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!
