Amsterdam was definitely one of my favorite places so far. I loved all of the beautiful canals, delicious food, and bikes! There are so many bikes in Amsterdam! You have to watch out for them when you are crossing the street, because they will come at you so fast. I was really excited when we got to rent bikes in Amsterdam! It was awesome to cruise down the streets like a local.The boat tour by “Those Dam Boat Guys” (I am not joking.) was a total blast, and such a great way to see the city. Everyone that we met in Amsterdam was really sweet to us, and I would defiantly recommend it as your next destination. Until next time! – Ava
This is day 16 of my trip and I’m leaving Amsterdam. It has been an amazing time here. In Amsterdam we’ve been at a stayokay(it is a hostel). We went to the Anne frank house and it was interesting to see where the diary takes place. We spent a day biking around the city with my moms second cousin. He name is Kaitlyn and she lives in Amsterdam. Amsterdam is a great place to stay there are canal tours, museums great food and so much more! I loved my stay in Amsterdam and highly recommended it.
-Tucker
A day of biking in Amsterdam is about as good as it gets. – Dan
We Love This Place Amsterdam: Planning & Logistics
There is a plethora of things to do in Amsterdam. Here are a few of our favorites things:
Lodging- Although there are many upscale options in Amsterdam but we decided to stay on the Budget-Friendly side of things here. We had 5 nights at the StayOkay Voondelpark Hostel in a 6 bunk family room. It was tight but it had what we needed! The shared area was perfect for the school day. If you get a Hosteling International Membership ($18) you will save 10%. Back in the day, I once stayed at Hotel Arena and it was lovely!
There are amazing museums in town and we pre-booked tickets online to the Anne Frank Museum. This has been redone over the years and was quite somber and informative. The impact of being able to walk through a piece of tragic history is heavy.
School was in session all day as we walked through the city, talked about the Red Light District, drug laws and harm reduction policies! We can add this to the file “Awkward conversations with Mom.”
Bicycles, Bicycles, Bicycles- The most striking thing about Amsterdam, next to the canals, is all the bikes. Or as the poster said, “All ass, no gas!” We rented from Black-Bike for about 20€ per person for 24 hours. We rode to Box Social for lunch (highly recommend) and met my cousin who led us on a ride and walk through the park (thanks Kaitlyn!). Riding bikes through this beautiful city was a family highlight.
Those Dam Boat Guys took us on a lovely morning canal tour filled with history and humor. The boat was small with 8 passengers and Captain Axle. Their website is worth a look and they have some funny and informative videos!
Food! We tried a bit of everything: Bitterballen, stroopwaffle, Indonesian Rice Boat, Dutch Apple Pie, Dutch Pancakes, the best Breakfast Sandwich ever at Box Social and more! The downside about a hostel is no fridge or kitchen so we ate out a lot. Winkle was delish for breakfast pie and it was right next to a clothing resale market on the day we went.
https://www.thosedamboatguys.com
Caution: don’t forget the bike lanes!!! As you cross street, it goes as follows:
Bike, Car, Tram,Car, Bike
It is easy to forget the last bike lane and get nailed, or worse yet, have a Dutch curse at you. They go dark.
-Teresa, Mom and Logistics Manager
The video made me feel like I was there with you guys! Keep ’em coming. Also I think the ‘awkward convos with Mom’ should be its own podcast, thanks.
Convo’s on harm reduction! I love it!
That all sounds so lovely!
Great update! I am jealous of being in such fun places! I am commenting from the 3rd floor of the library while I study for an investments exam. No fun.
I agree with you on Amsterdam. It is a beautiful fun loving city. We totally enjoyed it when we were there.
I’m glad no one got creamed by a bike! 😀🚴♂️
Sounds magical! You guys are hilarious…..
You guys❣️❣️❣️Wish we were with you. Keep it up
Here I come Amsterdam! I’m sick of living on one of the highest hills in the Twin Cities. Every direction is down which means huffing and puffing to get back up! Brother Wendell suggests I buy an electric bike. What do you think of that idea? “If I should die before I wake”, would Jim’s crew draw straws for the bike? I suppose T would have to keep everything kosher/legal. My pet peeve is signing for weshipexpress, e.g. for wines from Berkeley. Do you have a pet peeve? Where to next? I want to go to South Korea and hear that fellow you listened to while sitting on my kitchen floor. That’s where Yunchan Lim lives. 👏👏👏. He’s the world’s greatest pianist ever. I get goose bumps daily hearing him. Your Aunt with the “mercurial personality”—or so says Ian. 🤭