Well, this recap of my trip is taking much longer than anticipated. I should have taken a page from Birchie and drafted it while traveling. Live and learn. So, today you are getting day 1. It was one of the more eventful days, with a lot of driving and activity, so I suspect (and you probably hope) that the other recaps will be shorter.
Monday, early early morning. I was so fried from my summer nuttiness that I had to force myself out of my apartment. But I managed it, and, as planned, hit the road by 0400. That’s when I typically start my workdays, so this was not out of the ordinary. The early start was designed to get me through Chicago with minimal difficulty, as rush hour was starting when I got near the city. I made it through with a few slow stretches (yay for summer construction season, sigh) and made it to my first stop – what I thought was Indiana Dunes National Park.
It was 0730, and I was ready to get out of the car and walk around.
It was not the National Park. It was the State Park. The State Park in the middle of the National Park. I paid the $7 to drive in to the State Park, though, and I was glad I did. It gave me some of the best pics of the trip:
After about 15 minutes, the wind and clouds got a bit scary, so I made my way to the National Park Visitor’s Center. That’s where I met Dave, who gave me tips on where to go with not much time, and also sweet talked me into buying a National Parks annual pass. Then I faced the conundrum of getting back to my car. The clouds had turned into a raging summer storm. Thunder, lightning, rain bouncing off the pavement… I finally dashed through the raindrops as they started to slow down, and made it to my car damp but ready to get on with it.
Here is where the story could have really gone off the rails. I drove up Lake Shore Dr. – Dave’s recommendation – to see the Century of Progress Homes from the Chicago World’s Fair.
This might not have been the best choice right after a storm. The road, adjacent to the beach, dipped down into several low-lying areas, which had accumulated some standing water. We all know not to drive through standing water, but the cars in front of me seemed to do just fine. I figured I’d be okay too.
It was a near thing, friends. I had to drive on the very edge of the road and floor the Prius. Yes, I have a Prius – a car with very low clearance, as I am reminded every time I pull into a lot with an uneven entrance. The “other cars” were SUVs. So then I worried that I’d killed my car, and stressed out until it started up again (happily, without doing anything untoward) after my next stop.
WHEW.
Meanwhile, the Century Homes were so cool! I was driving, though, which makes it difficult to gawk (they are private residences!). I did pause to get a few pictures:
I drove on to a parking area along the beach, a bit up the road. It was deserted save for two people picking up plastic and bottles and cigarettes and why are people so gross?
But oh, the beach, the lake… they were breathtaking. Lakes are so different from the ocean. I grew up visiting the Jersey Shore, with a few ill-fated trips to Virginia beaches, and later, the Outer Banks. The lapping of the waves is so different from the roar of the breakers. I love it just as much, just in a different way. I just soaked it in. Fortunately, I was not simultaneously getting soaked – the storm had moved on and it was now cloudy and cool and breezy and perfect.
I headed a bit further north to Mount Baldy and decided to do the trail that went around the side of the dune, then down to the lake. Mount Baldy is a moving dune. It’s not covered in dune grass and other plantings, so the sand blows and, over time, the dune moves. It is quite high – 126 feet, per Wikipedia, although since it’s so dynamic it seems as though the height should shift somewhat over time. Regardless, I figured I was in for a bit of an uphill.
I started the trail without mosquito repellent (dumb) but at the same time as a family with 3 small kiddos, probably 2, 4, and 6. It was a whiny trip along the trail. 🙂 The kids were not keen on getting their feet (in crocs) dirty. The mom was “hiking” in gold flip flops. The dad seemed to want to ignore them all. I just tried to keep moving, thankful that the only whining I had to deal with was my own. I did feel for the parents, though, and hoped that things would improve for them when they made it to the beach.
I emerged from the woods and found myself at the top of Mount Baldy, with an unobstructed view of the lake stretching as far as the eye could see. It was magical. I slowly made my way down to the beach and away from everyone else and…. again, magic. I can’t quite put it into words, but the sound of the waves, the sun emerging from behind the clouds, the endless horizon… I could feel my shoulders relax.
Once I’d soaked it all in, I went back down the trail (well, after climbing back UP to the trail) and headed in to Michigan City. I had planned to spend some time there but found it decidedly meh, so headed north again to my destination for the night – Benton Harbor.
When I arrived, Google Maps chose a road that did not give me the best first impression. It just seemed run down, and kind of bleak. I was a bit confused, given that the online reviews for BH were positive and many referred to repeat family visits. But I was hungry, and kind of crabby, so decided that was probably affecting my perspective. I found a great place for lunch – Schu’s Bar and Grill – in St. Joseph, which is contiguous with BH. I got a seat outside, enjoyed people watching and a bit of eavesdropping, and cobbled together an amazing lunch – a salad with avocado, bleu cheese, dried cherries and pecans, and a black bean patty. It was wonderful and definitely improved my mood!
While I was a bit concerned about the hotel location when I arrived (down a side road, past a Home Depot, and not near anything else), I had a very nice mini suite that was quiet, cool, and had everything I needed. I dropped my stuff off, then went out for ice cream. Because of course ice cream had to come before dinner – it was vacation! And that was when I finally found the BH that everyone online was raving about. Pedestrian-friendly streets with cute shops, including several ice cream options and lots of people happily wandering (and eating ice cream). I wound up getting Kilwin’s – not knowing it was a Big Chain, sorry Ernie – and got the peach and oh my goodness. I ate the whole darn thing and was perfectly happy.
And exhausted. Back to the hotel, after a spin through some (overly perfumed and crowded) shops, and to bed after a small dinner.
Day 2 will – I hope – show up pretty soon. I’ll try to intersperse some other posts to, um, hide my delays at getting this all recorded properly. Thanks for hanging in there if you’ve made it to the end!
I always have such high hopes for blogging when on vacation, and then vacation comes and I don’t really want to look at my blog, so I end up doing recaps. I think this is sane. Also, not sure it’s a good idea to tell the world when my house is empty. I think this is more of an issue for social media like FB and Instagram than your blog, but who knows.
I LOVE the sound of the ocean waves coming in. As you know, in Northern California, this is big, dramatic waves, with the wonderful smell of salt water. I haven’t been to a lake in ages, not sure what that would be like. I remember a couple of lake visits when I was a kid, and they were gentle waves, but it was not one of the Great Lakes. Peach ice cream? Sign me up. Glad you came through that storm safely, and I hope you didn’t get eaten by mosquitoes!
I did think of the “empty house” phenomenon, which is why I did not post while traveling. That said, I should have done a better job writing down notes! Live and learn. (I had my daily emails to my parents, which helped a lot – they like details. :>)
Ocean waves may always be my favorite – I love both coasts, the big crashing waves of Northern CA, the beaches of Oregon and Olympic National Park, the sunshine and sand in SD, and the crashing waves, humidity, and distinct human influences on the East Coast beaches. So very different, all so amazing. Lakes are different – but not in a bad way. I did get some crashing with the storms, but for the most part it’s a gentle lapping, a soothing sound instead of a cacophony. I like both in my world. 🙂 (And the ice cream had actual pieces of peach, Julie! It was out of this world.)
YESSSSSS!!!!!!!!
Ha ha I had grand plans to blog and IG in real time on vacay and ended up writing one post on the road and feeling overwhelmed by IG. I never did finish the IG version of the trip, and as far as I can tell the world hasn’t ended.
So much to say…when I was going home I really struggled with the timing of CHI. I ended up leaving later in the morning. And shoot if I’d thought I could have warned you about the bugs on Mount Baldy.
Once you got to MI you are on roads that I have not traveled! I can’t wait to read where you go next!
I wondered if you’d been to Baldy! I meant to ask you but forgot. The mosquitos, ugh. But I was wearing my usual long sleeves and leggings, so I was okay. Whew. They were not bad elsewhere, thank goodness.
“Next” has some variety, including the Meyer May house. Oh, Birchie, wow. It doesn’t sound like you’ve seen it, and I think you need to if that’s the case. That’s up next, since it was my Tuesday stop! 🙂
The annual park pass is definitely the way to go. If nothing else, it forces you to go to at least three parks to get your money’s worth, and I don’t mind trying to do that! I think you got caught in the same storm I did, and it was a doozy!
Yep – I already hit 2 (Indiana Dunes & Sleeping Bear) and hope to get to the Apostle Islands next summer, which would tick off box #3. That storm. Holy moley. I almost blew across the beach, Kyria! But the clouds were jaw dropping, so…
This sounds like a lot of fun, Anne! I mean, not the driving on the treacherous road in a small car. That sounds stressful. But the whole thing sounds lovely. I also love a good lake, it’s different from the ocean but beautiful in its own way.
There is a Mount Baldy in the Rockies that I have hiked and so this gave me a “wait what” feeling!
Those black clouds are CRAZY.
Hope you’re not too bug-bitten.
Oh! I should reassure everyone that my usual habit of dressing year-round in long sleeves and long pants (in this case leggings, a good choice) kept me from being too bug-bitten.
You’re exactly right – lakes are different from oceans but oh, so beautiful in their own way. I love having both in the world. 🙂
We haven’t even bought a state park pass this year. What is even wrong with us?
I always take 20 minutes or so at the end of a traveling night to sketch out a post because otherwise I will forget entirely what happened. I am no good at doing things many days afterwards! You just have a better memory than I do.
Engie, I haven’t even put the d*** pass on my windshield! I’m trying to unglue the previous years’ passes that are taking up too much room. I swear they use superglue. Anyway…
The photos – and my daily emails to my parents (details, they want details) – help, but I almost skipped Mount Baldy! Gah.
Wow! What a beautiful first day! That storm! The houses! The hike!
The clouds were amazing! And the houses – oh, I wish you could tour them, but nope. Sigh. The hike was one of those “hey, I can [still] do [kind of] hard things” hikes. The ones that remind you that moving your body in different ways is a good thing. 🙂
Those top photos are spectacular! I can imagine there was a storm coming on!
This sounds like such a lovely and relaxing trip! A trail by a lake (excluding kids) is the best of the best. I can feel myself relax just reading about it and seeing that photo of the waves. I grew up around lakes and now I live by the sea and have a deep fascination for the sea. But getting to a peaceful lake is so special and brings me nostalgia.
Susanne, I wish you could have been there for those photos! You would have loved it – and the hike – and the drive. (Actually, you probably would have loved the whole trip, but probably not the ice cream…)
I was never around lakes until I was an adult and visited midwestern lakes. I was hooked. Growing up near the ocean, I was used to the loud, crashing waves. But lakes? they’re different, in a good way. I know you get it.
What, why? What was wrong with the icecream?! I love some good icecream! I know I’m a fitness person, but… icecream is a must in everyone’s life now and then!
Lakes are so peaceful! I find both the crashing waves of the sea and a still, quiet lake soothing – just in different ways.
Oh, gosh, I was just thinking gluten! Seriously – not about nutrition, LOL. I just wasn’t sure if ice cream that uses ingredients other than just milk, cream, and sugar would be safe for you! I’ll take you for ice cream when we meet in person, promise. 🙂
What a wonderful first day, despite some of the hiccups (which seems to be part of traveling!). Those pics at the beginning of the post with the storm moving in are gorgeous!! I have not been to this area of the country but it looks so beautiful. Funnily, I know quite a bit about the state of Michigan as a friend gifted us “Goodnight Michigan” when Paul was born. So now I really want to see some of the places mentioned in that book!
I have had Kilwin’s before and did not realize it was a chain when I got the ice cream. It was still wonderful ice cream, though!
Kilwin’s was SO GOOD. I didn’t care that it was a chain when I was eating actual *pieces of peach*. Yum.
“Goodnight Michigan”? That’s hilarious! I think you need to go, for sure. The lake is gorgeous but I know you get that ALL the time in MSP and at your parents’ house. And yes, the storm was stunning and scary at the same time. I loved it!
What a fun first day of the trip, other than the 4AM start time. Eeks! Good thing you’re used to that time of the morning, haha.
Sand dunes are so foreign to me, lol. I love the pictures!
We have a Kilwin’s here. It’s GOOD ice cream, chain or not!
Wait…you don’t have sand dunes? But, um… is it just… flat? (No, seriously, I’ve never been to T/SP, so I am clueless!). And yes, I’m usually up, have worked out, and showered by 4. Yes, I also go to bed when the toddlers do. And yes, this works for me. What can I say? We are opposites, Stephany. 🙂
Kilwin’s. OMG. So good. The NEXT night, though (post coming…maybe Friday?) I had one of my all time favorite combos. 😉
You are so intrepid! My hat’s off to anyone who blogs on vacation or even plans to – I can barely read on vacation, and I read a lot.
I love any kind of moving water. I like where we live, but I would give a lot to live near the ocean. Where we camp has sand dunes and we’ve hiked there with kids – not too whiny – and sometimes been on the verge of getting really lost. Rainfall has made the beach a different adventure every year for the past few.
Our local-ish ice cream place, the Merry Dairy, had Ontario peach ice cream this summer and it was amazing!
You read a lot a lot and so do the people you vacation with! I drove in a silent car for pretty much the entire trip, and I loved it. But I was seriously behind on books and audiobooks as a result!
Any body of water does it for me – but I also really, really love mountains. It’s a conundrum. The midwest lakes, though, are truly some of the best places on earth. I’m biased, I suspect.
Your local ice cream place sounds amazing! *makes notes to visit Allison and the Merry Dairy soon*
I LOVE YOUR PICTURES! The storm ones are so cool! What a start to your trip – running through the rain, driving through water, hiking without repellent (so brave!!), Kiliwins! (I have not had that type of ice cream, but I have read of it? Which sounds weird but is true!). You must have been so tired, though, after that wake up. I hope day 2 starts with a bit of a lie in (or some great coffee)!
I know, the hiking without repellent was not a good choice. I lucked out, for sure! Kilwin’s is, apparently, fairly well known. Huh. I clearly live under a rock. 😉
Oh, Lindsay. I wish I were able to go back to bed once I am awake. It seems like a superpower I just don’t have right now. Once my brain gets going (and it does, so easily), I cannot shut it down, and even if I actually lie down again, I just stay awake and think. For me, it’s better to just get up and get going, even if that means a short night. 😛
These cloud pictures are amazing. What a great view. I guess that is what you get for getting up at 4am. Not me. I dot get these views.
Sounds like your are off to a good start in your trip. Looking forward to the next day.
The posts are coming, but slowly! It WAS a great trip. 🙂