South Shore Blog

As you move further from the bright lights of the big city of Chicago you’ll be able to gaze into the celestial landscapes and bright stars along the South Shore of Lake Michigan. If you’re from a small rural town, you may be familiar with the dark vast night sky; but if you’re a city dweller you’ll take solace in the quiet and wonder you’ll find in here, in northwest Indiana.

On a lazy afternoon, I wandered down to Jeorse Park and Beach located on the shores of Lake Michigan in East Chicago. The City has been working diligently on a $15.5 million makeover to the Park and Marina and it’s absolutely amazing! I was greeted by colorful, painted murals lining the entrance to the Park, which sits next to Ameristar Casino. 

Photo credit: Tall coreopsis with an orange sulfur butterfly, taken by Jeanette Jaskula.

Yellow does for September what orange does for October. It makes you feel that all is well and right, and that summer is coming to a close. The end-of-summer prairie is filled with many different hues of yellow. My favorite yellow is that of tall coreopsis (Coreopsis tripteris), now in bloom at Kankakee Sands.

If you’ve already binge watched every Netflix series you can possibly think of and the kids are pestering you to get out of the house - we have some ideas for you for those rainy days in Northwest Indiana:

Plan your visit along the South Shore with these tour itineraries. Choose one or all of the activities to make the most of your fall in Northwest Indiana!

As the last days of August slip away, my family and I were lucky enough to get in one last summer splash - literally - at Deep River Waterpark, on Route 30 in Crown Point. While our sons had been to the park before with friends, this was the first trip for my wife and I to this, or any, water park. We had a great time, but definitely have suggestions on how to make the next trip, whether it’s ours or yours, even better.

Traveling through the South Shore, you’ll find homegrown foods and handcrafted drinks at local wineries, restaurants and attractions. 

Harvest season brings vibrant yellows, oranges and reds to the leaves and also juicy crisp apples. From early September to October the trees are ripe with dozens of varieties of apples including: Gala, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious and Pink Ladies.

When you have a four-legged companion during your stay in Northwest Indiana, you'll want to make sure he has enough exercise. Gabis Arboretum is the perfect place to let your dog stretch his legs. Hike through four miles of trails or enjoy the quiet gardens, woodlands, prairies and wetlands. Look for native and hybrid plants, flowers and trees during your visit and view Gabis's variety of formal gardens. 

When I was a youngster, few things brought thoughts of wild lands and far off places into my head than hearing and seeing a Vee-shaped skein of Canada geese winging their way south in the fall or heading back to their summering area in the springtime. If I was lucky, I’d witness this majesty two or three times each year. Nowadays, seeing a Canada goose is almost as common as seeing robins in a yard or gulls along the lakefront. 

July 14th-21st was Fair Week in Jasper and Newton Counties. My family and I took it as a sign that we should go to both fairs and compare them. We found an interesting contrast in county personalities and left with the impression that both fairs offer different but equally enjoyable experiences.