After a cold night in a small tent, nothing gets us going better than a bowl of good old gummy hot oatmeal with strawberry pineapple topping.
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Out of seven dune trails, the trail number 9 is said to provide the best representative view of the dunes. It goes east across the area behind the dunes, where the vegetation is periodically burnt in order to maintain the unique ecosystem. The trail then ascends up to the ridge where we can see the cause of the dunes, the mighty Lake Michigan. Trail #9 also passes one small tree graveyard.
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This raccoon is a regular lunch time guest on a bird feeder at the Indiana Dunes SP Nature Center. Notice his foot rest, it was supposed to block his access to the feeder. No wonder campground rules asked us to secure all food inside the car.
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Trail 8 takes us over the tops of the three highest dunes. On top of the first one, Mt. Jackson (elevation 176 feet), we found an old stump. The second one, Mt. Holden (elevation 184 feet), takes some effort to conquer, rewarding the conquerors with a view over the Lake Michigan. The last and the highest one, Mt. Tom (elevation 192 feet), can be accessed by staircase. This time the climber is rewarded with a nice view over the factories of Gary, Indiana. The elevations are measured as the height from the Lake Michigan level.
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How do I get all this sand out of my shoes? |