Today when we were walking around the streets of Saugatuck we ran into a number of local merchants that we have not seen around in awhile and it was quite obvious that there is a feeling of excitement and anticipation in the air as everyone starts to prepare for the upcoming summer season.   It is always good to season familiar faces that aren’t always full time Saugatuck residents returning for another season as it really does make you feel all that much more excited about the season yourself.

So far at the bed and breakfast and across all of the Saugatuck Michigan and Holland Michigan areas we have not really seen any of the tulips opening just yet.  A very big difference compared to one year ago when the tulips were all blooming by this time and in full bloom late April before the Holland tulip festival even began in early May.  What a difference one year can make from the early spring we had just last year to the late spring of this year.  Oh well, it just means that the tulips should be timed perfectly to be in full bloom during the actual tulip festival this year.

It was obvious this morning that our bed and breakfast guests at breakfast this morning were anxious to get out for the day and we don’t blame them one bit.  The sunshine is quite abundant today and it looks to be a wonderful day to explore all of the West Michigan surrounding attractions, wineries, antique mall, Lake Michigan and more.  To be quite frank, we ourselves are anxious to finish up our cleaning and get out and about to enjoy the sunshine too.  How could you not want to get out on a day like today?

As a member of the Saugatuck Area Business Association, we routinely attend the celebratory events held by this great organization each year and one of these is the annual Spring Kick-off social event.  Today was the date for this event at the Laketown Golf and Recreation center on the north side of Saugatuck.    Sadly, we weren’t able to attend it after all as the bed and breakfast check-in duties sometimes prevent us from being able to attend these events.  But just knowing that it was held today is a great date each year as it marks the beginning of the busy season for us all and the return of the many visitors to our area of West Michigan.

With our weather being the typical spring rains lately, the sun shining down on the Michigan lakefront today was a very welcome surprise.  Of course we appreciate that the April showers bring May flowers, but still it is awfully nice to see the sun shining while we were out and about today for a brief period of time.  It definitely can change your mood to see the sunshine even if it is one day at a time in these Spring months of the year.