Indiana dunes--where to stay?

Hello,

My friends and I want to spend a weekend at the dunes. None of us has been there before, and we%26#39;re wondering which is the nicest town/city to stay in Porter county? Which one affords the best views of the dunes, which one has the most charm, etc.

Do the dunes smell like Gary?

I found this website of bed%26amp;breakfasts...can someone recommend other places as well?

http://www.duneland.com/bedandbreakfast.htm

Any suggestions for activities or places not to miss would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Alex

Indiana dunes--where to stay?

I grew up in Michigan City and the Pines in Porter County and have spent numerous days at Mt. Baldy and Washington Park in Michigan City. I don%26#39;t even know if Gary smells like Gary anymore but there is nothing malodorous around the Dunes except on the days when the perch get stranded by the tide up on the beach. I never went to the Dunes beyond Beverly Shores so I don%26#39;t know about the beaches beyond there. In Porter county you%26#39;ll probably end up somewhere between Portage and The Pines (Chesterton, Beverly Shores, etc.) and they%26#39;re all very close together with like 10-20 minutes drive between towns. I don%26#39;t know that any of them are actually on the Dunes as it%26#39;s a national park - Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore - but you will certainly have nice Dune views from someplace like Mt. Baldy (a park with a really big sand dune overlooking Lake Michigan).

I lived there so I didn%26#39;t have any reason to stay at any hotels or b%26amp;b%26#39;s but for food I like to eat at Hacienda, Carlson%26#39;s Root Beer Stand and Galveston Steak House when I visit, all in Michigan City. Rodinis has excellent prime rib as well. I haven%26#39;t been in a long time but Redemak%26#39;s across the state line in New Buffalo is famous around those parts for its burgers.

There is a riverboat casino in MC as well as a nice outdoor outlet mall. You don%26#39;t want to miss Mt. Baldy while you%26#39;re there. The Holiday Inn in MC is a ';Holidome'; with an indoor pool and is the only place I would stay in MC but it%26#39;s not a b%26amp;b and it sounds like that%26#39;s what you%26#39;re looking for. Hope this helps.

Indiana dunes--where to stay?

I%26#39;d stay in chesterton either at the indian oaks resort %26amp; spa or hilton garden inn...the later is very convienient new and right off the xway....the later is older but has a lot of charm with a little lake and spa type services being offered

I%26#39;d then make the short trek to west beach which is part of the dunes natural lakeshore just a few miles west of there....it%26#39;s a bit of hike from the parking lot to the beach but its just lovely....the indiana dunes itself has gotten scruffy and is not that well kept up the last few years....at least west beach has a nice pavillian and showers....the dunes has ONE outdoor shower and horrible bathrooms....indiana dunes does have some great hiking though

OR i%26#39;d go up to the warren dunes state park in michigan....it%26#39;s about an hr drive from the indiana dunes and is just lovely with lots a lodging nearby...ck our ';harbor country'; in any search engine and many possiblities will pop up.

Sorry for the late reply. If you want to consider a hotel, I had a fabulous experience with the Counrty Inn %26amp; Suites in Portage, just off of I-94 at the Port of Indiana exit. Very easy access to the dunes from there, and there are two restaurants and gas staion/convenience store there. However, it is kind of isolated.

In the past I would have recommended Indian Oaks resort %26amp; Spa. The setting is nice, but the last time we stayed there (2005) the room was tired looking %26amp; there was no hot water in the morning for our showers. Chesterton is a nice little town with shops, so check that out. Definitely climb Mount Baldy. Great vistas.

On a clear day you can see the Chicago city skyline.

I can also recommend southwest Michigan, Saugatuck/Douglas %26amp; the Warren Dunes as well. I believe you could take a ferry across Lake Michigan %26amp; avoid the drive through Chicago.

Hi,

No the Dunes do not smell like Gary in fact the Dunes National Lakeshore starts in Gary, not Porter county. Unless you are next to the steel mills you won%26#39;t smell anything.

My wife and I live in Chicago and have a beach house in a great community called Miller Beach. Many of our neighbors are second home owners from Chicago as Miller Beach has one of the nicest beaches on Lake Michigan.

Miller Beach is a great jumping off point as it is part of the national park and close to Michigan City, Mount Baldy, West Beach, casinos, golf, boating, shopping and Chicago is 40 minutes by car or 60 min using the South Shore train. As the previous post mentioned West beach, Miller Beach is adjacent to it and there are some great beach rentals available, just google Miller Beach rentals or try VRBO.com. You will love laying on the beach or taking a sunset beach walk with a glass of wine and the cost is a lot less then many trendy Michigan spots.

For a wonderful meal and live jazz check out the Miller Bakery Cafe on Lake Street and for Breakfast/lunch the Bakers House has homemade sconces, quiche and sandwiches.

Chicago Magazine just listed Miller Beach and Miller Woods as top places in this months magazine.