Michigan City, IN –> Indiana Dunes State Park –> Indiana Dunes National Park –> Luverne, MN

For how tired we were last night, neither of us slept as well as we hoped. Our morning started with a morning session of hotel breakfast and planning our day and writing directions. This seemed to take longer than we thought it would, and we didn’t check out of the hotel until around 9:30. I’m not quite sure the hour time difference did much for us. We packed the car back up, and headed out for the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center. Apparently, Indiana Dunes State Park and National Park are actually 2 different parks, which we didn’t find out until we showed up at the gate of the state park, attempted to use our America the Beautiful pass, and were told that we were at the state park. We paid the 12 dollar admission fee, and went to the Nature Center, were we learned about the critters found in and around the dunes, as well as the ecosystem and soil types around the dunes. There were beaches, dunes, marshes, and different types of forests. We wanted to see Lake Michigan, so we made the decision to drive to Devil’s Slide close to one of the beaches. Devil’s Slide was a steep incline in loose sand that had a great overlook of Lake Michigan at the top, then went through a shaded path with dunes and trees that opened up to a stunning view of Lake Michigan and a little rope swing! You can even see Chicago on Lake Michigan to the West. We were able to follow the dunes down to the beach for a short walk back to the car. We then went on an adventure to find Indiana Dunes National Park and went to the Dorothy Buell Visitor Center, where we spoke to a couple park rangers about suggested hikes. We got our stamps at the gift shop, and decided to go to West Beach to do the short Dunes Succession Trail. While we were at the visitor’s center, one of the park rangers we spoke with gave us a specific map for the trail we wanted to do, which explained the ecosystems and flora of each area. The trail started out on the beach and then cut into marked trails through the dunes. The area was not like anything I’ve even before- the dunes turned into thicker grass and light trees, then opened up into an “intermittent pond” that apparently disappears in the summer months. Even though we’re in the beginning of July, it was very much still a marshy pond, where we took in some nature sounds- birds, cicadas, and an occasional frog. A climb out of the pond/marsh on an elevated boardwalk brought us back into the dunes and a view of Lake Michigan in the distance. From the top of these dunes we descending back into some forest of recovering dunes that were 2,000 years old! From the peak of these dunes, we descended down the stairs of another dune and hiked through the sand back to the car. We very much enjoyed the AC in the car after those morning/afternoon hikes! It was in the low 90’s and SO humid, we were completely drenched!

Even though we could have explored for hours longer, we needed to hit the road to get the 9.5 hours done to get to Minnesota today. So, we took route 90 into Illinois, past Chicago, into Wisconsin. The foodies in us could not resist the Wisconsin cheeses, so we stopped at a roadside stand to try some cheeses. We obviously needed to buy some cheese curds, which we went with regular flavored- you gotta stick with the tried and true sometimes! We also got the opportunity to try some aged cheddar cheese. The girl at the counter recommended not to just start with the 15-year aged one, so by her suggestions (twist our elbows to get us to eat more free cheese, right?) we tried a 7-year, 10-year, 12-year, and 15-year aged Wisconsin cheddar cheeses. They. Were. Delicious. Unfortunately, we couldn’t justify to ourselves to buy another block of cheddar cheese since we already had some in the cooler from the Amish from home (plus, the 15-year cheddar was $49.99/pound), we settled on some cheese curds that got tore into right away in the car while we were pulling out of the parking lot. Cue “on the road again.” We continued on 90 through the rest of Wisconsin and into Minnesota. There was a vast difference in scenery once we got into Wisconsin. The flat and vast farmlands of Wisconsin turned into hills and dramatic skies of Minnesota. The sunset did not disappoint today, especially over the picturesque barns and hills, with various cloud formations and even a rainbow. I think the area just getting into Minnesota by the Mississippi River has been my favorite scenery so far on the trip. We pushed through the darkness to make it to Luverne, MN. We had the terrifying experience of getting to a hotel and them not having any room available, and then needing to move on to the next one. A little terrified we would have nowhere to sleep for the night, we pulled into an EconoLodge, and thankfully had somewhere to sleep for the night.

It really feels like we are getting to see such different scenery than we are used to, things we have never seen in person before. I feel so fortunate that this opportunity has arose and we are able to take advantage of. It feels so great to be able to explore the country I have called home my whole life: it makes me feel like I haven’t seen so much!

LESSONS LEARNED:

-Talk to the park rangers when you get the chance. Most of the time they will give you suggestions for hikes that meet the criteria you have, and sometimes they will even give you more maps or reading material. Every time I have spoke with a park ranger they have shared some really cool or important knowledge with us!

-State Parks and National Parks are NOT the same thing- even when they have the same name!

-Cheese is amazing. Oh wait, I already knew that!

-Make sure that if you do not have hotel reservations, you are stopping in places that have multiple options for lodging. Or, make sure you have a tent or something as a back-up!