Mount Baldy along the Lake Michigan shoreline

A few miles down the beach from the Michigan City scene here, stands Mt. Baldy, a 126-foot high sand dune rising up over Lake Michigan. It is starving, meaning there is more beach sand going out than coming in. When a breakwater was built down the beach for Michigan City Harbor, it prevented the new accumulation of sand at Mount Baldy, hence the 'starving'. But Baldy is traveling.

From the water, the sand moves in to the spot when the prevailing northwest wind exceeds seven m.p.h. This all means Mt. Baldy moves about four feet each year.

It's a fun park, where you can take a boardwalk around and down to the beach, or take a more challenging hike to the summit. Very few plants grow on the dome, so it looks very desert-like. Marram grass, also called dune grass, help to hold the dunes in place. There are also black oak trees on many of Indiana's dunes.

The parking lot is easily accessible from U.S. Highway 12, Michigan City. Drive in and you immediately see the huge back of the dune, about to encroach upon the parking lot. That side of the hill is closed to climbing so as not to hasten erosion. People do swim here in warm weather, and rip tide current signs are posted. Just hiking on the trails and strolling along the beach is very pleasant. Kids like to try and run up and down as fast as they can, tripping or even rolling, but that's kids for you. It's the usual - picnics, volleyball, people burying themselves in sand. Which, by the way, is not supposed to be healthy because of bacteria in the sand. Bummer.

I love taking photographs of the beautiful water and sand dunes. Dune grasses, the aqua water, white sand - I could look at it all day. Changing lights, sunsets - I'm in heaven. It's also healthy walking and great exercise if you keep moving.

Interestingly enough, a sign says not to sled, inner-tube, or snowboard on the dunes. I guess people will try anything. Hidden dangers are cited, not to speak of the danger to other people who simply want to walk on the dunes.

The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is part of the National Park Service. There are more than 390 parks in the national program. This one is just two and a half hours or less drive from Fort Wayne, and I do really like to see it again and again.