Visiting Michigan City, IN

While our RV was at Amish Family RV Service, we had to find a place to stay for a few days. I did some research and discovered that the north west corner of Indiana is on Lake Michigan and there is a National Park there. Since we want to eventually visit all of the National Parks, we couldn’t pass up this opportunity. I found a small inn, Bridge Inn, in Michigan City that sits on an inlet from the lake and was really close to Indiana Dunes National Park. Seemed like the perfect place to spend a few days.

The Bridge Inn. Our room was in the top left corner. I loved the sitting area in the turret with windows all around. Great spot for morning coffee.

Bridge Inn has 2 buildings and only 14 rooms and all of them are suites. Our room was one of their largest since it was on a corner of the building. It was like a small one bedroom apartment. The inn faced the inlet and marina but the deck in front of our room faced the parking lot. The bedroom window had the best view of the water and marina. There isn’t much right next to the inn except some older buildings and warehouses that are being converted to apartments so the area was fairly quiet. They have a small bar/restaurant with mostly outdoor seating on decks with a view of the marina and the bridge. The restaurant was closed on Tuesday when we arrived but we enjoyed lunch there on Wednesday and returned for a nightcap Wednesday evening.

The restaurant at the inn sat on the water with a view of the bridge and marina. You can see the bridge off to the right is turned to allow boats to come up the channel.

The railroad bridge on the inlet was pretty cool. It sits on a wheel so the bridge can be turned horizontal to cross the water or vertical so the channel is open for boats to pass through. I have seen drawbridges before but never one like this. The railroad was working on the bridge while we were there so we got to see it moved from one position to another. It was very interesting.

From the inn, it was an easy walk to Shoreline Brewery, Galveston Steakhouse and Washington Park. We enjoyed visiting all three. We had lunch at the brewery on Tuesday and enjoyed a couple of their beers. Later in the evening we walked over to the steakhouse for dinner. Nice to have places nearby in walking distance. The food at both places was quite good. Tim said it was the best steak he had in a long time.

While Tim relaxed at the Inn, I spent the afternoon touring Indiana Dunes National Park. I also picked up the senior pass at the visitor’s center so now I can go to all of the national parks for free even if Tim isn’t with me. He has had the Access Pass for years but I had to pay if I went alone. The drive through the park took me to sand dunes, lakeshore, marshes, and some cool houses that were built for the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair. At the lake shore you can look across Lake Michigan and I think on a clear day, could see Chicago. It was pretty humid and quite hazy the day I was there so it was hard to see. All I saw was haze but I think the land jutting out into the lake in the far distance may have been Chicago. At most of the stops, you weren’t allowed to walk on the dunes, but at the largest dune, you could go down to the beach. It was a steep walk down and I didn’t think I would make it back up - definitely too steep for me. I enjoyed the walk up to the top of the dune and the views from the various stopping points while driving through the park.

Sunshine, blue skies and brilliant blue water - what a perfect day to visit the lake

I am at the top of the highest dune in Indiana Dunes National Park. It is hard to tell in the picture but the drop off to the beach was pretty steep. Others went down to the beach but not me!

One of the houses built for the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair.

This was my favorite of the houses built for the World’s Fair.

The manager of the inn had recommended a drive up the Red Arrow Highway into Michigan to Warren Dunes State Park which we did on Wednesday morning. We were told there would be antique shops, restaurants, and wineries along the route. We thought we would stop for breakfast at a Swedish Bakery that he recommended, go to the park for awhile and then perhaps lunch and a winery on the way back. I am not sure if it was too early in the season or due to Covid but every placed we passed was closed, even the bakery. It was only open Thursday through Saturday. So our drive ended much quicker than we planned. The stop at Warren Dunes was worth the drive though. The lakeshore and dunes were very pretty so I am glad we went there.

After we got back into town, we stopped at Washington Park and viewed the old lighthouse. Unfortunately the Lighthouse Museum was closed but we were able to walk around the outside and get a few pictures. The park along the water had some beautiful flowers which made a great backdrop for the pictures. We walked around the marina but couldn’t walk in the park since dogs were not allowed. There was another lighthouse in the distance which is the only operating lighthouse in Indiana. We probably would have spent more time in the park but since dogs weren’t allowed, we just headed back for lunch at the inn.

The Lighthouse Museum in Washington Park

After lunch, Tim dropped me off at the Friendship Botanic Gardens. He didn’t really want to walk through gardens so he headed to CVS and a hardware store while I walked through the gardens. What a beautiful and peaceful place to spend an afternoon. The gardens have a very interesting history that is also related to the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair.

Here is a little blurb from their website: “Still in the throes of the Great Depression, the Century of Progress International Exposition held in Chicago in 1933-34 was future-oriented with science as its theme. It was a mixture of carnival, science exhibits, famous personages, and beautiful gardens strewn along the Lake Michigan coastline between 12th St. and 39th St. Millions of people around the world attended. Tucked in this array of attractions was a small garden originally dubbed ‘An Old Mill Garden.’ It was developed by the three Stauffer brothers, Virgil, Joe, and Clarence from Wakarusa, Ind., who had a nursery in Hammond, Ind. The garden concept was changed to become the International Friendship Gardens. Among the visitors at the fair were Dr. and Mrs. Frank Warren, developers of Pottawatomie Park, and Warren Clinic in Michigan City, Indiana (about an hour’s drive east of Chicago). They were so impressed with the garden and theme, “Peace and Friendship to all Nations” that they made an offer of a site near their home if the brothers would consent to create an International Friendship Garden at that site.”

With the international theme, there were gardens from various countries, many of whom donated seeds and plants so native plants from each country are highlighted. Tucked into many of the gardens were benches and seats so visitors can sit and contemplate the beauty around them. It was definitely worth a visit there.

Michigan City ended up being a great place to visit for a mini-vacation. We headed back to Shipshewana to pick up the RV and stay for a few more days before heading north Michigan. On our way back, we stopped in Elkhart, IN to visit the RV/MH Hall of Fame Museum. If you like seeing vintage trailers and RVs, this is definitely worth a visit. I loved the history of the industry and seeing some of the original RVs. Here are a few for your enjoyment.

Our first RV was a 1979 Coachmen Leprechaun very similar to this one except ours was a little longer.

Look for the next blog on our visit to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Even more impressive dunes!

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