Indiana Dunes, Long Drive, Great Hosts
After a steamy night in Indiana Dunes State Park, it felt good to take a cold shower.
Nature Center
Yesterday, I’d stopped by the nature center but didn’t really look around. So this morning, with the heat already building, I figured I’d check it out — plus the air conditioning was a nice bonus. The center does a good job explaining how the area’s landscape was shaped. The big driver was glacial movement about 14,000 years ago. As glaciers advanced and retreated, the freeze-thaw cycles carved deep cuts into the land. When the ice finally melted, it left behind huge amounts of water that filled in the low spots and formed the Great Lakes. The immense weight and movement of the ice also ground down rocks into sand and gravel. Over time, wind and water pushed that sand south along the shore of Lake Michigan, building up the dunes we see now.
Eventually, grasses, shrubs, and trees moved in. Each plant played a role — grasses anchored the loose sand, shrubs helped hold things together, and trees protected the interior layers, giving the whole system a chance to stabilize in what is still a pretty harsh environment.
Inside, there were various exhibits about the region’s wildlife — live frogs, snakes, and other animals (I’m never thrilled about animals locked in glass boxes, but that’s another topic). There’s a lot for kids to see and touch.
One display really caught my attention — a map showing all the shipwrecks in Lake Michigan and marking spots where dozens of WWII-era airplanes were dumped. I’d seen a documentary about how the U.S. Navy used a training carrier near Chicago during the war to teach pilots how to land on an aircraft carrier. Many planes didn’t make it back in one piece and ended up on the bottom of the lake, where some are still recovered today.
I asked one of the staff for a good trail that would give me a feel for the dunes without burning half the day. I had a decent drive ahead to Lansing and didn’t want to wear myself out. She suggested Trail 7 — a mile-long out-and-back. I noticed a sign for the “Dune Challenge,” which is basically a 1.5-mile run on Trail 7. When I asked about it, she laughed and said, “Yeah, same trail. It’s a challenge because it’s all sand. You won’t be running.”
Visiting the center first helped me appreciate the layers I saw on the hike — how each plant community holds the dunes in place. The trail itself felt like walking on a beach, but with some shade to break the heat.
When I reached the beach, the trees opened up to a bright blue horizon. Lake Michigan looked stunning, framed by pines and dunes. I spent about an hour wandering the beach and taking photos. Hardly anyone was around me — all the sunbathers were packed closer to the Dunes Pavilion. No one seemed interested in exploring this older stretch of the shoreline.
Off in the distance on either side, I could see smokestacks and refineries. It made me appreciate that someone had the sense to protect this slice of shoreline as a state park, and later a national park.
Back at the van, I did my best to get rid of the sticky sand — from my legs, shoes, and clothes. That sand has a way of hanging on. I washed up, packed up, and rolled out around 2:30 p.m. heading toward my Harvest Hosts stop in Lansing, Michigan. Another state behind me, and on to the next. I texted my Harvest Hosts to let them know I was on my way. They let me know to expect storms.
I’d decided to stick to the Interstate instead of the back roads — Google promised it would save me about an hour on what was supposed to be a little over 3-hour drive. But I didn’t realize half of southern Michigan and Indiana were also heading north, chasing cooler weather in the Upper Peninsula.
My trip ended up being more than four hours, thanks to backups around every populated area. Road construction, a few accidents, and heavy rain didn’t help either. By the time I arrived, I was more than ready for a break — and meeting my Harvest Hosts, Ari and Jessi, made it all worth it.
These two were incredible hosts — genuinely warm and welcoming from the moment I pulled in. We did a quick tour of the van and then settled in to talk about my route through Michigan. They’re avid campers, hikers, and seasoned travelers themselves, so they had a ton of great suggestions for my itinerary. I took notes the whole time.
What really struck me was how easy it was to talk with them. They completely got what I’m doing — the draw of the road, the satisfaction in meeting new people, seeing new places, and figuring it out as you go. I’m not even sure how long we sat there swapping stories and ideas, but by the end, I knew I’d have to come back for another visit. Ari and Jessi just made it feel like home.