Gary’s Miller Beach area is a different world compared to the rest of the city. Once an independent town settled in 1851, Miller was annexed by Gary in 1918. It remains culturally and economically separated from the rest of Gary.
Gabis Arboretum at Purdue Northwest (formerly Taltree Arboretum) is one of Northwest Indiana’s hidden gems. Since it’s just a few minutes from my mom’s house in Valparaiso, I decided to take advantage and visit while on a trip home. It’s a place I had driven past countless times.
Merrillville, Indiana, a town south of Gary, doesn’t have much going on outside of retail and chain restaurants. If you find yourself passing through, I can mention a few places to stop and see as well as some restaurants.
The small town of Beverly Shores, Indiana, is surrounded on three sides by Indiana Dunes National Park and borders Lake Michigan to the north.
The 3 Dune Challenge is a difficult 1.5 mile trail at Indiana Dunes State Park. It makes up parts of Trail #8 and Trail #4, and is a loop that starts and finishes at the Nature Center. The challenge goes to the tops of the three tallest dunes in the park for a total of 552 feet of vertical climbing.
There are over 16 miles of trails at Indiana Dunes State Park. All of the trails pass through the Dunes Nature Preserve, which was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1974.
Indiana Dunes State Park is the older sister of the Indiana Dunes National Park. Founded in 1925 after years of efforts by conservationists, the park is surrounded on three sides by the National Park and by Lake Michigan to the north. It consists of 2,182 acres of natural landscape a few miles north of the town of Chesterton.
West Beach is the most popular area of Indiana Dunes National Park. It’s located just east of the Miller area of Gary, Indiana.
NOTE: The Valparaiso Fire Museum is permanently closed.
The Valparaiso Fire Museum is a great place to learn about the history of firefighting. It’s outside the downtown area but worth a visit.
The Glenwood Dunes Trail is a horse and hiking trail at Indiana Dunes National Park. It was formerly known as the Ly-Co-Ki-We Trail and sits south of Indiana Dunes State Park.