This was the week we officially became an e-bike family. There were horses, beaches, canal boats, science experiments, M&M waffles, new helmets, and enough playground time to make moving back into Lightning McQueen seem restful.
Veer
We started Sunday by walking out of the campground to a nearby bike rental shop and renting two e-bikes with kids’ seats on the back. After getting everyone situated, we rode around the corner to Aldi for breakfast. The baked pastries are getting a little better as we move through the Netherlands—more meat, more variety, and generally more reasons to eat breakfast in an Aldi parking lot like the classy European travelers we are.
From there we set off around the bay toward the town of Veer. Coons estimated that we rode “almost probably 25 miles,” which is not an especially precise unit of measurement, but it was a big ride. We followed the beaches and water, passing plenty of other cyclists and even some horses that ran alongside us for a bit. Nolan loved watching and running with the horsies, which was “pretty cool,” and both kids seemed perfectly happy riding behind us while Mom and Dad let the electric motors do some very necessary assisting.
We stopped in Veer for a little sightseeing and then debated taking the ferry back. Instead, we retraced our route and stopped for lunch at a restaurant with a playground on the edge of the water, just outside Kamperland. This was essentially the ideal family restaurant setup: food for us, playground for them, and no expectation that anyone sit quietly for very long.
Back at the campground, the kids swam, we cooked dinner, and then Nolan and Nina returned to the playground and made new friends. Nina stayed out there for a long time, and Nolan kept going until 10 p.m., when he officially shut down the campground playground.
Mom’s favorite part was biking around the lake and watching the kids make friends. Dad chose the family bike ride. Nolan had so many favorite things that he opened with, “There’s a lot of things I want to say!” He loved the horses, playground, new friends, and being with his family. Nina, meanwhile, selected going to the potty. Twenty-five miles of beaches, horses, swimming, and friendship, and the potty took the crown. Three-year-olds keep you humble.
Leppelstraat
The next morning we packed up the campsite but squeezed in one more ride before returning the rental bikes. We went back to Aldi for breakfast and then rode to the beach, where the kids played in the sand. Nina got into the water, Nolan searched for shells, and we found a lot of dead jellyfish washed onto the shore.
The sand was beautiful and the weather was nice, even if the jellyfish situation added a slightly bittersweet layer to the morning.
After dropping off the bikes, we loaded everyone into Lightning McQueen and drove about an hour to our Airbnb in Leppelstraat, just outside Halsteren. The Airbnb was on a horse farm, which meant Nolan and Nina immediately forgot about basically everything else. They spent a couple of hours feeding apples to the horses and playing with the dogs and cats while Dad worked.
Mom ordered a full sushi feast for dinner, and the kids actually tried the food. This was exciting enough to earn a spot among Mom’s favorite moments, along with watching them play with all the farm animals. Nolan’s favorite part was petting the horses, while Nina specifically chose feeding one an apple. After dinner we called Yaya, got the kids bathed and ready for bed, and Mom tackled a large amount of laundry so Lightning McQueen would be ready for another week on the road.
The horse farm was magical during the day and slightly less magical overnight. We did not sleep especially well thanks to loud horses and lots of creatures running above our heads. Nothing helps you drift peacefully to sleep like lying awake and wondering what is moving around right above you in the ceiling.
Thankfully, we had a late checkout the next morning. Mom finished the laundry while Dad took Nolan and Nina back outside for more time with the horses, dogs, and cats. Then we packed up, bought groceries, and headed off to make a fairly major purchase.
The Great E-Bike Purchase
Europe so far has been a major bike culture. So naturally Coons is jelly and thus we drove to EbikeXL and bought two used Trek e-bikes, complete with kids’ seats on the back. We also bought a lock and two adult helmets. We still needed helmets for Nolan and Nina, but otherwise our family cycling fleet was officially ready to go.
Buying two e-bikes while traveling Europe in a camper van felt like a fairly significant logistical commitment, but everyone was thrilled. Dad and Mom both picked the purchase as the best part of the day, and Nolan agreed. The kids also behaved incredibly well while we were in the store, which Mom correctly considered an additional highlight. Nina’s favorite part was sitting in the van, so once again the expensive outing itself was not strictly necessary for everyone.
With the new bikes sorted, we continued to Camping Gasper, just south of Amsterdam and right near the metro. The forecast called for rain, but we were excited for a few days in the city—and very excited that our two new bikes and their two new passenger seats had successfully joined the already crowded cast aboard Lightning McQueen. And of course the bikes are both gray because we are somehow destined to have only gray modes of transportation.
Amsterdam
We got another late start on Wednesday and took the train into Amsterdam. Our first stop was Madam Pancake for lunch, where Nolan and Nina loved the M&M waffles. Side note: we promise they are eating their fruits and veggies as well as all of these yummy things. Once everyone had been properly fueled with pancakes and or chocolate, we hopped onto an open-top boat for a cruise through the canals.
The canal ride was Dad’s favorite part of the day, and Nolan called it the “best friend” of his day or was that the beautiful blonde running the bar on the boat?
Afterward we went to Vondelpark for a bit, then took the tram and train back to the campground so Dad could work. It had rained in the morning, but the weather ended up cooperating for most of the day.
The other major cultural discovery was not Dutch architecture, canals, or public transportation. It was the Spice Girls. Mom’s favorite part of the entire day was watching Nolan and Nina discover their girl power, listening to their Spice Girls’ Yoto card for the first time, which felt like a successful piece of parental education. Nina still voted for staying in the van.
The next day looked rainier, so we planned our outing around the NEMO Science Museum. We arrived a little early and walked around Amsterdam, got some mini pancakes, and did a little shopping. Nina bought a stuffy, and Nolan bought a remote-control Spider-Man race car—his “Spidey car,” which immediately became his favorite part of the day. Nina called the city “weird” because there were so many fun-looking adult stores they couldn’t go into and honestly she is completely correct.
We spent about three hours inside NEMO exploring the exhibits. The kids loved it, and Dad played Mario Kart and other video games with Nolan. Nolan particularly enjoyed the fighting game because the characters punched Daddy in the face many times and Nolan won. Educational science! Mom spent time exploring with Nina, and we eventually had a snack on the rooftop terrace before heading back to camp.
That evening we cooked dinner, Dad worked, and the kids went to bed. It had been a successful couple of days in Amsterdam: canal boats, parks, pancakes, science, video games, and the Spice Girls. We are not sure what else anyone could reasonably ask from a city break in Amsterdam…. with kids.
Camping de Wildhoeve
By Friday we had traded Amsterdam for Camping de Wildhoeve, with a stop to get the kids their own bike helmets. Nolan selected an orange one and was extremely pleased with the purchase. His list of favorite things that day also included climbing a rock wall unassisted, using a fire pole, swimming without a shirt, watching Daddy go down a giant slide, riding with Nina, and getting ice cream. It was a very full day for Bubby.
Nina also loved the playground and swimming pool.
After dinner we finally put the whole new cycling setup into action: two Trek e-bikes, two kids’ seats, four helmets, and the Moana soundtrack.
We rode into town for ice cream, which was about as perfect a first family ride as we could have hoped for.
Dad loved finally riding the new bikes with everyone properly helmeted, while Mom chose the ride, the ice cream, and listening to Moana.
On Saturday morning we visited the campground shop for bread and donuts. Then Mom took Nolan and Nina to the indoor playground while Dad worked, because even on a travel week somebody has to pay for the e-bikes, sushi feasts, and steady flow of ice cream.
After lunch we all went to the pool, where the kids swam for about three hours straight and made more new friends. Nolan and Nina seem able to build a social circle at every campground within minutes, usually before Mom and Dad have figured out where the bathrooms are.
Once everyone was finally out of the pool and changed, we climbed back onto the e-bikes and rode to Epee for dinner at Het Wappen Grill and Chill. Mom and Dad ordered steaks, the kids had burgers, and we finished with ice cream. Then we made the roughly 20-minute ride back to the campground.
It began raining a little after we returned, so Nina got to go out in her rain suit—her favorite part of the day—before we all piled into Lightning McQueen and got ready for bed. Dad and Mom both chose our bike ride and family dinner as their highlights, while Nolan went with swimming, biking, and ice cream. That pretty well summed up our weekend at Wildhoeve: play until everyone is exhausted, bike somewhere for food, add ice cream, and retreat to the van when the rain arrives. Honestly, we could get used to this.
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