Amsterdam

Amsterdam was never on my list of places that I wanted to go, but a friend wanted to go see the tulip festival and on a whim I figured why not! I am so happy I went, if Amsterdam isn’t on your list it definitely needs to be! It was beautiful, clean and one of the most picturesque places I have ever been. And stay tuned for an announcement at the end!

Where To Stay And Transportation In Amsterdam:

We stayed in the Leonardo Hotel and it was in the perfect location, within walking distance to Vondel Park, the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, food places and so much more!

Transportation was pretty awesome and also insane in Amsterdam! They have trams, trains, busses, bicycles, pedestrians and car lanes all right next to each other. We walked almost everywhere and let me tell you, it was THE most walking I’ve ever done in my entire life (having cerebral palsy this was not an easy thing for me). It was great staying in the city center because we were so close to so many things. They also have Uber there so we used that whenever we needed to get somewhere that was too far of a walk. Use code: lexic1747ue for a free ride! We also took the bus and the train a few times because it was cheaper! Our hotel staff was super helpful at showing us how to get around.

What To Do In Amsterdam:

We did so much while we were here! On the first day a canal ride is a must! It gives you a glimpse of all the different canals and you can scout out where you want to go and what you want to see. There are tons of different canal tour companies, make sure you do the one that works best for you. You’ll likely have jet lag on your first day so if you do rest now so it doesn’t catch up to you for the rest of your trip. Take a walk, enjoy the views and eat some fries!

Everything was pretty close so we discovered things as we walked around! One day we went to a few different cheese companies (they are known for their cheese here & they have samples), and on the way we went to a floating flower market called Bloemenmarkt. If you want to take home some tulip bulbs, this is the place to find them! Make sure they are USA certified. We also stopped by the iAmsterdam sign by the Rijksmuseum. Everywhere you go here is picture perfect, if you like old buildings and coziness, this is the city for you.

The next day we dedicated a day to museums! I loved going to them all on the same day! We got the chance to go to the Anne Frank House, the Van Gogh museum and the MOCO museum that had the Banksy Exhibit. When we wanted to take a break we got some snacks from the local market and sat on the grassy area behind the Van Gogh museum. Personally my favorite museum was the Anne Frank House, which surprised me because I’m not usually a history buff, but I liked that it was more interactive than the others.

Our last day was my favorite! Tulip fields or bust! We came to the Netherlands during the tulip season on purpose! We wanted to see what all the fuss was about. To be honest I wouldn’t say spending the money to go to Keukenhof. It’s a bunch of tulips and flowers planted in designs, to me it looked like something I could see in America aka my grandmas garden. It wasn’t worth the money or dealing with a ton of tourists. What I would suggest is renting a bike at Keukenhof and heading on a bike route to see the bigger tulip fields. A lot of them you have to venture to since they weren’t right along the route but it was so much fun! I learned that I’m not the greatest at riding bikes but it was a blast! After the fields we got back to Amsterdam via train, headed to the famous gingerbread houses that are right by the grand central station. Then we wanted to see the red light district and it was very eye opening and different for what is normal in the US, we only walked on two blocks and couldn’t stomach much more. Next we headed to Vondel Park and I highly recommend coming here for a walk or bike ride!

Where To Eat In Amsterdam:

The food here was interesting! French fries or Frites are a normal part of most meals as well as Mayonnaise for sauce, which I thought was a little funny but it was actually good! A must try would definitely be Stroopwafels. They are everywhere, getting them fresh is a little more difficult. We found fresh stroopwafels in these two places: Van Wonderen Stroopwafels and the Albert Cuypmarket! We also discovered a cute little Italian place not far from our hotel called Trattoria Fantasia that was SO yummy! Last but not least we made a reservation at a restaurant call MaMa Kellys! It was the best meal I had the entire time, plus it’s built in the Olympic Stadium and will make all your girlie dreams come true. Everything is modern and pink! They’re famous for their chicken and lobster but have more options as well!

Amsterdam has a lot to offer as far as entertainment, just walking around was entertainment enough. The city was clean and beautiful, the canals were so cool. The food was good and I will definitely be going back!

I’ll be posting on Life Of Lex every Tuesday at 8pm MST from here on out! If there’s something you want to see send it my way! I want to know what you want to read about!!