Adventure-Crew.com

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

We have lived within a few hours of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore for more years than I can remember and have never been there until recently. We have been to the Indiana Dunes State Park, which lies within the national lakeshore, to lie around the beach and soak up the sun, but never really took the time to enjoy the surrounding beauty. (Need I say we were very young at the time?)

The Indiana Dunes is set up similar to Cuyahoga Valley National Park in that it is interspersed with the surrounding communities throughout the park. Unlike Cuyahoga, however, Indiana Dunes is more compact. It runs for nearly 25 miles along the southern edge of Lake Michigan, one of the largest lakes in the world. Bordered by Gary, IN on the west, Indiana on the east and Michigan City on the north-east, as its name implies, it lies totally in Indiana. It encompasses 15,000 acres which includes the state park.

Shaped from the last great continental glacier, the park landscape represents at least four major historic stages of the shoreline, making it one of the most extensive geological records. Four major dune complexes can be seen with the older ones inland and the younger ones still active. Besides the dunes, the lakeshore has bogs, marshes, wetlands, oak savannas, prairies, rivers, forests and swamps.

You can experience the highest dune in the lakeshore park by climbing the strenuous trail to the top of Mount Baldy. This is a moving sand dune that is ever moving inland. It is soon to bury the trees and parking lot on its south side. The south side is currently fenced off to visitors, as the numerous people traipsing over the vegetation are why there is so much movement of the sand dune. Without the vegetation to hold the sand in place, the sand dune continues its coarse inland. It was sad to see that in spite of the signs asking people to stay off that side of the sand dune, you could still see that not only did people walk up and down that side of the sand dune; they also broke the fence climbing over it. There is a path on the side of the dune that allows you to get to the summit and either head to the beach or climb to the top and view the fantastic lake views.

With numerous beaches available, there are plenty of opportunities to soak up the sun if that is your desire or to swim in the lake. The beaches are well maintained and draw thousands of people during the summer to enjoy the breezes and deep blue water. With this many miles of shoreline, there is plenty of room for everyone. Be mindful of the beach rules and the presence of riptides in some locations. Parking fees are often charged.

Birdwatching is a very popular activity in the lakeshore. There is an unusually high diversity of autumn birds in northwest Indiana due to the size of Lake Michigan. Many birds pass by and stop to rest on the shores. There are also a large number of shore birds that are not normally found in the Midwest because of the depth of the lake and the beaches. You can see bay and sea ducks, pelicans, loons, grebes, sandpipers and gulls, lots of gulls. The wetlands provide vital habitat for birds like herons, warblers, wrens, the American Woodcock, Swamp Sparrow and Sora. Everywhere you go you can hear the trills of the birds.

There is one campground in the national lakeshore and one in the state park. During the summer these can fill up quickly, but they do not take reservations so it is best to arrive early. Most of the sites are in a shaded woody area. Showers with hot water are available as well as flush toilets. Each site has its own firepit and picnic table. It is usually very quiet and peaceful.

Hiking is another popular pastime and there are many miles of trails ranging from easy to strenuous. These traverse bogs, forests, sand dunes, marshes and beaches. The Ly-co-ki-we Trail is for hiking, horseback riding and cross-country skiing. The Calumet Trail offers hiking and biking options. The Marquette Trail is also open for biking. We brought our bikes with, but the weather was too rainy for bike riding. Wherever you go, though, you are sure to see great lakeside views, unique wildlife and rare botanicals.

Another great site to take in is the Chellberg Farm and Bailly Homestead. They are connected by a ravine-side trail that is beautiful. The farm is a Swedish farmstead typical of the 1890’s to 1910. You can watch the ranger feed the animals and on weekends, go through the house. During festival times there are people dressed in period costumes. The Bailly Homestead is a National Historic Landmark and was home to Joseph Bailly de Messein who played a role in the development of the Calumet region of northern Indiana. He was an independent trader in furs and was one of the earliest settlers in northern Indiana. The complex is the last remaining site of its nature in the Calumet region.

During the 1933 World’s Fair, five houses were built to demonstrate modern architecture, experimental materials and new technologies like air conditioning and dishwashers. These were moved to the community of Beverly Shores, IN in 1935 and are now on the National Register of Historic Places. We were disappointed not to get to view these as they are all being renovated presently and are closed. You can drive by them on Lakeshore Drive that runs along the lakefront offering rugged views of shoreline. Incidentally, you should see the other houses that are along this road. They are absolutely phenomenal. Not that they have anything to do with the national lakeshore, but they are still interesting.

Because it is a smaller park, there are many things you could see and do in a few days time. We managed to camp, climb Mount Baldy, visit the new Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center, the Chellberg Farm, hike part of the Inland Marsh Trail, drive down Lakeshore Drive and Beverly Drive (to see the birds), see some wildlife, eat some awesome food, and visit the state park and climb their dunes to capture great photos of the beach, dunes and sunset. All in all it was a wonderful experience and one we want to repeat very soon.

By Corie Marks

Submitted by Bob Janiskee on September 20, 2011 – 2:59am
National Parks Traveler.com

Cosmopolitan Bathhouse & Saloon

Back in the 1870s and 1880s, tourists who endured the long, bone-jarring ride to Yosemite Valley could enjoy some surprising amenities at the valley’s Cosmopolitan Bathhouse & Saloon. Although this unusual establishment disappeared into history 127 years ago, it left a remarkable legacy and a story well worth telling.

Concerned about the impacts of overgrazing, logging, mining, and other threats to the Yosemite area’s exceptional beauty and geologic resources, Congress set the land aside as a park in 1864 and gave it to the state of California to administer. This was eight years before Congress made Yellowstone America’s first national park (there being no state of Wyoming to turn the park over to), but well into the age of mass communication and aggressive tourism promotion and development. Within just a few decades, people throughout California and all over America learned about the wonders of Yosemite and developed a yen to visit the place. The transfer to state management in 1864, the end of the Civil War in 1865, the completion of the transcontinental railroad (1869), the construction of wagon roads to the Yosemite region, and other factors combined to create a Yosemite Valley tourism industry that grew at a rapid clip.

Yosemite’s hospitality industry began to take shape in the late 1850s and 1860s with the construction of several primitive lodging facilities, including Clark’s Station (1857) at Wawona, and Lower Hotel (1859) and Upper Hotel (later Hutchings House) in the valley. Transportation improvements and recreational infrastructure development also occurred at a fairly rapid rate during the 1860s and 70s. By the mid-1870s, Yosemite sported several privately-developed trails for horse and mule rides (few people were interested in hiking back then) and was served by toll roads that extended all the way into the valley. No railroad served Yosemite at that time, but a person living in San Francisco or Oakland could travel to Yosemite in about a day and a half if s/he was willing to endure a punishing ride on wagon roads and (prior to 1874) complete the last leg of the trip into the valley on a horse or mule. In those early days, a visit to Yosemite Valley (aka Yo-Semite Valley) was only for hardy, adventuresome people.

While riding trails and various other tourist-oriented enterprises opened up in Yosemite Valley during the 1860s, the valley still lacked decent lodging and related hospitality amenities as the decade drew to a close. Seeing a golden opportunity, John C. Smith constructed a building that introduced a new standard of quality when it was completed in 1871. Officially called the Cosmopolitan Bathhouse & Saloon (isn’t that a grand name?), but known simply as the Cosmopolitan, Smith’s establishment offered Yosemite visitors two prime amenities — hot or cold baths at any time of the day or night, plus a very well-stocked bar (Smith’s mint juleps were a favorite).

The clientele included some campers, but consisted mostly of well-heeled easterners, Californians, and foreigners lodging at the valley’s inns. All appreciated the Cosmopolitan’s special amenities, which included fine glassware, carpeted baths, full-length mirrors, delicate bath soaps, clean towels and linens, full-size billiard tables, a barber service, a ladies’ parlor, a gentlemen’s reading room, and even up-to-date newspapers. How all of the fragile stuff could have been hauled into the valley without breaking it, especially on the rugged 20-mile final approach, doubtlessly mystified many customers.

Yosemite Valley visitors very much needed the comforts that the Cosmopolitan offered. The visitor register that was kept on the Cosmopolitan’s porch beginning in 1873 contains liberal mention of miseries arising from dusty roads, insect bites, sick horses, foul weather, isolation, and various other afflictions. After long, wearying days of travel and sightseeing, perhaps in association with the discomforts of camping, imagine how happy Cosmopolitan customers were to have a libation to clear the dust from their throat, a bath to wash the dirt from their hide, and maybe a go at the billiards table to make them feel even more civilized.

By 1876, Yosemite was attracting nearly 2,000 visitors a year, most of whom stayed in the valley for several weeks at a time. At that time the valley had three nondescript inns — Black’s Hotel, Leidig’s Hotel, and the Coulter and Murphy Hotel (former Hutchings House/ Upper Hotel). The Cosmopolitan, which was located across the road from the latter, enjoyed a brisk trade. None of the valley’s rather primitive hotels offered amenities like those of the comparatively elegant Cosmopolitan. And except for the firefall (introduced by James McCauley in the 1870s), there were no significant competing diversions after the sun went down.

The valley’s lodging industry began shifting to a more modern footing in the 1870s and 1880s. Older structures underwent renovations and added new services. Prime examples of upgrading included the Yosemite Falls Hotel (later the Sentinel Hotel) in the Old Village area adjacent to the Cosmopolitan and the La Casa Nevada (between Vernal and Nevada Falls).

The Cosmopolitan remained a going concern into the early 1880s, enjoying a national reputation as a “must” stop for Yosemite Valley visitors. Many a Yosemite newbie was eager to add the Cosmopolitan to his “been there, done that” list.

An impressive number of impressive folks enjoyed the Cosmopolitan’s comforts. The visitor register, which is now in the Yosemite Museum, bears the comments and autographs of such notables as John Muir, Rudyard Kipling, William Randolph Hearst, Lillie Langtry, William ‘Buffalo Bill” Cody, and Presidents Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, and James Garfield. (Theodore Roosevelt signed the register in 1903, long after the Cosmopolitan closed its doors.)

Unfortunately, the Cosmopolitan was forced out of business after a successful run of only 13 years. The State Board of Commissioners closed it down in 1884, just six years before Congress established Yosemite National Park. The commissioners had decided that any saloon in Yosemite would have to be operated in conjunction with a hotel.

The building that housed the Cosmopolitan was put to other uses for nearly half a century, but finally burned down on December 8, 1932. Today, few visitors know that the Cosmopolitan ever existed.

Postscript: A forthcoming Traveler article will provide additional information about the Cosmopolitan’s remarkable visitor register, the Grand Register of Yo-Semite Valley.

Sunset over the far eastern edge of Isle Royale.

Story and Photos by ELLEN CREAGER • FREE PRESS TRAVEL WRITER • July 26, 2009
Freep.com

ISLE ROYALE — A short hike, they called it. Just 4.2 miles to Scoville Point and back to the lodge.

Now it’s three hours later, and I’m still hiking. The way is strewn with rocks and boulders, giant roots and planks across the boggy spots. The trail hugs ancient lava ridges that drop off to icy blue water. I’ve seen two loons. Stopped dozens of times to look at wildflowers. Seen only two other hikers. Am I going the right way? Who knows? I spot moose droppings on the path. Listen hard. Hear nothing except the whisper of a breeze through the greenery.

Earlier today, the captain of the Queen IV ferry boat, Don Kilpela, told me he encountered a moose and her calf right on this path. He didn’t move. She didn’t move. Then he sang four songs to her, including “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”

“She stood there listening to me for 10 minutes,” he said, eyes twinkling. “I wasn’t afraid.”

Now, as I brush through the narrow path headed back to what I hope is civilization, such as it is, I find myself thinking, can you really sing to a moose? If you saw a moose, what should you sing? Does a moose prefer pop or rock? Or just Judy Garland?

It takes a boat ride
If you’ve ever thought of coming to Isle Royale, you may be picturing backpacks, hiking boots and prowling wolves — and automatically counted yourself out.

You’re not alone. Just 14,038 people last year visited Isle Royale, Michigan’s only national park. More than 80% of nights on the island are spent on backcountry camping. The rest are spent at the island’s only lodge. Almost no one comes just for the day.

Why? Logistics. You can’t drive to Isle Royale because it’s 56 miles north of Copper Harbor in the middle of Lake Superior. The choppy ferry ride takes 3 1/2 to 6 hours, depending on whether you leave from Copper Harbor or Houghton.

And when you arrive, it’s 210 square miles of wild.

Yes, there are rustic campsites. One lodge. A few docks. A lighthouse. A handful of summer homes remaining from before the island became a national park in 1940. Some trails. But that’s about it. Isle Royale has no roads.

Famed for its classic, ongoing predator-prey study that has tracked moose and wolf populations for 51 years, Isle Royale is arguably the sexiest science project ever.

But if and when you do finally get here, you realize two things.

One, you don’t have to be a hard-core backpacker to enjoy Isle Royale.

Two, Isle Royale couldn’t care less whether you come.

It’s not here to impress you. You are here to impress it.

‘Nice and wild’
There are many myths about Isle Royale (see sidebar). But myth is part of its mystique. Is it actually in Canada? Is it really the least-visited national park? Will you be eaten by wolves? Is the only hotel on the island closing?

I add my own possible myth to the list — this dubious idea of singing to a moose. One authority on this subject, I imagine, would be Rolf Peterson, the Michigan Tech research professor specializing in the wolf-moose study. He lives on Isle Royale in the summer and a few weeks in the winter, but, who am I kidding? He’s not exactly hanging around waiting for tourists’ dumb questions.

I have better luck talking to backpackers. I meet a friend, John Bassier, a biology teacher at Ferndale High School, who has brought more than 300 students here in his 40 years as a teacher. Backcountry camping on Isle Royale, Bassier says, teaches self-reliance, tolerance for discomfort and cooperation. I meet up with him as he finishes a 6-day hike on the Minong Trail with two Ferndale police officer friends. They’re weary, glad to shed their 35-40 pound packs and feeling great.

“It was nice and wild,” says Detective Bill Wilson.

“A couple nights we could see a gazillion stars,” says Bassier.

“At night we heard wolves calling,” says Capt. Tim Collins.

They also encountered a moose and her calf, foxes, eagles, ospreys and snakes. And very few people.

Not a camper? Try the lodge
If you aren’t into camping, you can stay, as I did, at the Rock Harbor Lodge. Don’t think hotel. Think dorm. The 60-room facility has no phones, cell phone service, Internet, TV or radio. Every room looks directly onto Lake Superior. Think of it as a retreat, a cloister without the prayers.

So far this year, lodge business is down, continuing a depressing trend from last year, says Kim Alexander, the lodge’s general manager.

“It’s not a shock we’re not setting any records,” he says. He admits lodge prices — which run $250 a night — are out of reach of some visitors in this economy.

“People say for $250 a night they could stay at the Ritz-Carlton,” he says. “But the Ritz-Carlton is not being charged 18 cents a gallon for water. We also pay the National Parks Service $250,000 a season for electricity. It’s a concern.”

To cut costs for customers, the lodge dropped its lodging-meal plans this spring and now books rooms on their own, letting people eat a la carte at the restaurant or grill.

Another advantage of staying at the lodge is the M.V. Sandy tour boat, which can take visitors places they can’t hike or don’t have time to hike. I take an evening cruise that goes clear around to the north side of Isle Royale to watch the sunset. The next day, I cruise to Edisen Fishery and the 1844-era Isle Royale lighthouse.

Lighthouse Isle Royale

That’s when luck steps in. It happens that the Edisen Fishery is next door to the wolf study headquarters. And it happens that the Petersons are home.

Moose masters
A narrow path leads to a small cottage with red shutters in the woods. Out steps Candy Peterson. Then her husband, Rolf. They spend six months a year here, from spring to fall. They even raised their children here.

Surrounding the small cottage, officially called Bangsund Cabin, are tables full of moose remains. Moose bones. Moose antlers. Moose skulls. Moose parts, all tagged, labeled as to where found, when the animal died and under what circumstances (rutting, arthritis, other moose mishaps).

Rolf Peterson is wearing a blue cable knit sweater with a tiny hole in one elbow. He and Candy are grandparents, but they look very young. Isle Royale may be the fountain of youth.

To the surprise of the seven boat tourists, the Petersons stop to chat. They invite us into the cabin. They patiently answer the most basic and naive questions about moose and wolves and their own unconventional lives here. Moose swam or crossed on ice to Isle Royale in the early 1900s, followed by wolves in 1948-49. For the last 50 years, scientists have tracked the balance of wolf and moose populations, which have fluctuated depending on weather, the health of the animals and the success of their habitat.

Finally, I work up the nerve to ask my question.

“The captain of the Queen told me he sang to a moose,” I say. “Is that a good idea?”

“Oh, Don,” Peterson says. He must have heard this story before, probably a million times. But he plays along. Because moose have poor eyesight but good hearing and can be unpredictable, talking to a moose if you unexpectedly encounter one tells the moose you are not a predator.

“Moose don’t like surprises. For some reason, when you talk to them, it works,” he says. “High pitches are more comforting than low pitches.”

Ah. Not a myth. Sing to the moose.

No moose, no wolves, no Tigers
Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to hike Isle Royale to learn it well. I day-hike down to Suzy’s Cave and Three Mile (a 6-mile loop). I attend park ranger talks about the geology of the island and spend a morning with an artist in residence trying to draw wildflowers. I meet a man hiking back from two weeks on the trails. His first question — how are the Tigers doing?

I don’t know, I say. Nobody does.

No, I don’t see a moose. Or a wolf. But as I walk, I hum. You know, just in case anyone — or anything — is listening.

Rock Harbor Isle Royale

Shenandoah National Park

The park is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Luray, VA

Shenandoah National Park, with its 101 miles of the Appalachian Trail, offers boundless outdoor adventure for your next family vacation. With over 500 miles of backpacking and hiking trails, you will find plenty of outstanding opportunities for solitude. Scenic drives take you to spectacular mountain views and allow you to travel through tree tunnels. The Blue Ridge Mountains are truly a place of beauty and wonder. Continue reading for further great Shenandoah National Park information.

Uniqueness

Shenandoah National Park lies astride a beautiful section of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which form the eastern rampart of the Appalachian Mountains between Pennsylvania and Georgia. The Shenandoah River flows through the valley to the west, with Massanutten Mountain, 40 miles long, standing between the river’s north and south forks. The rolling Piedmont country lies to the east of the park. Skyline Drive, a 105-mile road that winds along the crest of the mountains through the length of the park, provides vistas of the spectacular landscape to east and west. Drivers will pass rock cliffs, and vistas, and probably deer and other wildlife; they will drive through tunnels of trees, past wildflowers and ferns, and (in late spring) by banks of mountain laurel in bloom. 75 overlooks offer a place to stop and absorb the view and the peace. The 35-miles-per-hour speed limit allows drivers the opportunity to truly enjoy the ride and helps to ensure the safety of wildlife along the road.

The park’s wilderness areas offer outstanding opportunities for solitude and recreation. Shenandoah National Park has over 500 miles of trails, including 101 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Many trails are accessed from Skyline Drive. Some short trails lead to a waterfall or viewpoint; longer and more difficult trails penetrate deep into the forest and wilderness giving visitors the opportunity to explore and enjoy this unique resource. Camp, hike, fish, bird watch, horse back ride the 150 miles of horse trails or take photographs of nature’s wonders.

Most of Shenandoah’s landscape is forested. In the process of photosynthesis, converting light, water, and minerals into foods, green plants give off water. From a distance this air-born water creates a faint haze giving the Blue Ridge its name. Many animals, including deer, black bears, and wild turkeys, flourish among the rich growth of an oak-hickory forest. In season, bushes and wildflowers bloom along the Drive and trails and fill the open spaces. Apple trees, stone foundations, and cemeteries are reminders of the families who once called this place home.

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Join Adventure-Crew for the highlights of one typical day of adventure as we peek into Death Valley’s 23-mile long pipeline…check out historic charcoal kilns…and set up camp at 7,000 feet in Thorndike Campground.