On our hike to the beach, we ended up following a well known trail from the old neighborhoods surrounding the park, up to what used to be a parking area. Now, this entire area is overgrown with marram grass and oak trees, so it's hard to imagine any cars could have driven right in this spot, but there are still remnants of signs and pieces of the old homes.
Out a bit from the parking area and former homes is the tallest dune in the area. There are old pipes and sheet metal terraces leading up to this point, at one time, it must have been someone's yard - what an incredible view! From this point, you can see all the way past Michigan City into Michigan. The Michigan City lighthouse can be seen close to the horizon, near the Nipsco Power Plant (which is scheduled to be razed in a few years).
Looking in the opposite direction from the same dune, you can see Chicago's skyline on clear days, and if you look closely, even the buildings and industry all along the horizon. This is a relatively quiet area, but looking at the footprints in the fresh snow, we weren't the only visitors on this morning.
The tails lead in and out of the old parking area and former homes to a couple of wide, winding trails that were once roads. Every so often you can see the asphalt - but again, it's been so long since these were driven on, it's hard to imagine a car fitting down these trails.
Walking through this area, I can't imagine how great it must have been to own one of these properties. Incredible location, beautiful views, and deer for neighbors.
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