america: indiana dunes state and national parks

In what became the way I 'planned' the entire summer in the states, I decided to go to northwest Indiana (an area people in Indiana call 'the region,) only two days before I got there.
I realized I had an opportunity to see a part of the state I've never seen previously, and the chance to catch up with someone I knew back in my youth group days.
I rented a car, and got lucky enough to get a Prius. Great gas mileage.
The drive from mundelein to the dunes took less than two hours, mainly because I avoided the morning rush hour.
I found the visitor information office of the entire dunes area, and stopped in. One of the rangers gave me a map of the area and explained all my options. There is a state park, surrounded by a national park, I don't know why there are two parks in the same area, but oh well. The ranger told me where to find hiking trails, where to park, etc.

I chose to start with the state park. I paid my entry fee (only $7!) and found a place to park. Or so I thought. I found the beach and walked for a bit, thinking I would find the trail head for the 'famous' 3 dune challenge. After walking for a bit, I realized I was in the wrong area of the park, so I walked back to my car, and drove to the right area.
The 3 dune challenge is a short, mile and a half trail, going to the top of the three tallest dunes in the area. It's a good way to get people who might not otherwise do much while camping in the park to move a bit. I followed the trail, accomplishing the challenge. Walking/running in sand is not easy, thank goodness this trail wasn't too long.
In August the park is full of cross country teams around the state doing pre season training. The average American isn't nearly that active, of course.
After finishing that trail, I found another, longer trail. This time the distance was quite a bit longer, but it was also very flat. I got to see some swampy areas, complete with mozzies. The last bit of this trail was along the beach, back to where I'd first parked in the morning. 

Of course my car wasn't there, so I had to walk the park roads to get back to where I'd parked. Not fun, but not difficult either.
Around the time I got back to the car, I texted my friend and found out she'd just gotten home. It was super easy to get to her flat from the dunes, the drive was only about 10 minutes.
It was great to see Katie again. It had been years and years since we had seen each other. I also got to meet her man Shawn.
After a while of catching up, we went to dinner in town. Chesterton isn't big, but that's fine. They took me to a local place with gourmet burgers. I had fried pickles as an appetizer, tater tots as my side. A nice experience, despite the lack of healthy options.
For dessert we walked down the street to an ice cream shop. Yum.

Katie is a wholesale coffee roaster, the proud owner/CEO of Needmore Coffee Roasters. During this visit I got to learn a lot about coffee, and roasting. I don't love coffee, I never have. I love the smell and the atmosphere, but i have never been a big fan of the taste. It was really cool to learn from someone who is so passionate about what she is doing.
The next morning I went out the door at the same time Katie went to work. I got to have a 'tour' of Katie's work. She showed me the different beans she roasts, and showed me how different roasts look. (Since I've never been a coffee drinker there is a LOT I don't know.) She told me where she gets her beans (Central America, and they're all organic and ethically sourced,) and told me how she chooses her suppliers. Katie showed me her roaster and explained how it works. Contrary to popular belief, the smell during the roasting process isn't so good. 

I loved learning everything. I see good things in the future for Needmore Coffee Roasters.
Note to coffee drinkers: a stronger/darker roast doesn't have more caffeine, it has less. It seems stronger because the taste of the 'fire' is stronger. More caffeine is found in lighter roasts.
After my 'class' in coffee, I drove to an area in the national park. I hiked Cowles Bog. There is a little elevation change, you definitely feel when you're going up. One end of the trail took me out onto the beach, which was totally empty at that time. Beautiful. Indiana definitely has moments of beauty.
After this trail, I went back to Katie's house and cleaned up in time to say hello to Katie's sister and mom, both of whom I also knew way back in the day. Great to see them again.

For dinner I met up with one of my PYOCA friends, Steve. Also at dinner was Steve's wife and son. We ate at a diner type place and caught up on each other's lives. It's been 3 years since I've seen Steve, it was a nice catch up. His wife is awesome too. I love keeping lifetime friends.
The next morning I drive back to mundelein.