Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

Driving to Chicago from West Michigan is a fairly monotonous and tedious four hours spent in the car, only broken up by switching to find a new NPR station or adjusting your clocks to keep up with the changing time zones. While it's more efficient and less work on your part, you could take the train to get from A to B, either the Pere Marquette Amtrak line or the South Shore Commuter Line to save you the hassle of looking for parking in the city. The downside of taking the trains is that it isn't as easy to get on/get off at will. But say you decide to take the Commuter Line into the city and get to Michigan City, IN an hour early because you forgot about the time change. What do you do for an hour? If you're like me, you will probably not want to spend it sitting in your car. This recently happened to me over the weekend and I decided to check out a little slice of Midwestern wilderness at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

Indiana Dunes is one of the four National Lakeshores under the supervision of the National Park Service. Of the four National Lakeshores, two were created in 1966: Pictured Rocks along the Lake Superior shoreline between Munising and Grand Marais, MI; and Indiana Dunes along the Lake Michigan shoreline between Michigan City and Gary, IN.

Originally, this area was settled by Potawatomi Native Americans until Joseph Bailly, a fur trader settled here with his family in the early 1800s on the Little Calumet River that now flows through the park. His home and various buildings associated with his trading business are still accessible along the Little Calumet River Trail.

Joseph Bailly's house

Storage shed for Joseph Bailly's fur trade

The trail passes through Joseph Bailly's trading center and used to then follow along the Little Calumet River, but was rerouted to take visitors through 130 acres of restored prairie land. This section of the trail was one of the many locations in Indiana Dunes NL that you realize you are not very far from industry as giant powerlines tower over the horizon and the muffled drone of highway traffic is heard. Putting that aside, however, you begin to notice the constant chirping of birds, daisies and clover bobbing in the breeze, and the common rustle of the underbrush indicating a chipmunk or squirrel is watching you. I am not sure what the trail is like at other times of the year, but the flowers seem to be out in full force late-June.

Prairie land along the Little Calumet River Trail

Wild flowers guiding the way along the path

The trail then turns back toward the river and leads you across a bridge and along a raised wooden walkway as you meander between the trunks of sugar maples, aspens, tall oaks, black cherry, white pine, and sassafras trees, among others. Heed the warning of signs you see along the river regarding the polluted water; you have to remember that areas surrounding this land have been heavily industrialized at a time when there were no laws regulating chemical waste. I found, though, that taking a few minutes down by the river awarded me with the chance to watch damselflies carefully land on leaves by the banks.

Bridge over the Little Calumet River

Damselfly in the afternoon sun

The trail I took was about three miles long, but I cannot remember the last time I saw so much wildlife in one little hike. At one point on the trail, I was inspecting what seemed to be some sort of animal enclosure and then off to my right, no quite 40 feet away, five deer crossed the path and bounded into the woods - two doe and three fawns! Though my camera was at the ready, I wasn't quick enough to catch them!

After a little while I was worried I had taken the wrong trail. I didn't have a map with me and my phone was in my car, so I was a little anxious, but soon after crossing a few more bridges and going up and down a few stairways, I was let out at the site of the Chellberg Farm where the history of Swedish farmers coming to northern Indiana from Chicago is remembered. It's a very picturesque farm with a two-story brick farmhouse, a large white barn and adjoining fenced fields, now overgrown with tallgrass and wild corn, and a shed behind the barn with examples of period farm equipment.

Chellberg Farm farmhouse

Chellberg Farm barn

Fields at Chellberg Farm.

After walking the Little Calumet River Trail, I stopped at the main Visitors' Center - the Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitors' Center - which is nothing more than a glorified rest stop. There is nothing to do there, and I don't recommend wasting your time there. However, if you are like me and participate in the National Parks Passport Program, you need to stop at the Visitors' Center to get your stamp.

 I had a little bit of time left, so I drove over to Lake View and the Dune Ridge Trail. Lake View is a picnic area right along a thin stretch of Lake Michigan. There are not really dunes here, per se, and it's kind of uninspiring. But the little half-mile walk I took at the Dune Ridge Trail was full of things to see. Right along the trail next to the parking lot was a turtle and I kept seeing little sand lizards dart from one shaded clump of dune grass to the next. I didn't even know there were lizards that lived in the dune grass!! The trail takes you up to the top of an overgrown sand dune where you can get views of huge interdunal ponds and wetlands. The flowers were also in full bloom here and I got a great live demonstration of how insects are used to pollinate flowers.

 

 

Now, I think I was a little misleading about my itinerary from the beginning of this post. I mentioned I had an hour to spare before my train came to the Michigan City station. In fact, nothing of what I've posted so far was done in that hour. I came back to explore more of the park after my weekend spent in Chicago. In that free hour, I drove just inside the Park boundaries and parked at Mt. Baldy, a 126-foot high moving sand dune. I had to be quick here, but there was not much else to do. With camera in hand, I hoofed it up the dune along trails rerouted to keep people from climbing up the backside of the dune. The dune is constantly in motion and monitored closely with results showing that the crest of the dune is moving south at the quick rate of four feet per year! On the north side of the dune you can see where sand used to be because now entire tree-root systems are exposed that once were under sand. And though the ever-present cooling tower of the nearby nuclear power station puffs steam, there is something oddly beautiful about this juxtaposition of industry and nature.

Cottonwoods on top of the dune

The northern slope of Mt. Baldy

 

You can kind of see bands of lighter and darker sand which are little wind-swept ripples of sand

 

Within the total span of no more than four hours, I was able to do and see quite a lot of this National Park; but there was still so much left to see! South of the main park land is the Heron Rookery, where herons build their nests and in the Spring you might see baby herons. And then there is the Pinhook Bog, which is not open to the public, but you can participate in a ranger-led tour to get up close with pitcher plants and sphagnum bogs! Let's just say that one visit is not enough. I didn't even get to the western half of the park! I will definitely be making another stop here yet this summer!

Travel Volunteering - Pine Ridge Reservation (Days 7-9)

I don't think there is any doubt that one of my passions in life is traveling and seeing new places and experiences. But being able to help people while you travel gives you an entirely different viewpoint of the world and a whole new perspective on your life. It almost sounds selfish to say this, but I think everyone should give travel volunteering a try so we can realize what is important in our own lives. We take so many things for granted in our day-to-day life: water comes out of the faucet when we turn it on; we can go for a walk around the neighborhood without an extremely high chance of being struck and killed by a drunk driver; we have enough resources that we can afford to take time off of our busy schedules and volunteer to help people who have none of these luxuries. I think the second sentence of my "Day 7" travel entry sums up my sentiments succinctly.

While Re-Member helps the residents of the Rez with a variety of home reconstruction tasks, our main duty on this trip was to build bunk beds. Lumber was donated from various Michigan lumberyards and mattresses from hotels that just bought new ones. We learned that in many of the houses on the Rez, there would sometimes be over ten people crammed into tiny, tiny buildings with nowhere to sleep but on the floor, on each other, and even in bathtubs. We brought all of that material out to South Dakota with us and the beds we built had the capability to sleep nine people: three on the top bunk, three on the bottom bunk, and three on a trundle bed that slid out from under the bottom bunk. These beds would take up only a small amount of space in the house, but would at least provide a comfortable bed for numerous people.

Day 7 - August 17, 2000

Today is our last day here. I’m excited to leave, but I also feel guilty leaving those who desperately need our help. After a regular breakfast, my group went to St. Albin’s, loaded the back of Rev. Keith Titus’s truck with all the material needed for two bunkbeds. We then drove to a house, almost across the street from our church. This family had just moved into this house. (4 bedrooms) It surprised me. I had heard that all the houses were so dumpy looking, but this one was nice. It was messy, but I’m sure that was because they just moved in. As we set up the beds, I noticed that the family was watching TV and VCR. They had some nice furniture, too. We worked for about an hour, then returned to our church to prepare it for the barbeque. We cleaned up a little, then went to lunch at Bette’s Kitchen, which is actually her house. After lunch, Brennen, Alissa, and I went up with Keith and Keith to St. Albin’s to put the pews back in the church and to lock up. As we came back to the church, everyone else was working inside (cleaning), or outside (painting). The painters were having a paint fight. All the work finally was done, and we had an hour before guests arrived [for the barbeque we were hosting there]. Brennen, Alissa, and I talked on the swings for a little bit. When guests started to arrive, us older kids had to watch the little Indian kids on the playground. After about two hours, guests started to leave. We cleaned up after they had all left, and got our bags packed. Then we had our “unpacking” session. Then we went to bed.

Painting the walls of the Church we stayed at...and each other

The messy painting group

Swing time

Alissa and Brennen

Brennen and Belle

Marc with one of the kids that came to the barbeque

Missy swinging

Earlier that day, while we were driving, Alissa wanted a photo in the fields of sunflowers that are scattered across the Rez. Farming for sunflower seeds and oils are some of the most lucrative businesses on the Rez, but most are not operated by the Natives so they do not reap many of the benefits.

Day 8 - August 18, 2000

We got up, had breakfast, and then had our chapel session. Then we got our bags packed into the trailer and headed home, this time in a van with Sigrid, Cindy, Alissa, Becky, Marc, Brennen, and Ben. We slept most of the way to Des Moines, stopping in Sioux City, IA, for a Chinese lunch. I tried some, and it was okay. We got back in the van and three hours later arrived in Des Moines. We were ally really hyper and had a pillow fight in the van. Then we put “You’re Hot” signs in the window. We got yelled at and then arrived at Plymouth Congregational. We had our showers, ordered pizza, and went to bed.

Day 9 - August 19, 2000

We got back in the vans early today and drove the rest of the way home, stopping once for gas and once for Bob Evans. We got back to Titus’ house in Grand Haven, unpacked, and said our goodbyes, and went home.

The kids from First Congregational Church, back in Grand Haven

The trip was over, and we all agreed it was an eye-opening opportunity for all of us, but was it something we would do again? The answer came the following summer when Brennen and Alissa and I went back to the Rez.

Travel Volunteering - Pine Ridge Reservation (Days 4-6)

Southwestern South Dakota is home to the Black Hills, a large, granitic, mountainous region known for outdoor recreation and it should be as Wind Cave National Park, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, and Jewel Cave National Monument are all found there. Badlands National Park is located just to the east of the Black Hills and abuts the Rez on its northern border. While we were on the Rez it was difficult for us to understand at the time why we could not visit Mount Rushmore even though it was so close. As America "conquered" the West, there is no question that the Native Peoples were slaughtered, their livelihoods destroyed, and their land taken away from them. For the Oglala Lakota people on the Pine Ridge Reservation, the Black Hills were sacred - land to be revered. However, westward moving Americans discovered gold in the Hills, and when lines were drawn for where the Natives' new home would be, the Black Hills were excluded, and instead, they were put on some of the most desolate land in the country. It is something everyone traveling to that region of the USA should take into grave consideration as they look up at the monolithic faces carved into Mount Rushmore or tour one of the largest cave systems in the world at Wind Caves National Park. I don't think this means that you should not ever go to these places, but if you do, try to get a true experience and spend a little bit of time on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Vacationers should be grossly aware that the original inhabitants of the land, whom still hold the Hills sacred, are now living in poverty, not far off the Interstate.

Day 4 - August 14, 2000

This morning I took a shower before breakfast. For breakfast I had Rice Krispies and milk. After breakfast, Missy, Ben, Ian, Alissa, Lee, Sigrid, Keith K., Cindy, and I went to St. Albin’s to sand the bunk-beds. As we sanded, Alissa and Missy stained a bunk bed. At our “potato chip” break, we found out that Sigrid is three months pregnant! After that task, we came back to our “home” and from there, we left for lunch. We went to a little café called Cuny Table Café, where everyone except me had Indian Tacos. Because I’m so picky, they special-ordered me a cheese-burger and fries. Then we drove a little bit into the Badlands and climbed the rocks around a little lake. Everyone else went down an easier path to the lake, while Alissa, Becky, Lee, and I took a smaller, skinnier route, which led us about half-way down until a 20-food drop. We decided to climb up the ravine to get out. I went quickly, while Lee, Alissa, and Becky went another way. I got out quickly and had to redirect, tell them their bearings, and pull them to the top.

From the top of the hill we climbed, we saw this lake and tried getting down. The narrow canyons is where we got stuck!

Someone got a photo of us from the Lake as we tried getting ourselves unstuck!

With minimal scrapes and bruises, we left and went further down the road to a spot where all you could see for miles was the craggy peaks of the Badlands.

Group Shot in the Badlands

About an hour later we arrived at the SuAnne Boys and Girls Club for dinner. Marc, Ben, Brennen, Alissa, Becky, and I sat at a table and talked for a while. Then we watched a movie about SuAnne Big Crow who [was hit by a drunk driver and] died in a car accident. She was a great basketball player and had the 3^rd highest points in one game in South Dakota. She then went to Australia and Russia to play with the USA team. After that, we came back to the church and “unpacked.”

Day 5 - August 15, 2000

This morning after showers and breakfast, Alissa, Lee, Missy, Ian, Ben, and I went to Porcupine School to do some work. We emptied five classrooms and switched them around. We also changed the dead light bulbs. The roof slanted and the three rows of lights went from 10 to about 15 feet! Cindy changed the 10-foot ones, Ian changed the 12-foot ones, and I went all the way up to change the 15-foot ones. On our break, we went to the Library and watched MTV and took pictures outside of the tipis.

Group shot by the tipis at Porcupine School

Changing the lightbulbs at Porcupine School

Then, after lunch, we went to the Red Cloud Museum and Cemetery. The museum had a whole bunch of pictures immediately after the Wounded Knee Massacre and beautiful paintings. There were many sculptures and a replica of an old school house. Then we went to the Red Cloud Cemetery and took some pictures. Afterwards, we went into a Catholic Church to take pictures and we sang “Siyahumba” in three-part harmony. We came back, “unpacked,” and played [an improv] game where two people sat down and two others used their arms as the first “two’s”? 

Betsy and Cindy playing the improv game.

Day 6 - August 16, 2000

Today was a good day. We had breakfast and my group went to Batesland to tile an extension to the SuAnne Big Crow Boys and Girls Club. It took us a while to get the exact measurements for each tile. We were almost done (like ten tiles left) and ran out.

Chimney Butte on the Pine Ridge Reservation

Alissa and Ben tiling floors at the Boys & Girls Club in Batesland, SD

Driving back to Wounded Knee from Batesland

We came back to French toast, sausage, eggs, muffins, and hash browns. Then we took a drive to the Badlands. I used up many pictures, and had to buy a new roll of film [in Scenic, SD]. We got to climb up about 25 stories on a mountain in the Badlands and took pictures at the top. We took a walk on a trail in the Badlands and I noticed it as the same one I went on when we came out in third grade. After that, we ate dinner at Wooden Knife Café. I think they had the best “eat-out” food that we’ve been to yet. Then we came back to our “home” and had a little service.

Alissa and Becky climbing in the Badlands

Ben, Brennen, Becky, Alissa, and Marc in the Badlands

Looking down on the vans from our spot up in the Badlands

Alissa along the Cliff Shelf Nature Trail (I think)

Group photo along the Cliff Shelf Nature Trail

The fun (or maybe more frustrating) part about going back through my old travel journals is that I have to do a bit of cyber-exploring to figure out exactly where we were and the names of places. It is fun in that I can really think about and relive the trip and it is frustrating though, when I cannot remember the names of trails we took or what roads we drove to get there. I do remember that when we drove to the Badlands, I had to buy a new roll of camera film in the little town of Scenic, SD - which is nothing more than a tiny little general store with tourist trinkets inside, as well as the old Sheriff's Building/Jail. We only stayed as long as a bathroom break, and that is all you need in Scenic, SD.