As the sun warms cold bones and blooms the earth’s browns and grays to green, there’s no better place in Northwest Indiana to come for a spring fling than Chesterton.
Start your day early with a wildflower hike. Try the Old Heron Rookery at Indiana Dunes National Park, or Trails 2 & 10 at Indiana Dunes State Park, to experience the pageantry, whimsy, and lacework of these most delicate harbingers of spring.
Or, if you like your colors on the wing and in flight, grab your binoculars for some of the finest migratory birding in the Midwest, as scores of species winging their way north to their annual breeding grounds stop to rest and refresh in the woodlands, wetlands, and prairies of the Indiana Dunes, just a 10-minute drive from Downtown Chesterton.
For a full weekend of avian activities— including guided visits to the region’s hotspots, workshops, and the Migration Marketplace—the annual Indiana Dunes Birding Festival, Thursday through Sunday, May 11-14, offers seasoned and novice birders alike an unparalleled opportunity to add rare and bejeweled species to their lists. Register at www.indunesbirdingfestival.com
Two prime birding spots right in Chesterton, peaceful and lovely yet hardly remote, are the Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve and—a superb place to relax and watch a sunset—the Westchester Migratory Bird Sanctuary.
After a day in the field, make Chesterton your home base, with a variety of lodging accommodations available and an excellent choice of casual-fine or family dining: Abbiocco Italian Cuisine, Lucrezia Cafe, Ivy’s Bohemia House, Octave Grill, Gastro 49 Pub & Eatery, (219) Taproom, and the Chesterton Brewery.
You’ll find historic Downtown Chesterton well worth a visit as well, with a variety of shops: Chelle’s Boutique & Garage, O’Gara & Wilson Antiquarian Booksellers, Chesterton Toys, Tethan’s Candy & Confections, The Flower Cart, and Yesterday’s Treasures, to name only a few.
And don’t forget that Chesterton is home to two of the most respected outdoor markets in the region: Coffee Creek Farmers Market, 3 to 7 p.m. every Wednesday, beginning April 19; and the European Market, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday, beginning May 6.
Come to Chesterton and make spring your thing.
For more information visit: www.chestertonin.org
