the wanderi
ng chick
...the Indiana Dunes
National Lakeshore and State Park
As the old adage goes, "If you've seen one (fill in the blank), you've seen them all. Unfortunately, that's the case here. Pretty, yes. Monotonous, not really. But after two days of walking in soft sand, I was ready for some solid ground. Thankfully, the shorelines were not only pretty, but made for easier walking.
I wasn't sure where to start exploring, so I popped into the Visitor's Center on Day 1, then headed east on Highway 12 toward Michigan City, to the edge of the national lakeshore and then worked my eastward.
The state park is in the middle of the long stretch of national shoreline, so I bypassed it and saved it for Day 2.
The state park requires a fee, the national park does not.
A highlight of the two days was the very west end of the national park, Marquette Park. A marker indicates that Marquette Park sits at the very most southern tip of Lake Michigan. Not only is there a nice beach at Marquette, but the grounds are worth a stroll. A little jaunt around the pavillion, the wetlands pond and over the two bridges was enjoyable.
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One of the national park's more well-known dunes is Mt. Baldy, It is the largest "living" dune in the park, meaning it's constantly shifting with the northwest winds. It is said to move inland about four feet every year.
This is a view of the lakefront from a dune just west of Mt. Baldy. The north side of Mt. Baldy is pictured in the photo to the right.
It's not unusual in the dunes areas to climb stairs to get to the beach! These are the stairs at Central Avenue Beach.
The Great Marsh near Beverly Shores
A pink house is not one would expect to see in a national dunes park, but here it is, along with four other homes. They were originally built for the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, following its theme of "Century of Progress." The homes feature "modern" appliances such as dishwashers and air conditioners as well as modern-for-the-time construction techniques and materials. The homes were moved by barge to the present area. Fondly known as "the pink house," it is officially named the Florida Tropical. The idea of the architech was to merge the indoor and outdoor spaces.
This Century of Progress home is named The House of Tomorrow. Still futuristic looking today, the bottom floor contains an airplane hangar because it was considered back in the 1930s that everyone in the future might own their own plane.
Marquette Beach is located on the west end of the national park.
The most southern tip of Lake Michigan is here at Marquette Beach.
Flowers grace the inland ponds at Marquette Park.
This and the remaining shots were taken in the Indiana Dunes State Park. There is what is called the three-dune challange in the park, which is a hike to include the three dune peaks. In soft sand uphill, it really IS a challenge. I cheated, and took the road not less traveled, which was Trail 7 that, though still on an incline, went between two of the peaks rather than over them. Even that was a tough climb for me, and I consider myself an average physically-fit person. As for the view once at the top: I don't think I missed anything.
Even though the trail is mostly soft sand, there are parts that are packed. Being forested as well eases the struggle.
Devil's Slide is a 100-ft slope down (and up) the side of a dune. It's physically challenging getting up it and hard to keep control going down.
The state park beach
The Longshore Birding Platform is located at the far west end of the state park. Didn't see any birds, but the view of the beach was nice.
