We have been crisscrossing the upper Midwest for the past two weeks and were back in Indiana to see the Indiana Dunes National Park, rendezvous with my old college roommate and partner in crime my Freshman year, Julie Slaviero King and her husband, Wally, as well as visit our good friend, Cathy Jarnagin’s family, Nick, Roni & Steph in Indianapolis. Whew!

Oct 3 – 5: Indiana Dunes National Park is the most recent park to gain full designation as a National Park. It has been a National Lakeshore since 1912 and it was controversial in the upgraded designation as National Park, but finally achieved that status due to the huge diversity of plant and animal life in the unique geological area that represents the edge of Lake Michigan, the sand dunes, the transition from dunes to forest as well as swampland. The preserved area is bordered by a huge steel mill and a defunct nuclear plant on either side. The focus of the National Parks is to create a balance between nature and major development, which is obvious with Indiana Dunes.

We could see the Chicago skyline from the beach, what little of the beach that we could actually see. Apparently, the water level of the Great Lakes goes up and down about 6 feet over the course of 25 years. It is currently at the highest level since 1998. We also noted the incredible rust colored water both flowing  into Lake Michigan and along the shoreline, which is what we have been finding about the water at our last few campgrounds–it is super rusty or full of iron. While this is natural, it doesn’t taste good!

Modular homes were debuted in the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair…what do you do with a modular home when it’s done being viewed at the fair? You move it on a barge across Lake Michigan to Beverly Shores, in the middle of the Indian Dunes NP and call it “The Century of Progress Historical District“! There were 5 homes that were moved to this prime location, two actually on the dune side, which are the ones we could see the best.

Chicago across Lake Michigan

Dunes and ponds

Surfing on Lake Michigan

Breakers outside of man made quay

Century of Progress Houses

Rusty water!

Century of Progress at the Chicago World’s Fair

There are 3 wood ducks in this swamp, but I don’t think you can see them

Florida House

Wiebolt-Rolstone House

Visiting friends in Indianapolis: Met up with Julie and Wally for lunch near Gary, IN and then dropped down to Indianapolis for a couple of nights camping in Nick Jarnagin’s yard. Roni and Steph toured us around Indy. We had an adventure getting out Nick’s yard with the road in front of his house in the middle of being re-paved. We had to drive about a 1/4 mile through 12″ of loose asphalt. Vigo, the Chevy operated like a champ!

Tom, Julie, Jeanne & Wally

Steph, Nick, Tom, Jeanne & Roni

Nick Jarnagin & Spud

Camping at Nick’s

Driving the rig through 12″ of asphalt to get out of Nick’s

Nick’s Domain in outside Indy