Indiana Dunes National Park

We spent a quiet night in Shady Oaks Farm, and I awoke early for my morning Tai Chi out in front of the still-slumbering house.  I had asked Melanie where I might be able to run in the morning and she told me to try All Saints Cemetery just down the road.  It was a peaceful morning and there was little traffic on the road, and like the dinner last night, Melanie’s recommendation proved a good one.  A healthy and delicious breakfast had been prepared for us, which Jeff served to us in the dining room, and then we got on the road early.

From Northfield, we continued through Ohio and into Indiana, flat country with lots of crops, mostly corn.  In this open country, farmhouses had been built beneath the shelter of tall trees, and even though some of them had collapsed and been abandoned over time, the trees still stood marking the spot.   

 

I kept thinking of that Chrissie Hynde anthem to Ohio:

 

I went back to Ohio
But my city was gone
There was no train station
There was no downtown
South Howard had disappeared
All my favorite places
My city had been pulled down
Reduced to parking spaces
A, o, way to go Ohio

 

The city referred to in the song is her hometown of Akron, Ohio.  South Howard is a section of Howard Street in Akron that was bulldozed to build the Innerbelt, a spur of highway that borders the downtown area.  Hundreds of businesses and homes were demolished in the process, and her bitterness is shared by many of the local residents who were displaced.

 

We arrived at Indiana Dunes, another National Park I had never heard of, early enough in the day to explore. 

 

 
We knew we were close to Lake Michigan, and I had wondered what kind of “dunes” we could find here in the Midwest.  What a surprise to discover a beach, right here in Indiana.  The nearest beach on the east coast (New York) was over 700 miles away and a 10 or 12-hour drive, so this was the best option for anyone living in the Chicago area.  We walked out past a large Visitor Center/dressing area, similar to the one we know well in Atlantic Beach NC, and down to the beach itself, which in every respect resembled the beaches we knew except the water was Lake Michigan, and I am assuming there was no “seafood” out in that broad blue body of water.  There were sunbathers, children playing, and lifeguards.  The water temperature was 75 degrees, and there were indeed real sand dunes, although of course no seashells.  Gulls flew overhead – “lakegulls” I suppose. 

That’s the skyline of Chicago in the lower picture, and it was strange to see that great Midwest city, which we consider land-locked, hazy and mirage-like over the sand.

 

We drove through Michigan City to our lodging for the night, another interesting place Martha had identified called the Brewery Lodge and Supper Club.   

 

The hotel only has 12 rooms connected to the “supper club” section, and is located on a 40-acre wooded tract.  The main house dated to 1930 and had hand-hewn timbers and fireplaces, and the food was delicious.  It is also nice to be able to walk to your room after dinner instead of battling traffic in a strange city.