Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

This past weekend, hubby, pup and I packed up and headed to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore for a weekend of sun, sand and camping.

When we first got there we set up the campsite. If you are thinking about camping here, get there early; campsites are first come/first serve. We stayed in the Mather Loop at campsite M34. It was nice, but not overly roomy--if we'd had more people joining us it would have been tight--but we didn't so it was perfect. If you do have your choice of sites, I thought some of the sites along the back of the loop looked really nice, and many of the sites were much bigger. Here is our site, to give you an idea of where we stayed.

After setting up camp, we went to check out Mount Baldy on the far east side of the park. There are two ways to get to the beach from the parking lot; a short hike up and over a dune, or a little longer hike over some smaller dunes. 

Now, the trail head clearly says to only take the trail over the large dune if you are good shape--we took that trail, and are not in the best shape--don't be scared. A rest or two on the way up and anyone in decent condition will be fine. Here are a few pictures from the top of Mt. Baldy...

Looking straight out at Lake Michigan

And looking east at the beautiful power plant in Michigan City

Now to go back up the same dune to the parking lot is much more steep, but it is ultra fun to go down!

Steep!

After climbing (and descending) Mt. Baldy, we walked along the beach heading west, and waded in the cold water of Michigan. 

Pup's first time in waves!

Looking down the beach

After walking for a while we took the trail through the woods back to the parking lot--it was really pretty!!

After that we hit up an incredibly crazy junk store (on the corner of second and central, if you are interested...it's a pickers paradise), brought some firewood, and spent the rest of the night playing Bananagrams, cooking and hanging out by our campfire.

Day Two started with a nice drive along Lakeshore Drive and eventually ending up at Central Beach. We swam around in the lake with puppy and then took a catnap in the sand; the weather was perfect and we were able to find a secluded spot and it kinda felt like a private beach.

Central Beach

My sandy Puppy Girl!

After hanging out at the beach for a while we started to feel a little thirsty and a little burny, so we decided to head back to the campsite for lunch. After hanging out there for a bit we went to Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk. While there are no dogs allowed on the actually beach, we enjoyed walking on the trail to the beach (paved so it's good for strollers and wheelchairs too) and out onto pier.

Trail to the beach

Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk Pavilion

Beachfront

"Riverwalk" Pier

After our walk back to the car I realized how tired, and hungry I was. We headed back to our campsite once again to start a fire and cook some dinner. After dinner, we played more Bananagrams and hung out around the campfire.

Sunday morning we woke up, broke camp, and headed home. It was an awesome trip! And I would recommend the Indiana Dunes to anyone--especially those in the Chicagoland region--as a quick, fun, inexpensive way to enjoy Lake Michigan's beaches.

Heading to Arizona!!

And we're off on our 3rd annual spring visit to Arizona to see my little brother. This time we are hoping to see the Grand Canyon and Montezuma's Castle and a lot of sunshine!! I brought 2 pairs of sunglasses, if that tells you how excited I am to have the sun shining on my face. I'm going to try to make daily blog updates, so if you're interested, stay tuned!!

National Botanical Gardens

And how could I forget the National Botanical Gardens. They were just beautiful. Absolutely free, so I would recommend stopping if you're in D.C.

    

It was so beautiful and tranquil in there, you'd almost forget you were in the middle of a major city...but then there'd be little reminders...

Diggin' on D.C.

I visited Washington D.C. on November 13, 2010. It was amazing!
The Capitol Building...

Ulysses S. Grant Memorial

National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden & National Archive Building

Around town

Dusk in D.C.

Great Things I Saw in Gettysburg

I visited Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on November 12, 2010:

A few days in St. Louis

In August we went down to St. Louis for a few days to see friends. It was an amazing time. I will mostly share the trip via photo. I would highly recommend any of these locations if you are looking to check out the St. Louis area.

The City Museum, Downtown St. Louis This place would be awesome to bring kids between 5 and 10, but as an adult was very awesome as well. The entire place is a work of art!

 

 

We ate dinner at Zia's Restaurant in the Italian neighborhood called The Hill. The food was to die for, especially the Pomodori Fritti as an appetizer. Even though we were all stuffed, we made our way down the street to get some gelato. 

The second day was nearly completely dedicated to the St. Louis Zoo located in a beautiful park area that also houses the art museum. The entire place is a terrific green space. The zoo is free, and there is free street parking; which is a great deal if you ask me!

 

 

 

 

For lunch we went to Pappy's, as seen on Man vs. Food.. We didn't do the challenge but we did get a lot of awesome food to eat!

It was a short trip, but I feel like we got to see and taste some of the best St. Louis has to offer. 

Day Five in Arizona

Day five in Arizona was Tuesday, baby brother's birthday. We spent the morning hanging out, gift shopping at the Honeyman, and other local shops in downtown Prescott. We had lunch at The Palace. It's a very cool place with a very cool history, but the food was average. I had a yummy corn chowder, and description less fish and chips.

Later in the day we went to baby brother's house to make a video letter to other family. It turned out really awesome. We made up interview questions that baby brother later answered, then he got to show the camera around his room, award wall and desk area MTV Cribs style.

For birthday dinner we had spaghetti, then we opened presents. We got baby brother some modeling clay, comic strip shaped paper, Sharpie markers and a ream of paper. He is a gifted artist so we want to encourage his potential. He gave me a self portrait, I will scan it and post it so everyone can see. After gifts and cupcakes we said our good-byes , and headed home to bed because we had to get up so early in the morning to start the long day of traveling. 

This trip to Arizona was amazing, and we hope to go back soon...maybe even to live. We'll see.

Day Four in Arizona

Day Four in Arizona was Monday, a school day. The Hubby and I slept in, spent a little time on our porch at the Motor Lodge, and for me, some more sleep. Napping is a luxury I hope to never give up. Then the Hubby and I went to Prescott's downtown for some window shopping.

After baby brother got out of school we went to Antelope Lanes for a few games of bowling. A bowler, I am not. Hubby and baby brother did pretty okay.

Bowling was followed by a yummy homemade dinner of pork chops, mashed potatoes, and corn. Then we visited into the evening. It was a great relaxing day.

Day Three is Arizona

Day three in Arizona was last Sunday, and was a day of travel. We picked up baby brother and headed to Sedona. Baby brother and I went to Sedona last year and went on one of the many jeep tours there. This year I wanted to go back so that Hubby could see some of the most beautiful American country-side EVER. We thought this year it would be fun to hike around Sedona, and we decided on the Boynton Canyon Trail.

Boynton Canyon Trail was marked as easy, and by Sedona standards it might be; but by flat Illinois standards, these out-of-shape legs would say it was more difficult that it's easy status. Regardless, the trail was beautiful. The first section of the trail ran along a fancy pants resort and through the red rocks. As the trail declined into the valley, the trail became more shady, flat, and scenic.

After hiking for the better part of the morning and into the early afternoon, we were tired, thirsty and very hungry. We decided to head to the mountain town of Jerome for some food. The drive was quick, and we were surprised to see how crowded the little town was; the streets were full of people, music was being played inside many of the shops as well as out on the streets. The town was adorable but we were on a mission to get some lunch. We decided on Haunted Hamburger. We chose the place based on it's kitchy name, but we were more than pleasantly surprised to find that the food was delicious! According to my baby brother it was the best cheese burger he ever ate. I would have to say it was up there for Hubby and I too. The other awesome thing about the place is the outdoor seating with a dope view all the way to Flagstaff. 

After a winding and snowy drive back to Prescott, and quick stop by the Motor Lodge for a shower, we were off to see the movie "How to Train Your Dragon". Now this a movie that would not have been on my "must see" list unless baby brother wanted to see it, but it was actually quite cute. The Nordic Viking setting was interesting; the underdog main character, Hiccup, was relatable; and, yes, it made me want to get a dragon of my own. 

After this fun-filled day, it was time for bed because we were all exhausted. zzzz...zzz...zzz...zz