Great Lakes - Eastern USA - page 1071

Indiana Dunes
Hugely popular on summer days with sunbathers from Chicago and South Bend, the In-
diana Dunes National Lakeshore ( 219-395-8914; www.nps.gov/indu ; campsites $18;
Apr-Oct) stretches along 21 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline. In addition to its beaches,
the area is noted for its plant variety: everything from cacti to pine trees sprouts here.
Hiking trails crisscross the dunes and woodlands, winding by a peat bog, a still-operating
1870s farm and a blue-heron rookery, among other payoffs. Oddly, all this natural bounty
lies smack-dab next to smoke-belching factories, which you'll also see at various vantage
points. Stop at the Dorothy Buell Visitor Center ( 219-926-7561; Hwy 49;
8:30am-6:30pm Jun-Aug, to 4:30pm Sep-May) for beach details, a schedule of ranger-guided
walks and activities, and to pick up hiking, biking and birding maps. Or get guides in ad-
vance via the Porter County Convention & Visitors Bureau ( www.indianadunes.com ) .
Indiana Dunes State Park ( 219-926-1952; www.dnr.in.gov/parklake ; per car $10) is a
2100-acre shoreside pocket within the national lakeshore; it's located at the end of Hwy
49, near Chesterton. It has more amenities than the National Foreshore, but also more
regulation and more crowds (plus the vehicle entry fee). Wintertime brings out the cross-
country skiers; summertime brings out the hikers. Seven trails zigzag over the landscape;
Trail 4 up Mt Tom rewards with Chicago skyline views.
Other than a couple of beachfront snack bars, you won't find much to eat in the parks,
so stop at Great Lakes Cafe (201 Mississippi St; mains $6-9; 5am-3pm Mon-Fri, 6am-1pm
Sat; ) , the steelworkers' hearty favorite, at the Dunes' western edge in Gary.
The Dunes are an easy day trip from Chicago. Driving takes one hour. The South
Shore Metra train ( www.nictd.com ) makes the journey from Millennium Station down-
town, and it's about 1¼ hours to the Dune Park or Beverly Shores stops (both stations are
a 1½-mile walk from the beach). Those who want to make a night of it can camp (nation-
al lakeshore campsites $18, state park tent & RV sites $19-36) .
Near Illinois, the steel cities of Gary and East Chicago present some of the bleakest
urban landscapes anywhere. Taking the train (Amtrak or South Shore line) through here
will get you up close and personal with the industrial underbelly.
South Bend
South Bend is home to the University of Notre Dame . You know how some people say,
'football is a religion here'? They mean it at Notre Dame, where 'Touchdown Jesus'
lords over the 80,000-capacity stadium (it's a mural of the resurrected Christ with arms
raised, though the pose bears a striking resemblance to a referee signaling a touchdown).