We have often driven to Chicago from Ann Arbor, and even more often taken the train. South of Lake Michigan has always seemed a mysterious, unknown no-man’s land between Michigan and Chicago. Mostly it seems you are looking at old steelworks, but you know from the map there is lots going on. “One day we must explore this”. This week started with me at a conference in Chicago. Couldn’t find a hotel in Chicago, so I drove to N. Indiana and stayed in a hotel in Chesterton and took the South Shore Line into Chicago. Next day I was perfectly placed to explore the Indiana Dunes State Park. Wow, what a great place. It’s huge, with lots of trails through woods and up and down dunes, and long beaches. One of the things I notice about Impressionist painting is how often the view is from up high, typically a hotel room. I like that altered perspective, and look for it more and more. This is from the top of a bird watching platform.