Indiana Dunes State Park

From the Creation Museum we went north to Lake Michigan.  We had reservations at Indiana Dunes State Park for two nights with no agenda other than to enjoy eachother and the scenery. 

It was wonderful to be in a "real" campground.  Other than our first night on the road, we've stayed in RV parks and we found Indiana Dunes to be a real treat.  There was a playground and areas where the girls could play in the sand at the base of the dunes.  They took walks and enjoyed having a little bit more freedom than they are used to.  

Together, we hiked to the lakeshore up and over the dunes.  It ended up being quite a hike.  We took two different trails on the way there and back and both had us almost 200 feet up before we headed back down.  What made it most challenging was that much of the way we were walking in sand.  The view of the lake was beautiful and the girls felt quite a sense of accomplishment by the time we returned to our campsite.

Up and over the dunes on our way to the lake

Satisfaction!  We've reached the top.

Our first peek of the lake

Almost there.  You can see the older girls down on the beach already.

Dipping our toes in Lake Michigan - so much fun!

The rocks on the beach were pretty - flat and full of swirls.

Rebekah and Alaina building tunnels in the sand

Keri