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Dine and Dish

Food blog with family recipes

June 6, 2014

Summer Travel Series – Holland, Michigan

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Travel Holland Michigan Vacation Guide
Last summer, I posted on Facebook that my family was looking for a family friendly vacation spot within a one day drive from Kansas City. I expected to hear things like Galveston, TX or Minneapolis, MN, but what I didn’t expect was an overwhelming number of people giving the highest accolades to Michigan. People were praising Michigan’s white sandy beaches, clear blue lakes, fabulous food, great scenery, fun things to do and more! So many people brought up Michigan as their favorite vacation spot that I knew we had to check it out.

Map of Michigan

I am so glad we listened to all the praise because in the summer of 2013 my family vacationed in a gem of a town called Holland, Michigan. It was a 10 hour drive from where I live on the west side of Kansas City…pretty much straight highway the entire way. Holland isn’t as far as the Upper Peninsula (YOOP) of Michigan, but this little gem of a city is a family vacation destination worth spending some time in. I pretty much insta-hoed our family vacation and took tons of pictures, sharing them on Instagram and Facebook. Several people since have asked me about how we liked Holland, so I thought I’d share some of that today! (Spoiler Alert… we loved Holland and I would seriously go back every single year if I could!)

Now if you are ready, I’ll get to the nitty gritty about our vacation!

Holland Michigan Travel White Sand Beaches

Why Vacation in Holland, Michigan?

If you are looking for a family friendly, budget friendly, fun filled yet relaxing vacation spot, Holland, MI is the place for you. Especially if you are landlocked in the midwest and are looking to drive to a destination that has white sandy beaches and the most beautiful clear, blue water…which was so ocean like, you’ll love Holland. We felt like Holland had the best mix of rest and relaxation as well as fun active options of any vacation we’ve ever been on. The charm of this city is hard to beat. I’m almost afraid to publish this post because Holland seems a little guarded of their secret… it’s an amazing vacation destination! In fact, if I was in charge of Michigan’s travel and tourism campaigns, my slogan for Michigan would be “Michigan. Who knew?”

Where to Stay in Holland, Michigan?

Holland Michigan VRBO house we stayed in

 

I can’t speak for the hotels in Holland, but there were plenty to choose from. However, if you want close access to the beaches and lakes, I highly recommend going through a site like VRBO or Airbnb. The lake is not near downtown Holland, where the majority of the hotels seem to be. You keep driving outside of the city of Holland to get to the lake front and near lake properties. We stayed in a charming split level home, just 2 blocks away from the main park access to the beach.

Hammock

If you want to check out the house we stayed in, click here. The owners of our home are Holland residents, working for the coast guard. They were extremely helpful when we arrived, providing us with information on local activities and what to do in Holland with kids our ages. Our house was perfect for us… it was spacious, quaint, had the most beautiful backyard with hammock and firepit, and they were dog friendly, so Meg got to vacation with us! We’ve kept in touch with the owners and they have another rental property now too! I can’t wait to go back and visit them someday.

I will add that there are plenty of more upscale homes to choose from through VRBO in Holland. Our house was perfect for what we needed and fit our budget well. If you have a larger budget and want lakefront homes or something more upscale, there are plenty of options. 

What is there to do in Holland, Michigan?

Big-Red-Lighthouse Blue-Skies
Farmers-MarketFarmers-Market-2


Hidden-Beach
Holland-Sunset-1 Kids-in-Lake Sandy-Beaches Saugatuck dune ridesDune-Rides-3
Street-Entertainment-2 Street-Entertainment Sunset-Clap Sunset-Kids Sunset-Pics Tree-at-Sunset Tunnel-Park

There is more than plenty to do in Holland. Our vacation was in mid July, but if you are lucky enough to go in the first part of the summer you’ll get to experience Hollands very own Tulip Time Festival! Definitely the things you want to put on your list to do while you are in Holland are:

  • Visit Holland State Park, home of the beautiful lighthouse called “Big Red”. Holland State Park has a beautiful beach with amenities galore. Clean restrooms, volleyball nets, docks for fishing, paths for hiking or riding. The days we visited the beach at Holland State Park were a little busier than other places we had gone, but not overwhelming. What I loved about this area of the lake was that the waves were enough there for my kids to have fun swimming in them, but not so big and scary that I had to keep myself glued to their sides at all time. There is a minimal fee to get in to Holland State Park, but in return you get all of the extra amenities you may not get on a private beach.
  • Visit Tunnel Park. Tunnel Park is a fun park, with a tunnel that cuts through a giant sand dune and leads to the beach and lake. The house we stayed in had very close access to both the beach here and at the state park and so we visited often. My kids loved playing on the playground equipment, hiking through the tunnel, rolling down the giant sand dunes and more! Tunnel Parks beach had the same amenities as Holland State Park, but fewer people. Tunnel Park was my favorite place to watch the sunsets!
  • Watch the Sunset, every night! My friend Sheila, a Michigan lover and native, gave me this advice and I am so glad she did. You have not seen a sunset until you’ve experienced a sunset over Lake Michigan. I didn’t miss a single sunset, and each and every one was so full of awe inspiring beauty. One evening at Holland State Park, we had sat down to watch the sunset and take pictures. A small crowd of people had started to form, all with the same idea. Once the big red ball of sun dipped below the horizon, everyone stood up and started clapping. Sunsets in Holland are worth pausing to watch. They are that incredible!
  • Shop in downtown Holland. Downtown Holland is such a quaint place… I immediately fell in love with the area. There are shops for just about everything in Holland, so if you love to shop, you’ll be totally satisfied with the unique offerings shopping in Holland has to offer.
  • Visit the Holland Farmers Market. This is a must if you visit Holland! We ate at so many great establishments while we were in Holland, but the meals we ate at home with goods from the Holland Farmers Market were the best!
  • Exercise and sports recreation. Holland has some of the most beautiful running and biking trails, many right along side the lake, around. My husband and I both ran a lot while on vacation as we were both training for half marathons at the time. The running paths were nicely shaded and well maintained. I think I’d run every single day when the weather was nice if I lived in Holland! There are plenty of places to rent bikes and paths to ride them on. In addition, you can rent paddle boards, kayaks, and so much more. There are plenty of establishments around Holland to rent from.
  • Main Street Kids Entertainment. Holland blocks off Main Street once a week for an absolutely blast of a night with live entertainers. From musicians to comedians, to sculptors, gymnasts, etc. so many talented artists come to Holland to perform and share their talents with Holland locals and visitors. This is a free night of entertainment and was so much fun!
  • Ride the sand dunes. We actually drove a town over to Saugatuck, Michigan to go on a sand dune buggy ride. This fast paced, high speed, entertaining ride was so much fun! The kids, Nick and I all had such a blast on these rides. It was kind of spendy but so worth it as it was a blast! Note, you do have to make ride reservations and you have to do it in person. So arrive a couple hours before you want to actually ride and buy your tickets for later in the day. While you are waiting, there is plenty to do in Saugatuck to keep you busy as well! (Such a cute, Coastal Living type town!)

My kids were pretty much 100% happy playing in the sand and the water at the lake. That’s what I loved about Holland…if we wanted to do something, there was plenty to keep us busy but we could also just lounge around and relax and feel like we were still getting the most from our vacation!

Where Should I Eat in Holland, Michigan?

Captain-Sundae DeBoer Froggy-2 Froggy Latte pizza

There are a couple places in Holland that I still crave today, almost a year later. Here is a list of some of our favorite places to eat at in Holland!

  • Captain Sundae We visited Captain Sundae every evening but one while we were in Holland. If you love ice cream sundaes, this presidential loved and adored ice cream shop is for you! Make sure to ask them for extra “Captain Crunchies” on your sundae!
  • DeBoer Bakery We had breakfast or brunch at DeBoer’s just about every day when we were on vacation in Holland. DeBoer is a dutch bakery with fresh bread, pastries and other baked goods. They also have a restaurant space with a menu full of incredible choices. Make sure when you go to get one of their freshly made English Muffins, a carmel latte and don’t leave without snatching up a dozen doughnuts. One will not be enough! I wish they delivered to Kansas!
  • Fricano’s Pizza  This was another recommendation from my friend, Sheila over at Eat2Gather. She said “Either you’ll love Fricano’s or you’ll hate it.” Fricano’s carries what I would consider extra thin crust pizza, and we LOVED it. If you are looking for a place where “everybody knows your name” Faicano’s is it. Every person that walked through the door seemed to be best friends with the others. It’s definitely a local hangout – but even visitors are welcome!
  • Boatwerks Waterfront Restaurant This is where we ate when we wanted a more “upscale” meal. Their menu encompasses steak, seafood, burgers, sandwiches, salads… just about anything you could want. The food was amazing, but the waterfront view was even better! You can sit outside on their expansive dock, or sit inside and still have great views of the water. It’s a little pricer but was well worth it!
  • New Holland Brewing Company If you are a fan of craft beer, you must check out New Holland Brewing Company. Located right downtown, this was a great lunch spot to duck into on a hot day. The kids loved their food, Nick and I loved ours, and we enjoyed a few beers and cocktails as well! The atmosphere of New Holland Brewing Company was really great as well… fun and laid back, great for the whole family!

So, there we have it! I want to give a special shoutout to my friends Sheila, Liz, Rachel and Rebecca for helping us to plan our Michigan vacation! Visiting Holland, Michigan was one of the best vacation decisions we’ve ever made. You know if by the end of your week you have alerts set up on Realtor.com for possible summer houses that might come available, you really love a place. I hope you’ll all get the chance to visit Holland some day. In the meantime, if you have any questions about planning your own Holland Vacation, just let me know! I’m also in no way affiliated with the Holland, Michigan tourism board, but their website is really a great resource, especially their downloadable visitors guide. Check it out!

 

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Filed Under: Previous, Travel Tagged With: captain sundae, deboer, family vacation, holland, holland state park, mi, michigan, summer vacation, sunset, travel, tunnel park

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Cassie says

    June 6, 2014 at 12:51 pm

    I love how gorgeous this is, and within driving distance! You captured the trip so well and I can’t wait to go there myself!

    Reply
    • Kristen says

      June 6, 2014 at 6:17 pm

      You must go sometime, Cassie! It’s such a lovely place!

      Reply
  2. Rachel Cooks says

    June 6, 2014 at 12:55 pm

    LOVE LOVE LOVE this recap! Making me want to take a little drive across the state. 🙂 Next time you come, I’m there for sure!!!

    Reply
    • Kristen says

      June 6, 2014 at 6:19 pm

      Next time we’re there, you’ll have to come over for Captain Sundae and doughnuts 🙂

      Reply
  3. Liz @ The Lemon Bowl says

    June 6, 2014 at 1:18 pm

    Oh this makes me so happy! It is so fun reading about Michigan from the eyes of a non-resident. I must admit, even a Michigan obsessed gal like myself can’t help but take so much of this for granted living here. Thank you so much for visiting and spreading the word about our beautiful little secret.

    Reply
    • Kristen says

      June 6, 2014 at 6:19 pm

      I love that you helped convince us to go! As an ocean girl, I was kind of skeptical but I loved it even better! Plus, it was great seeing you too!

      Reply
  4. Sheila says

    June 6, 2014 at 1:22 pm

    This post brought tears to my eyes! I know i’m a sap about Michigan. Just so glad that you loved it so much! I was seriously a little worried last year after I pretty much bamboozled you into coming to Mi. hahahah! afraid that maybe you wouldn’t love as much as I. Thank you for the numerous shout outs! Can’t wait till you visit again! xox Sheila PS puremichigan if you read this post I think you should seriously consider hiring Kristen and I to help with your next puremichigan commercials, promise we will be a better pricepoint than Tim Allen 😉

    Reply
    • Kristen says

      June 6, 2014 at 6:20 pm

      🙂 We loved it so much and I’m so happy you gave us all the info you did to help us make our decision to go there. I can’t wait to go back!

      Reply
  5. Tara says

    June 6, 2014 at 5:34 pm

    Having lived in Holland my entire life it makes me so happy to hear you enjoyed your stay here!

    Reply
    • Kristen says

      June 6, 2014 at 6:18 pm

      We loved it and can’t wait to return!

      Reply
  6. Beth G. says

    June 6, 2014 at 5:47 pm

    I’m so glad that you enjoyed your time in Holland! I live just south of Holland in St. Joseph, and we love it here! We are close to the beautiful beaches and we love our town. And you’re right, the sunsets are not to be missed! Come back soon!!

    b.

    Reply
    • Kristen says

      June 6, 2014 at 6:20 pm

      I’ll have to check out St. Joseph next time too! We can’t wait to go back!

      Reply
  7. Molly @Doughvelopment says

    June 6, 2014 at 6:32 pm

    I’ve wanted to go to Michigan for ages, this just makes me want to more than ever! The food looks incredible! Looks like you had an awesome vacation!

    Reply
    • Kristen says

      June 9, 2014 at 7:33 pm

      It is such a beautiful place to visit. You should definitely visit there sometime!

      Reply
  8. The Lemos says

    June 6, 2014 at 10:46 pm

    So glad you enjoyed your stay… we are indeed really proud of our little town! There is SO much to do here, the hardest part is to decide what to do on a daily basis. Next time we’ll have to take you guys on a sunset boat ride:)

    Reply
    • Kristen says

      June 9, 2014 at 7:34 pm

      We would love that! Loved the pictures of your newest house (and the kids would love the pool!) Hope to see you soon!

      Reply
  9. Heather || Heather's Dish says

    June 7, 2014 at 11:19 am

    What a seriously stunning place! And so much to do – I had never been to Michigan until last year when I visited Traverse City for a little bit. SUCH a gorgeous state, and I would love to see more of it!

    Reply
    • Kristen says

      June 9, 2014 at 7:35 pm

      It’s such a hidden gem, isn’t it? My first impression of Michigan was of Detroit, which is not it’s best representation! So glad I gave it another chance 🙂

      Reply
  10. Christen says

    June 9, 2014 at 7:49 am

    Aw, you are making me homesick for my hometown!!! 🙂 Glad you could experience this gem in the heart of the Midwest! We are now living in Turkey so if your food/family adventures bring you to this part of the world, let me know! I love to find kindred spirits in the travel and photography world.

    Reply
    • Kristen says

      June 9, 2014 at 7:35 pm

      Oh wow – Turkey? You are far from home!!

      Reply
  11. Deb - Holland native says

    June 9, 2014 at 6:21 pm

    SO glad you had a great time! We live in Holland so if you need other tips or info, feel free to contact!

    I just have to add this restaurant recommendation:
    Crazy Horse Steakhouse – excellent food and top notch service, locally owned and loved (kids welcome!)

    Reply
    • Kristen says

      June 9, 2014 at 7:36 pm

      I’m definitely adding that to our list of places to go next! Thanks for the recommendation!

      Reply
  12. dennis diekema says

    June 10, 2014 at 12:00 pm

    Glad you had a great time. Next time come out and see Windmill Island Gardens.

    Reply
  13. Jamie says

    June 10, 2014 at 2:05 pm

    I was born and raised in Holland. I loved it there. This September it’ll be two years since I’ve lived there and I miss it everyday. Also another great time to visit is the first week in may. We have a tulip festival. There are tulips all over, food stands downtown along with dutch dancing and parades. It’s a lot of fun

    Reply
  14. Melissa says

    June 11, 2014 at 11:31 am

    What a great post! I live in Holland and it’s so fun to read about your perspective! There is so much to see and do here and so many delicious restaurants to enjoy.

    Reply
  15. Carol at Wild Goose Tea says

    June 11, 2014 at 1:51 pm

    I totally enjoyed your post! I know zip personally about the Midwest. Michigan should hire you as a media tour director. Fun photos and good food—-perfect mix which equals to FUN. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
  16. TidyMom says

    June 11, 2014 at 5:15 pm

    I forgot all about Holland Michigan! I went there as a kid, and remember that we loved it – we also spent a day on Mackinac Island I remember that being really cool too! if you haven’t been, maybe check that out next time too!

    Reply
  17. Toni | BoulderLocavore says

    June 22, 2014 at 1:45 pm

    I love reading this Kristen. We too have wanted fun places to go for summer vacation when our inspiration is lacking and find often these types of trips have so much more to discover than imagined. It seems like a great jaunt!

    Reply
  18. Lorenzano says

    August 3, 2014 at 9:11 am

    I very much appreciated, being able to consider, what you had to say here and, I’m keen to see what other folks have to share.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Estes Park Colorado Family Vacation Planning Guide RMNP says:
    June 28, 2014 at 8:43 am

    […] hope you all enjoyed my most recent summer travel series post on Holland, Michigan! Today, I’m continuing the series and am going to share with you details about our favorite […]

    Reply
  2. Sharing By The Shore Blogger Retreat - Traverse City, Michigan says:
    July 24, 2015 at 4:04 am

    […] I seriously can’t wait to go back with my family one summer. My friend Kristen wrote about her family vacation to Holland Beach a couple of years ago and I knew that my family would have to make the trip together one day. From […]

    Reply
  3. Sharing by the Shore Bloggers Retreat - Traverse City, Michigan - Dine and Dish says:
    August 9, 2015 at 7:59 pm

    […] being there and the fact that this retreat was in Traverse City, Michigan (you know how much I LOVE Michigan) totally pulled me in. I said yes to Sharing by the Shore and I am so glad I […]

    Reply
  4. Simple Ice Cream Muffins Recipe Plus Travel Tips - Dine and Dish says:
    March 30, 2018 at 6:00 am

    […] to rent a condo or house that will comfortably and affordably hold all six of us. The benefits of renting a vacation home are numerous, but we love the fact that there’s space for all of us to spread out and a […]

    Reply
  5. 13 Awesome Midwest Family Vacations (with little kids) says:
    April 10, 2019 at 4:01 pm

    […] Summer Vacation Tips Blog Post for Holland […]

    Reply

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Spend $15 or more at your bookstore between April 24th and 26th. Submit your receipt at libro.fm/ibd and Libro.fm will email you a link to your free audiobook by April 28th! Easy peasy, right?

Wait! There’s more! 🌟 I’d love to give one Dine & Dish follower the chance to win a 3 month @Librofm audiobook membership. To enter, simply tag your favorite independent bookstore here and tell me what you love the most about it! That’s it! Winner will be chosen at random on April 27th. Yay, books!

#indiebookstoreday #indiebookstore #bookstoreshoutout 
#booksbooksandmorebooks #bookgiveaway #audiobook #librofm #independentbookstore @indiebookstoreday
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Can’t believe we’re doing the college tour thing already with my second baby! 

So question for any of you who sent your kids to out of state schools or went to out of state schools...how did you do it? She wants to get the heck out of Kansas (I’d like to go with her!). We have money saved, she’ll most likely get a scholarship or two, she’s paying and has money saved as well...but even with that out of state tuition is a beast of an amount. So, did you just assume that student loans were going to be part of that life? And is that worth it to give your kids a shot at a new life outside of your home state? I wish I would have left Kansas for university, and have been here since I was born 😩. I want different for her if that’s what she wants but also just don’t have any experience with how people do out of state college! Any tips?

#collegetour #bestlifenow #outofstate #studentloans #junioryear #kansasstate #adviceneeded
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J is for...jam!
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My friend @wakschmale makes the best strawberry jam...and I completely forgot about a jar she gave me last year until this morning. Which then inspired me to make my favorite buttermilk biscuits. So so good. Are you a jam, honey, just butter or plain biscuit fan? I love biscuits allll the ways, except with gravy. I have super bad memories of biscuits and gravy growing up. 🤢
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I’m still slowly making my way through the alphabet for @kimklassen_innercircle a-z photo challenge. I’m bound and determined to finish. It may just take me a little longer than I originally anticipated 🤗.
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#homemadejam #eatcaptureshare #biscuitsandjam #homemadebiscuits #sundaybaking #easylikesundaymorning #foodphotograph #foodpics #slowsunday #breakfastathome #kimklassen_innercircle
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It took me 2 months to get this Crispy Chickpea Pantry Pasta recipe up on the blog. 🤦‍♀️But it’s there now! You can find the link in my Instagram profile.
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Also, just noticed Instagram took away the like count on posts. I kind of like that...what do you think?
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#pastarecipe #chickpeapasta #dinnerideas #dinnerrecipes #vegetarianrecipe #eatcaptureshare #slowblogging  #totallifechanges
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I is for Inspiration!
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The “long haul” effects of having Covid back in December are really presenting themselves lately. The continuous persistent headaches are taking a toll and the connection between the brain fog and word retrieval function of my brain has been extra challenging. I had no idea a couple months out, the cognitive effects would still be hanging around.
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With that said, when I get a burst of inspiration I’m grabbing on for dear life. I made our favorite chocolate chip cookies recipe yesterday and felt the desire to update the blog post photos from 2007! We make these cookies all the time, so I’m not sure why it’s taken me so many years to give that poor post some new photos.
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If you’re interested in the recipe you can find the link currently in my profile. Enjoy!!
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@kimklassen_innercircle #kimklassen_innercircle #chocolatechipcookie #cookiestagram #foodphotography #feedfeedbaking #plateofcookies #cookiephotography #eatcaptureshare #recipeoftheweek
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H is for...high!
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It was so strange being on a plane again. I’m so thankful I have the antibodies because the flights were full, which seemed wrong, but everyone around me did seem to keep their masks on, so that was good.
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I can’t wait until travel becomes a regular part of life again. I’ve missed it so much!
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 @kimklassen_innercircle @southwestair @windowswap #cloudphotography #cloudsofinstagram #flightview #iflyswa #imisstravelling #skylove #planepics #myviewtoday #beautifulviews
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G is for...oh so grateful!

I flew to South Texas yesterday to visit my parents whom I haven’t seen in 2 years. They live around 17 hours away from us. We typical get to see each other a few times a year but with the pandemic and other health issues it just wasn’t able to happen and I’ve missed them soooo much.

Grateful to have had COVID last month. Although it was not at all fun, it gave me the antibodies to make this trip possible. My dad is having surgery tomorrow so I’m helping with my mom so my dad can recover without having to worry about her.

Kansas is enjoying frigid temperatures and snow. I picked a great week to head south.
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#palmtrees🌴 #palmtreesfordays #blueskiesandsunshine #wintersun #texasskies #kimklassen_innercircle @kimklassen_innercircle #silverlining
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F is for...food photography.
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This time of year especially, food photography (and I guess all photography actually) is a tug of war with time and light. I had planned on making and photographing a delicious pasta recipe, but my grocery delivery ran a couple of hours late because of snowstorm. So, at the eleventh hour I decided to make a cake...that took over an hour to bake and I had about 90 minutes of natural light left...leaving me with about 30 minutes of ok light to work with.
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Anyway, this wouldn't work for a client shoot because the cake, although delicious, didn't turn out looking so great. But it will work great for today's F photo for the @kimklassen_innercircle A-Z photo project:) Lemon Citrus Yogurt Cake from this weeks @cabotcheese newsletter. So good!
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#eatcake #eatcaptureshare #eatcakebehappy #lemoncake #cakecakecakecake #foodiegram #yahoofood #dessertsofinstagram #sweettooth #kimklassen_innercircle #fisforfood
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