AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - 29
By Suzanne B. Bopp
any of the common sights you see in
the Netherlands lend the country a
storybook quality: gabled townhouses
lining serene canals, vast color-blocked
fields of tulips, wooden windmills towering over
flat landscapes and streets filled with bicycling
commuters, all packed into a country a little smaller
than the state of West Virginia.
The word "Netherlands" actually means low-lying
countries, and the description is accurate. About a
quarter of the country lies below sea level, and most all
of it is flat. Winds from the North Sea blow through
unimpeded, powering the iconic windmills that have
stood for centuries, many employed in pumping water
out of the lowlands and over the dykes. Many of the
windmills from the 1800s are still in use today.
That flat landscape has helped shape other essential
aspects of Dutch life. It's a boon to the cycling culture
that pervades the country: There
are twice as many bikes as cars, and
22,000 miles of cycling paths lace
the country. The level ground is also
ideal for farming, as is the temperate
climate, bringing mild summers
and winters and rainfall year round.
About half of the country's land is
devoted to agriculture.
Smell the flowers
In certain regions much of that agricultural ground
produces flowers, and when you see the rows and rows
of colored blossoms stretching into the distance, you
can easily believe that the Netherlands is responsible
for around two-thirds of the world's total flora sales.
Tulips, the national flower, are omnipresent, but Dutch
growers cultivate and export many other kinds of bulb
flowers too, including daffodils, hyacinths and crocuses.
The country's best known flower region lies in the
northern region, behind the North Sea dunes, between
the cities of Leiden and Den Helder. If you follow the
25-mile Flower Route - surely one of the world's most
colorful drives - which departs from Haarlem and
ends in Leiden, in the spring, you'll be treated to miles
of dahlias, irises, narcissi and tulips in bold, vibrant
colors. Throughout the region, local tourist offices can
provide maps of routes around and through fields you
can explore by foot, bike or car.
World-famous Keukenhof is a
must-see for even a casual flower
fan. This historic park in Lisse -
inside the country's "bulb belt" -
encompasses 80 acres bursting with
bulb flowers of every description:
tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, orchids
and lilies. Keukenhof is said to
TRAVELER WINTER 2018
29
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AAA Traveler - Winter 2018
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018
Contents
Departures
Because Someday
The "I"s Have It
Trip Notes
Tasting the Bahamas
Navigator
Agent Spotlight
Europe’s Majestic Rhine
Your Story
Alaska by Land and Sea
Four Parks, Four Ways
Beers and Blossoms
Cities We Love
Postcards
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - AAA Traveler - Winter 2018
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - Cover2
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - Contents
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - Departures
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - Because Someday
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - 4
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - 5
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - 6
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - 7
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - The "I"s Have It
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - 9
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - 10
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - 11
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - 12
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - Trip Notes
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - Tasting the Bahamas
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - 15
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - 16
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - Navigator
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - NCover2
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - N2
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - N3
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - N4
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - N5
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - N6
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - N7
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - N8
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - N9
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - N10
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - N11
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - N12
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - N13
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - NCover3
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - NCover4
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - Agent Spotlight
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - Europe’s Majestic Rhine
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - 19
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - Your Story
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - 21
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - Alaska by Land and Sea
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - 23
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - 24
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - 25
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - Four Parks, Four Ways
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - 27
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - Beers and Blossoms
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - 29
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - 30
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - 31
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - Cities We Love
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - Postcards
AAA Traveler - Winter 2018 - Cover4
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