- 24.8 miles
- 3 hours 16 minutes
- 7.6 mph average speed
- 4-13 mph winds
Windmill Island Gardens is home to De Zwaan windmill which is the only authentic windmill operating in the United States as well as the last windmill to leave The Netherlands. De Zwann (the Swan) was built in the Netherlands in 1884. The dismantling of the windmill began in 1964 and its seven thousand pieces weighing sixty-six tons were brought to the U.S. and reconstructed over a period of six months. The Gardens still grind flour in the windmill from wheat grown in Michigan.
In 1947, the city of Amsterdam gifted the city of Holland a 1928 organ which had played in the streets of Breda, Rotterdam and Amsterdam. The organ, as well as a hand painted Dutch carousel, were given to the city of Holland in gratitude for the role of the United States in liberating The Netherlands in World War II.
Windmill Island is also home to several Fresian horses. Fresian horses originated in the Dutch province of Friesland. The breed dates back to medieval times when they were used to carry knights in battle. They are one of the world’s most expensive breeds and they are often used in Hollywood movies. There are only about 8,000 registered Fresian horses in the U.S.
We drove over to Saugatuck as this was a town where we had intended to stay but were not able to as we could not get a slip reserved. It was quite crowded as it was Labor Day weekend. We enjoyed sitting on a bench and watching all of the boat traffic, had lunch and walked around the town.
The Saugatuck Chain Ferry crosses the Kalamazoo River. The original chain ferry was built in 1857 and used until the 1940’s. The Chain Ferry is powered by a crew member or passenger cranking a handle at the center of the vessel. The chain is attached to each river bank and fed through a sprocket which pulls the ferry through the water. Saugatuck’s chain ferry is the last hand-cranked ferry in the United States.
