Try this beach once, and you'll probably come back.
go4sun
Weekend beach bum with exceptional bronze tan.
May 18, 2006
based on 13 votes
The ideal weekend is blue sky, a chair, and some cold beer for tanning and swimming on the golden sandy shores of Lake Michigan at the beach in Michigan City, IN. A perfect summer escape, there are many events and attractions to fill several trips, from relaxing to entertaining to eductional. All within reach and a realistic budget.
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Explore locations featured in this Traveler List:
Michigan City
- Category: Perfect weekend
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Traveler type: Culture, Sightseeing, Shopping, Active/Outdoors, Never been before, Repeat visitors, Sports buffs, Beachgoers
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Appeals to: Couples/romantics, Honeymooners, Singles, Families with small children, Families with teenagers, Seniors, Students, Budget travelers, Active/adventure, Tourists
- Seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall
- Tags: Beach, Lake Michigan, Fish, Shopping, Museums, Indiana, Sun, Swim
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1. Michigan City, IN: Beaches, Lake Michigan, Fishing, Events, Attractions, Shopping.
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| A good introduction to the beaches and other activites, all in one spot. Lots of lakefront events during the Summer Festival, including Fireworks, great car cruise nite, Art Festival, In-Water Boat Show, Labor Daze Fest, and more. You'll find the events and attractions from Spring to Fall, some great fishing challenges, and photos to make you wish you were here. |
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| In Washington Park is the original 1858 Lighthouse, now a Museum of local and nautical history. See the life of a lightkeeper when things were not so simple, loaned ship exhibits, and more on 2 floors. Small admisssion fee. |
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3. Rare 5th Order Fresnel Lens Display
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| The Old Lighthouse Museum has this rare lens on display. The only on-line picture of this exhibit. Functional Craftmanship of an era gone by. |
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4. Largest In-Water Boat Show on Lake Michigan, August
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| Come play among huge yachts, cruisers, sail craft, play watercraft, shore exhibits, and nautical equipment. Come drool if you're not used to million $$$ toys. Food, beverages, a party barge, and a wet squirrel(?) Tip: boaters use caution, as the floating docks restrict watercraft movement during this event. |
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5. Boat Show Discount Coupon
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Print yourself a $3 Boat Show Discount admission coupon. Print more for others. Pay more if you want, this is a free coupon provided by Indiana Tourism.
Tip: scroll down to "NORTH COUPONS" , it's in Discount Coupons. |
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6. Rag Tops Auto Museum and more, near the beach.
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Lots of old cars and historical memoribillia for all ages. Mini-golf.
Their site tells more than I can say. |
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7. International Friendship Gardens
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| Incredible floral gardens from around the world. Map and restortion agenda. |
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8. Homes from the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, great architecture.
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| Study, see perceptions of the future from 1933. Brought by barge across Lake Michigan to Beverly Shores, Indiana after the World's Fair. Now undergoing restoration. |
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9. Barker Mansion: big $$$$$ from the railroad empire in Michigan City. Haskell/Barker - Pullman Standard
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| An exquisite mansion with rare woods, marble, tapestries, and original paintings. Photos on site. Enchanting displays of the season. One block away, Lighthouse Outlet Mall now sits on the site of the former manufacturing empire. |
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10. Hesston Steam Museum: Ride 3 classic steam trains and see other steam exhibits.
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| Country fun to see part of the Industrial era. Ride the puffin' - tootin' mini-gauge RR or German steam engine through forests. Daily admission is free, EXCEPT during special holiday weekends. |
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11. LaPorte County Historical Society
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| One of the largest collections of antique firearms in the USA (about 1,000 pieces). See displays reflecting the early era of LaPorte county. Also contact them for possible help in local Genealogy research. |
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12. Lubeznik Center For the Arts: near the beach.
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| Newly refurbished, this is an on-going and constantly evolving center of exhibits, events, tours, and artists. Contact them about the Summer Festival Art Festival at the Beach, every August, and fascinating Lake Michigan photography/paintings. |
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13. Great Lakes Museum of Military History
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| "To preserve, restore, and present military history from the Revolutionary War to the present". Small admission fee, research available, donations welcome. |
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14. 500 Antique dealers within 30 minutes: the antique meca
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| Snoop to your hearts content for treasures of yesteryear. Antiquers will savor the memoribillia to be found at the many locations. |
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15. Lighthouse Mall Outlet Shopping: 2 blocks from the lake.
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| Great outlet shopping at one of the most popular malls. 120 stores in an outdoor environment. Map, sales, and more. |
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16. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore: MORE BEACH
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| 25 miles of lakefront park, 14,000 acres of living dunes to hike and explore. The East edge at Michigan City has Mt Baldy sand dune, a challenging climb to say the least. Kick off your shoes and enjoy the summit views. |
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17. Images from the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
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| Not enough to see the enormity of this huge dune environment. Nature lovers will be fascinated with the abundance of flora, fauna, and wildlife that this sandy environment can provide, and wish they had more time. It may create a desire for more trips at each of the different seasons. |
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18. Printable PDF map of the National Lakeshore Park.
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This map requires Adobe Acrobat to view or print. It does include the Indiana Dunes State Park, which is located within the National Lakeshore.
For Park info, try 1-800-959-9174 x225 |
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19. LaPorte County Tourism Bureau: FREE Brochures
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Order on-line: free brochures and maps of attractions/events. They vary in content, so order as many as you wish. From within Indiana, you can also call the LPCVB at 1-800-634-2650. A hotline for specific Summer Festival activities is 1-800-874-3630.
2006 Lakefront fireworks are scheduled for July 9. Car Cruise day is July 15. Beach Art Festival is Aug 19-20. Boat Show is Aug 24-27. Labor Daze fest is easy.
Popular is the varied seasons for fresh u-pick fruits & vegetables at area farms. |
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20. LaPorte County Visitor/Convention Bureau
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| Review beaches and other attractions/events. Another site to explore LaPorte County. |
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21. Michigan City area Lodging: Hotel, motel, B&B's, rentals, camping.
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| Lots of choices, from beach to tent. |
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22. Local Indiana DNR fishing report, Lake Michigan
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| Shore, boat or Charter for the BIG Salmon/Trout. Updated weekly for the Southern basin of Lake Michigan. Try to keep a fishing pole in the car when coming here......you might get lucky with some dynamite Steelhead Trout in July. |
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23. Historical events, Michigan City, 1900-1990
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| "A Look Back" featured by the local newspaper. Reminisce and remember the happenings and developments of Michigan City. |
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24. Trip Advisor, Michigan City Beach Review
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| Simple. Beach, sand, water, and tanning. |
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Compliment go4sun
