Indiana Dunes.

Mark and I had been to the Indiana Dunes years ago and thought it would be fun to bring N. When we first arrived, we decided to walk on a forest trail, saving the dunes for the next day.

This is Chellberg Farm, originally owned by Swedish immigrants. It's now part of the forest preserve we were exploring.

I would like to go back when the farm is open.

Further along the trail is the Bailly Cemetery. It was beautiful and peaceful.

Afterwards, we drove around Chesterton, Indiana and stumbled upon this cute restaurant. The food was great and it was a nice evening to sit outside and relax. I wish the antique store next door had been open.

The next day we got up early to go to the dunes.

It's amazing to see how many plants can flourish there.

N really enjoyed exploring and climbing up the dunes.

We went swimming in Lake Michigan after this walk. By the time we hiked the dunes again it was really, really, really hot. I could feel the sand burning my feet. It was about 1 p.m. when we left the dunes and beach. N and I were tired, hungry, and ready to head home.

Remember when I said there is no rest for the weary when you vacation with Mark? On the way home he wanted to make a stop for a "short hike" on another trail. N and I were less than enthusiastic, but we pressed on. The trails here were more grassy, with many areas having tall grass. We were trudging along when suddenly N started screaming. He'd been stung by something. Poor kid. We left there immediately to go get some long overdue lunch.

After lunch we drove back to our neck of the woods.

Next time I would want to focus on the beach at the dunes. The sand was very fine, making it feel soft on our feet. We had a lot of fun swimming and building sandcastles.