Along the very south of Lake Michigan you will find Indiana Dunes National Park. We visited the park towards the end of April and although we didn't have to fight the summer crowds, we experienced some frigid weather that I didn't expect when I was planning our trip. I guess because I live in the desert I have a hard time realizing how very cold it can be in other parts of the nation!
All in all it was a wonderful visit, and we were both happy not to deal with hot summer weather and crowded roads and parks. In fact, we received an off season perk when we were asked to move to the main house at our B&B so they wouldn't have to heat the other building. We were the only guest and we were upgraded to the suite. It was beautiful!
There was no lodging in the park, and although there were some rentals around the park, I opted for a beautiful B&B in Union Pier. The inn is east of the park and just 200 feet from the beach. It was a very wise decision 😊
Indiana Dunes is spread out along the water and is not clearly defined in one single area. With a variety of walking and hiking paths, dune hikes, and water areas there is a lot to see.
I'm sure there is so much that we missed. The morning after we arrived the sky was dark with clouds, and the weather was very cool. Our first stop was Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk. We really did try to tackle this easy walk. However, in our defense, it was windy and rainy. At 11:14 am the weather app said it was 39 degrees and "felt like" 31 degrees. We both agreed it felt like 31 degrees!
We did end up doing a few easy hikes that day, but it was overcast most of the day. Fortunately the next day it was sunny. And although it was still cold (below freezing when we got up), it felt more comfortable with the sun shining on us.
We enjoyed wonderful breakfasts at our B&B, a fabulous dinner two night at a local restaurant within easy walking distance, and amazing water sunsets. I will confess, I did not get up and out to watch the sunrise on the beach. Temps below freezing pushed me just beyond my breaking point.
We have some great memories from our visit to Indiana Dunes National Park. I hope you enjoy the photos I share below. I can only imagine how beautiful it would be in the summer with the plants, birds, butterflies and dragonflies! But it was an adventure to experience it in the off season. And did I say no crowds? Yes, a true blessing!
And an extra special treat was to meet up with my blog friend who inspired me to include Indian Dunes into our itinerary, Pepper from www.heavenssunshine. Thank you for the inspiration Pepper!
Our beautiful Inn at Union Pier (photos taken on the sunny day😎):
Our beautiful room:
We did walk to the beach that first night, but it was cloudy. And it was so cold, my husband even wore his winter gloves and beany!
Below a photo at Portage Lakefront in the wind and rain:
Below a few photos of our cloudy day adventures:
We saw and heard lots of red winged blackbirds!
One of the highlights was all of the baby goslings!
This was at a beach north of Union Pier, but I don't know the name. There were a lot of steps and a great view of the beach looking down. I just happen to like this photo:
And my favorite sunset photo that night when the sun shone through for a few beautiful moments between the clouds and the lake:
And back to Portage Lakefront the next morning. What a difference a day makes!
And this was my favorite hike, Diana of the Dunes! ...yes, I got my sticker 😊
The bathhouse below:
The hardest part was walking through sand to eventually reach the beautiful beach:
We visited a few other walking and hiking areas.
I'm sure this is beautiful in the summer!
More goslings!
A brief sighting of a pair of sandhill cranes! They were just starting to arrive.
And finally, a beautiful sunset over Lake Michigan to end our visit:
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