Outdoor Bucket List for Northwest Indiana

It is a great time for some much-needed nature exploration. Northwest Indiana is lucky to be home to so many beautiful and diverse areas. From the Indiana Dunes National Park, to the arboretums and trails there is a stop for everyone on this list along Lake Michigan’s South Shore. Hello stairs! 250…

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10 Best Fishing Spots in Northwest Indiana

There are a variety of good fishing spots within the Northwest Indiana area, whether you're looking for a quick trip or an all-day fishing excursion, the region has someplace to suit your needs. Many of these locales offer the ability to fish year-round, though this list is specifically for those…

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Get Outside This Spring in Northwest Indiana

The snow is melting, the flowers are blooming outside, and the sun is peeking out from the chilly winter clouds. Spring is full of hope and excitement and what better way to take it all in than exploring the beautiful green gardens and outdoors along the south shore of Lake Michigan. Open to the…

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Nature Notes: Growing the Fancy Plants at Kankakee Sands

Trudging through the cold north winds on an early March morning, icy rains slashing my face, I make my way from the parking lot to the Kankakee Sands greenhouse. Clomp-clomp, clomp-clomp. I slide open the greenhouse door and am instantly transported to a state of bliss – the warmth, the fresh moist smell of dirt and seedlings that tickles my nose, and the gentle whir of the fan that makes the seedlings dance in the breeze. I take an enormous deep breath, and then it’s time to get to work…

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Lake Michigan Provides “Unnaturally” Good Fishing Every Year

As a lifelong fisherman, I’ve seen lakes cycle from boom to bust or bust to boom many times. Fish populations naturally go through cycles in almost all lakes for many reasons. Among these reasons is the reproductive or spawning success of native fish. A few years after a couple of good spawns, the lakes may team with catchable fish. A few years after a poor spawn, often due to weather issues, the number of fish can decline. It’s nature’s way.... It’s natural. I’ve been fishing for Lake Michigan salmon for most of my adult life and operating a charter fishing business on Lake Michigan for half my adult life. Why is it the fishing on Lake Michigan, season after season, remains consistently good? Is it unnatural…

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