USA
Northern Indiana’s Wonderful Diversity
Article and photography by Michael Morcos
I always enjoy visiting places that make me say ‘Who could’ve known’. Unless you were from this region, you would never know that there is so much to see and do, all within a short ride to each other and varied in character and style. On this trip to northern Indiana, we would explore a kaleidoscope of interests, ranging from a National Park to a world class university, and a trip back in time in visiting Amish country.
Indiana Dunes National Park
There was a contradiction I had to get used to on our first leg. We were in northern Indiana, but touring the area known as the South Shore. Simply put, we were on the south shore of Lake Michigan, the furthest point south of the lake. This is where we would visit a small but spectacular U.S. National Park. Starting at the visitor center, we would be introduced to the star of the park, the largest ‘living’ Dune in America. This sand dune is considered alive as it is moving inland from the Lake Michigan shore. This movement is serious as it will eventually engulf an existing parking lot and all the vegetation in its path. Climbing to the top of the dune offers a spectacular birds eye view of the park, lake and a good look at the point at which the sand was being pushed in from the shores.
Century of Progress Homes
Not far away from the park are some very modern, almost futuristic looking homes. While visiting, I would find out they were actually built during the ‘1933 Chicago World’s Fair Century of Progress Homes’. These houses were relocated to the present Lake Michigan shoreline once the fair was over. Their looks have withstood the test of time and fit in beautifully with the natural surroundings.
Indiana Dunes State Park
In the afternoon, we would take a leisurely bike ride towards another park. This time it would be a state park which is located inside the national park. This was hard to understand that there’s a park within a park, but the state park was there before the commissioning of the national park which was then incorporated. On arrival at the Indiana Dunes State Park, I was somewhat taken back and at the same time delighted as what I saw looked like a Florida beach. Hundreds of people were enjoying this very hot day while the sun was shining bright, fine white sand between the toes and the sizeable waves were something I did not expect. This was an amazing sight and felt as if I was in Miami, not the northeast.
Michigan City highlights
Two of the many things Michigan City is known for are the Washington Park Lighthouse and the Great Lakes Grand Prix boat race. The lighthouse, which was built in 1858, is the cities best known landmark and offers a great tourist stop for pictures or walks. Later, while having supper at the Shoreline Brewery and Restaurant and enjoying having my first delicious gumbo meal ever, I would find out that the boat race is the biggest event in Michigan City. The Race draws thousands from all over America and the world for a week of competition and festivities.
South Bend
Onwards to the university city of South Bend and its most famous resident, Notre Dame University. Before that bucket list visit, we would see a multitude of fun and interesting tourist sites including: the South Bend Chocolate Factory, the Indiana Whiskey Company distillery, the South Bend Brew Werks, a nano brewery and restaurant and lastly, the Iron Hand Wine Bar that produces its own wines.
I was amazed that’s such a small city could have such diversity. What stood out the most was meeting the South Bend Chocolate Factory founder and owner Mark Tarner. He explained his big plans to expand the company to a new location and open a museum next to it to house his dinosaur bones collection that he believes is the biggest private bones collection in the USA. Weird as it seemed, I thought to myself, go Mark go!
Notre Dame
With plenty of excitement and anticipation, we would arrive at the University of Notre Dame. Calling it a campus would be an understatement, as this was a humongous complex and looked like a city within a city. Everything was clean, proper and in perfect order, it even seemed the lawn was finely cut with scissors. It’s a beautiful higher learning establishment with lots of history and tradition, not to mention the sports legacies here.
Amish Country
Another day on and yet another new dimension to Northern Indiana as we would arrive in Shipshewana, a town in Amish country. Known for their simple and traditional lifestyle, we would find a harmonious county where the air is clean, the land is unspoiled and the people friendly and welcoming.
A visit to the Menno–Hof would give us an insight to the faith and life of the Amish and Mennonites of this region which I found truly humbling in this age of cyberspace and electronics.
We would continue our tour of discovery with a horse and buggy ride. Our driver, a friendly and retired older gentleman explained to us about his family of 11 children, somewhere around 70 grandchildren and several great grandchildren. In all our time with him, I saw a man at peace with himself living in a community that he truly believes in and loves. Later on, we would visit an old-style leather shop, a wind chime factory, wood-basket shop, and a convenience store. Along the way we saw many Amish horse drawn carriages, beautiful farmers with happy kids playing in the front lawn and people going about their daily chores in a peaceful and quite setting.
That evening we would go to the Blue Gate Restaurant and Bakery which is run by the Mennonites for a family style meal where the delicious dishes were passed around the table just as one would do around their own homes. My favorites dish was quite simple, and the fried chicken was perfect. To end the evening, we would be treated to a live show called ‘Soldier Boy” put on by the community that would rival any such Broadway performance.
The diversity of this tour through northern Indiana is beyond compare. We started with shifting sand dunes at a National Park, a Florida style beach on the great lakes, learned about a popular boat race in Michigan City, and had our taste buds tantalized by a chocolate manufacturer, distillery, brewery, and winery in South Bend. Our trip to the world class university was followed by visiting a unique part of not just Indiana but the whole country to see how the Amish and Mennonites keep their faith and tradition alive in a complex and changing world. Sounds like a convoluted Hollywood film but in the end, it was a tour like no other, a pleasure to experience and full of lifelong memories.
