Indiana Dunes National Park

We crossed another national park off our list this week! We spent four days in Indiana exploring, and I really feel like we got to see so much. We arrived there in the afternoon and realized we had an hour before we could check in to the hotel (hello CDT), so we headed to downtown Valparaiso to get something to eat at Radius. Nothing could have kicked off our little adventure better then a mimosa and a burger. It was so good and much needed after the ten hour drive!

After we ate, we got checked in and situated at our hotel. At this point, it was evening, and we wanted to be on a beach for sunset. We headed over to Porter Beach, and the kids got to have fun playing while I got to relax. I had never seen Lake Michigan before and was amazed by how much it is like an ocean. It’s so beautiful, and you can also see Chicago in the distance. The sunset on the beach that first night was so stunning, and was such a great way to start our little trip!

The next day, we headed over to Kemil Beach. We brought acai bowls to have for breakfast because we got there super early. After our beach day, we got cleaned up and went out to eat in downtown Valparaiso again. There are so many charming restaurants and shops there! This time we ate at Peddler’s Pizza Pub. We also grabbed a coffee from Blackbird Cafe. Both places were wonderful and sooo cute inside too!

And after dinner, we headed over to the Century of Progress Historic District to see the homes that are part of the historic tour. There are five and they were built for the 1933 Chicago World Fair. They are all really different and fun to see, but my favorite was the “pink house” – which is actually called the Florida Tropical House. We ended our night by getting ice cream at Bubbles Ice Cream Parlor in Michigan City. This drive was a little out of the way, but was so so worth it because the ice cream was delicious!

The next day, we headed over to the park’s West Beach for some hiking. There were some really beautiful views on our hike from the top of the Dune Succession Trail stairs, and there seemed to be a few different types of landscapes – which was pretty cool to see at one place. After hiking all morning, we went to the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center to check out their shop and get our National Park sign picture. After shopping and exploring there for a little while, we went on over to Toast and Jam in Schererville for Lunch. This place was sooo good, and was also absolutely adorable inside too!

That night, we decided to check out Dagger Mountain Roastery in Valparaiso for coffee. This coffee shop was so dreamy inside, and the coffee was heavenly. I literally could have sat there for hours, it is so bright and welcoming. I even bought a shirt and sticker here because I seriously couldn’t get enough – loved it so much! We went back on our last day to get one last fix before heading out!

The next day, we went to see Mt. Baldy – which is a living dune that moves 5-10 ft. a year. It is 126 ft. above the water level of Lake Michigan. You can see it from the parking lot, but to get a really good view we went on the beach trail. The beach trail is pretty short, with a steep climb down the sand to the beach. The only way back out is going back up the steep hill, so I wouldn’t bring a lot with you (coolers, beach toys, etc.) – just take in the views! There is a trail to go on the summit, but you have to have an authorized ranger take you up the summit and there are scheduled times for those hikes at different times of the year.

After Mt. Baldy, we decided to find our way back over to Michigan City and visit the Friendship Botanic Gardens . This was a nice, quiet, and relaxing walk through the gardens after spending our morning in the hot sand and sun. Next, we drove all the way down Lake Front Drive from one end to the other to see the views of Lake Michigan, as well as all the really cool houses on that street. They are so unique and fun to look at. We ate at Goblin and the Grocer – it was so scrumptious! (and has a lot of healthy choices too!) We got a tasty charcuterie board, and the girls got a small kids one too, which I thought was so adorable.

After eating, we wanted to do a little shopping. Our first stop was actually closed, and we were so bummed because it looked like they had a lot of really cute stuff in their front window! If you’re ever in the area, be sure to check out Over Yonder Dunes Gift Shop – just check out their hours first! 😉 Valparaiso has really lovely shops and boutiques. I loved Aster and Grey and Ella Jayms. I could have spent hours in both places looking at every little pretty thing, but I have kids so that didn’t happen 😉 Luckily, they both have online shops so I can now shop with them whenever! Another really cute boutique in Valpo is Edie.

We ended our last night by grabbing coffees from FLUID Coffee Roasters – another place with really amazing coffee – and letting the kids play in the splash pad in the middle of town until it closed. It’s so nice to sit there and relax with a coffee, and just watch everyone and everything around you. With so many great breweries and restaurants around, its fun to hear live music and just hang out.

That being said, all of the stores, coffee shops, and restaurants that we went to were great experiences because the owners and employees were SO friendly and welcoming. They all took the time to chat with us and answer questions, and made us feel so invited (even if they were closing up in two minutes! 😉 ) We had a great time exploring this part of Indiana – If you’re ever in this area, be sure to check these places out and say hello! There was something for everyone in Indiana Dunes National Park, it was a great way to end our Summer!