tulips, tourists, & turns

although spring seems to have taken its own spring break for the moment, the city of Holland inevitably anticipates its spring festival of flowers in just a few short weeks -- better known as Tulip Time. and tulips aren't the only thing that will soon be appearing all over town. tourists will join them -- lots of them. if only they would all just take a bus...

i was reminded of this as i was out driving through town this morning and had to wait in a traffic back-up behind an unfortunate, unknowing soul attempting to take a left turn in the middle of a US 31 intersection. if you have lived here in the Holland area for any length of time you know what i'm talking about. the funny thing is, while this can certainly annoy us locals, there is a surprising amount of patience for these poor drivers unfamiliar with the ways of our "Michigan turns". perhaps it is because we all internally sympathize with how idiotic the whole system really is.