Zaanse Schans - just outside Amsterdam

A visit to Zaanse Schans was totally not on my radar but once in Amsterdam and aware of its existence, I felt I should not pass on this opportunity. It is a day trip but can be completed quicker if you are lacking time. I took a bus from Centraal that dropped me right off at the entrance of the museum. This is a working community dating back to the 18th and 19th century so you can expect to see a lot of green land, grazing animals, windmills, barns, clog shoe factories and cheese factories as well. Walk around the quaint village and check out some of their really cute cottage homes and boutiques. If you are looking for souvenirs then this place probably has the best selection as far as I could tell during my short stay. A leisurely stroll around the entire area can take a half day, longer if you decide to dine there. I walked around most of the gardens and boutiques, checked out the museum space as well as the cookie factory, and also the clog shoe factory and cheese factory. Cheese tasting is fantastic here as are the pickles and few other products. I was tempted to buy half of what was on display but unfortunately knew I did not have place in my bags for that much cheese. I took a bus back to the city when I was done. There are buses by the half hour I believe. Either ways, it wasn't a long wait before I could catch one back to the hotel I was staying at.