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There's nowhere like Keukenhof Gardens in springtime to introduce the beauty, color, scent and creative potential of flowers to children.

Travel in the Netherlands is not easy... by car. I have never seen such traffic in and around an entire country; New York and D.C. are nothing compared to what we saw this spring in Holland. Yes, there were places where the traffic flowed but, for the most part, wherever we went we were in a slow jam for long stretches of time. What a way to begin our weekend. at tulip time.

I had been to Amsterdam -- in winter -- 30 years ago as a college student and it seemed dingy. In 2007 during April, the peak of spring, it was still dingy. The canals are very interesting and worth a visit if just to see the architecture of the buildings and marvel at the water that is everywhere. But the water is filthy and the "houseboats" that line the canals are anything but beautiful.

We "enjoyed" the visit to the Anne Frank House, (+31 (0) 20 5567 100) at Prinsengracht 267, if it is appropriate to use that term. The museum that is attached to the house is wonderful and a stark reminder of a past that should never happen again. We also couldn't wait to see the Rijksmuseum (+31 (0) 20 6747 000) at Jan Luijkenstraat1. We saw one wing with many Rembrandts in it, but the rest of the museum was under construction.

Larger Than Life Gardens

The most impressive thing to see in the Netherlands in spring is the flowers, so we went to Keukenhof Gardens (+31 (0) 25 2465 555) located in the "Bulb Region" at Stationweg 166a. "Keuken" means kitchen in Dutch. These gardens, originally the herb garden of Jacoba van Beyeren, the Countess of Holland (1401-1436), were designed in 1840 by the horticultural architect Zocher. In March 2009, Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands officially opened the 60th edition of Keukenhof's flower show, which will be open till May 21, 2009. To celebrate the show's theme of friendship with New Amsterdam (today's New York), families will see a recreation of the Statue of Liberty made of 50,000 bulbs!  The planting was begun in October 2008, so we are excited to go back and see it.

There are 15 kms of walking trails and 7,000,000 flowers -- as far as the eye can see. I hope the photos speak for themselves: the colors are breathtaking. The fragrance of hyacinths and lilacs was everywhere. And tulips... all colors, shapes and sizes.

These gardens are very child-friendly, too. When you enter Keukenhof, ask the cashier for a Bollebozen Route Book for each child. In it are 10 assignments for the children to accomplish while in the gardens. The restaurants have children's menus and provide a shaded place for a break. Within the gardens there is also a large, modern playground and a maze that we found the most fun for all ages.

Keukenhof Gardens is located in the town of Lisse on Route N208. It remains open every year, typcially from about mid-March to Mid-May -- tulip time! The gardens are open from 8am-7:30pm and the daily entry cost is €13.50 per adult and €6.50 for children ages 4-11; tickets may be bought online. If you drive, there is also a €6 parking fee but the more eco-friendly choice is the bus that runs to the gardens from Amsterdam.