I would like to research that option a bit, perhaps for our nuclear family and not with my in-laws.

Thanks!

Frederic Rentabike has a couple of the houseboats listed on their website under rooms. WT rented it from them. Hopefully it is on their website and she can point out which one it was.

We do have another houseboat review on Slow Travel that you can also check out. We also had a recent discussion on places to stay. Another member had a houseboat suggestion.