The Little Trailer Project: Indiana Fun

By: Ry with additional commentary by Kat

After being chased out of Ohiopyle State park by the rain and spending a drizzly night in Ashley Ohio anxious about the leaking galley hatch, we headed for Indiana dunes state park at the southern tip of Lake Michigan. It was about a six hour drive including a stop at Wal-Mart and lunch at Wendy’s. As we drove through band after band of moderate to heavy rain, we talked about the unbelievable amount of wet weather our little trailer has seen in her short life on the road as well as possible strategies for fixing our leak problem. The leak seems to not be a problem when we are moving, so we tried to time our stops to coincide with breaks in the rain. Finally, as we neared our destination, just as the forecast said it would, the rain slacked and the sky began to lighten. By the time we arrived at our campsite and started to get ourselves organized, the air was dry and the sky, fairly bright. Things were looking up.
We had the afternoon to see the park, so after a very basic setup, we got the girls into their swimsuits, packed a couple of backpacks, and set out to find Lake Michigan. There is a hiking path that leads through the woods just off the campground loop and over the dunes to the beach. As we reached the top of Mt Tom, the highest dune in the park, we got our first glimpse of the lake and for the first time realized that it may seem as much like an ocean as a lake. It wasn’t until we began to approach the beach itself, and the path opened out allowing a wider view of the water below stretching out clear to the horizon, that it became apparent just how challenging the idea of this lake was. Everything in our experience told us we were looking at the ocean. The blue of the water, the seagulls, the sand and dune grass, the waves; all of it seemed completely out of context for the idea of a lake. The sun was out and the clouds were breaking up, the girls were laughing and running down the dune toward the water, and in that moment I knew the trip had begun. This was one of those moments we came for. Our idea of the world was now a little bit different than it was yesterday. That afternoon at Indiana as Dunes served as a timely reminder that leaky hatch and rainy weather or no, that lake, that dune, and who knows what else will be there whether we see them or not.

Kinsey wanted to add to this post but time got away from us and in the interest of not letting us fall too far behind I'll try to sum up what she wanted to say. We were all amazed by the expanse of water that is Lake Michigan, It was also really amazing to hike the dunes. Hiking up a 40 degree angle for 192 vertical feet in sand is an exhausting endeavor, but it was fun to be able to hike in bare feet. We managed to visit the nature center in the morning before we left and we were entertained by a windowed side room off the back that showcased the park's wildlife. We watched baby raccoon forage, and a rather large adult feast on seeds. The variety of birds was amazing and they darted about from tree to tree adding a beautiful assortment of color to the scene. Zoë says she saw a flying squirrel which is possible as they are part of the parks inhabitants. Kinsey also wanted to mention how nice the campgrounds were. There was a mix of tents and RV's in a well kept fairly open setting. There was a definite family friendly atmosphere about the place. And best of all the Comfort Station (I'm learning that means showers, if it just says bathroom it's only toilets)was well kept and large. Overall a great place to visit, and I second Ry's sentiment that it feels like the trip has truly begun now as we venture into new territory and enjoy seeing new places together.