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*This blog is satire. Someone should really check up on Gary, Indiana and maybe pour an iota of a care into the city. Also, I respect the National Park System and their efforts to preserve land, but maybe, you know, just put a little * after Indiana Dunes National Park as a disclaimer that this park stinks. *  On a recent trip to Chicago, I was determined to get to Indiana Dunes National Park to check off another national park on my list. The last time in the Windy City didn't go as planned. This time was going to be different. When my husband's company announced that their annual team building work event would be in Chicago, I jumped on the opportunity to tag along because a.) My brother lives there and b.) I could see the Dunes. I was ready.
Getting to the DunesI was not ready. The proverbial travel gods were out to get us again. My brother told us about Zip Car and how you could rent a car the day of your travel. That didn't work. We checked Uber/Lyft. Too expensive. We looked into public transportation. It would take too long. We researched Enterprise. No cars left. Things were looking dire when I found an app called Go Around and after filling out tons of paperwork and unknowingly putting down a $1000 deposit that I'm still waiting to get back (4 more days until it should come back into our bank account) I was able to rent a luxurious Hyundai Sonata that only had one major dent and no more than 50 scratches from a part of town which had a large amount of police presence which I walked to by myself under skies that threatened to rain at any minute. I picked up my dad, and we were off. If you ever visit Indiana Dunes National Park, the drive there is worth the trip. We followed a scenic route along the highway. The wonderful views of abandoned factories and industrial wastelands really popped against Lake Michigan in the background. There were so many of them that I was sad when they ended and we entered into Gary, Indiana. But hark! I shouldn't have been so disheartened. The vibrant, bustling city of Gary, Indiana really pinged at my dopamine levels. Who knew there could be so many different types of grays!? The peeling corporate gray paint from one building really meshed with the glacier gray of the abandoned building right next to it. And the moon gray dilapidated house really stood out next to the pure gray apartment complex's broken windows. We were highly disappointed when our sturdy rental car didn't break down in the city, for we would have loved to have spent more time in Garish Gary. Oh well, maybe next time.
Indiana Dunes National ParkI was in no way confused by the fact that after barely leaving Gary, Indiana we arrived at a national park. Much like Yosemite and the Grand Canyon and Arches, Indiana Dunes National Park really stood out and could hold its own. Upon walking out onto the beach of Lake Michigan, we were greeted with the Chicago skyline directly in front of us. And behold! What's this? Factories to the left of me. Factories to the right. Here I am stuck in the middle with what I'm sure is clean water to swim in. My dad and I soaked in the sights and inhaled the fresh air for about an hour on the beach before deciding that the beauty was too enchanting, and we just had to switch to a different activity. Before beginning our hike, we got to witness a show. A drunk lady accused a man and his children of theft (they weren't white). The man was emptying out all of his things and pleading with her that he didn't steal anything. A MAGA hat wearer with a bald eagle on his shirt stood nearby with his hand inching closer to his non-concealed weapon. After a lot of heated words, the fight disbanded, and I applauded everyone for being respectful and not overreacting. Then, we hiked Dunes Succession Hike. Do not let the name of dunes in the hike and park fool you. You CANNOT actually walk on or slide down the dunes or experience any pleasure of sand dunes like you can at other places that have dunes that ARE NOT national parks. We weren't disappointed. The .9 mile hike leads you up stairs for a better view of the lake next to the factories and then winds into the forest and finally ends on the beach. We, then, left and headed back to Chicago where we visited Barstool Headquarters, and we did the Yak Gauntlet. I looked up the rest of the park, and I really don't think we missed much. In all seriousness, I would never recommend taking a trip solely to this park. I wouldn't even recommend doing a daytrip here from Chicago if you happen to be in the city. This park was merely a checkoff for me and not worth the nearly $150 I spent getting there (not to mention the $1000 deposit that for the love of God I better get back).
My goal now is to become a certified sleep and anxiety coach and as part of that I developed a mini STRESS FREE SLEEP email course. I highly suggest checking it out if you struggle with sleep and panic. Buy me a coffee if you liked this blog. And if you're a parent, check out my parenting guide Now What? Mindful Parenting Checklists for Life’s Hard Moments.
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