Day 100 (Aug 24) – Indiana Dunes SP

We wanted to squeeze every ounce out of our State Park campground fees, so the girls and I headed to the swimming beach around 10:00 while Brad headed to the National Park next door to claim a campsite.  The State Park is all booked up for the weekends, but even if it wasn’t…  Brad also went to the grocery for us.

We hiked to the beach and there were signs everywhere – no wading or swimming unless lifeguards are present.  I looked on the back of the lifeguard chairs and they all said lifeguard hours 11-6.  I told the girls they would have to wait just a little bit longer.  11:00 came and went and no lifeguards showed up.  I am a rule follower, but if I hold up my end of the bargain and they don’t, the contract is void.  Right?  Besides, everyone else had been in the water since we arrived at 10:20.  I let the girls go in and they played for about 40 minutes until a ranger made an announcement on the intercom that swimming is illegal without lifeguards and there were no lifeguards scheduled for today - on a Friday in summer.  Really?  There were hundreds of people sitting on the beach looking at the water, disappointed.  And of course, lots that got back in the water after a bit, so they made the announcement twice more while we were there.  The girls found a little stream that fed into the lake and played in that with several other kids, buildings dams and new routes for the “river.”  Once again we were frustrated by Indiana Dunes State Park.  It is sad because it is a pretty campground and the beach is wonderful and sandy – we just couldn’t swim in it.

OK, so enough hating.  We moved over a ½ mile to the national park campground this afternoon.  Once we were set up, we went to the national park beach.  It was a little rockier and there was no sand bar, but it was still fun for the girls.  They even got me in the water up to my waist.  It was cold!  Brad came with us this time.  We were all starving when we left.  We got back to camp and took cool/cold showers and ate supper.  Then we enjoyed a nice fire and some homemade shaved ice.  It is buggy (mosquitoes, biting flies and other unidentified biting insects) and hot.  We are dry camping, so no A/C.  This is kind of a first for us.  We’ve only been hot a handful of days and always had A/C for sleeping.  We weren’t expecting weather like this in Indiana.  One more night and then we are moving on.

P.S. I added a Nellie's cafe pic to the Walnut Grove album and a Chicago pic to the Lake Michigan album.  (mostly for my mom)

Indiana Dunes SP Beach