Exploring Michigan City and Indiana Dunes National Park

In this episode, Amy and I spend a long weekend in Michigan City, Indiana. We explore the town, hike some trails at Indiana Dunes National Park, and enjoy two dramatic sunsets on Lake Michigan. Recorded April 7-9, 2023.

[@Phantom1963]

Beautiful video and thank you for posting ❤

[@beyondthecampfire]

Thank you for watching!

[@marilynsue4273]

I have friends who live in Beverly Shores, Indiana, and they love Michigan City. The dunes are great, and there is also a large, mysterious marsh nearby.

[@GomOutdoors]

Thanks for sharing the sunset views. Hope the left ankle is OK for the lady at 18:50 in the video. You certainly get in your steps walking back to grab the video camera!

[@BluegrassBackcountry]

Man, you have me wanting to visit this area so badly after this BTC episode! It really does give off the Michigan vibes for it technically not being in Michigan, haha

 -1:23 I feel like Amy looks simultaneously warm and cold in this shot, haha
 -1:46 Love Barn Owls. Bill and Becky used to have some that would nest inside their silo at their farm. 
-2:02 If this trio isn’t the epitome of the Trail Tribe, I don’t know what is hahahahaha
 -5:09 I love this angle of a shot. I have always wanted to do something similar when we have visited fire towers, but it has never worked out. Nice one! 
 -7:26 I love that you left this shot rolling for an extended period of time. The constant roar of the waves/tide are almost hypnotic to hear and see. Very powerful. 
-7:44 Idk where you found this song, but I love it 
-8:45 I love this perspective. The birds look as big as the city from this angle.
 -10:13 Now this looks like a Trail Tribe worthy pre/post hike meal kind of location!
 -11:17 you have gotten some incredible wildlife shots in this video. 
 -11:36 And ambient sounds of the forest, too. No need to fret over your audio. It’s great!
 -12:26 Wow. I never knew Lake Michigan could look so blue. Gorgeous! 
-13:32 I love all the different textures in this shot, from the ripply sand below to the fluffy clouds above.
 -15:05 Just when I think that the previous night’s sunset could not be outdone, I get hit with this banger. Sheesh.
 -16:39 This might be my favorite shot in the entire episode. The way the sun is just melting and oozing over the horizon is just mind boggling. 
-18:05 I like the new font you have been using in your recent videos ;) 
-18:42 Imagine this happening on the trail without the glass between you. GTFO 
-18:55 Oh, Amy. I relate so much to your pain here. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve rolled my ankle on literally nothing but the apparent air around me. She is a trooper for continuing! 
 -19:15 I need more Chad running shots in my life ;) 
 -19:44 I love little details like this added to the BTC universe. Gives your videos depth and continuity.

 Great video, brother! Sorry it took me 6+ months to get a comment to you. I am slowly working my way through your uncommented videos along with replying to yours. Thanks for your patience, but I am excited to revisit these all again when I have time! Hope to get on the trail with you again soon!

[@beyondthecampfire]

Oh man, it's great to see a BB comment again! Don't worry though, I'm behind on my comments/replies as well, haha. But I haven't forgotten, just as I know you haven't. So no rush! This place definitely had that Michigan lakeside vibe that made me feel at home. I hope you get to check it out one day. It's worth the relatively short trip and it has a little bit of everything: dunes, trails, beaches, the highest point in Indiana, a train to Chicago. We keep talking about going back this year. 2:02 Okay, I have to know which one is each of us 😁 5:09 That tower was extremely photogenic! 7:26 I'm glad you appreciate this long take and the synthy music, haha. It's just another banger from the free YT catalog! 8:45 Yes, I love how the birds make the city look tiny. Or maybe it's the birds that are huge. 10:13 We ate very well on this trip. I've got recommendations if you're ever in the area 😉 12:26 The Great Lakes are definitely underrated when it comes to beautiful blue water! This was a preview of things to come later that summer... 15:05 I was also in complete disbelief over this sunset. I couldn't believe we were lucky enough to get two in a row, with the second one being even better than the first. 16:39 I love this shot too. There's so much going on. I could live in it, haha. 18:55 I still can't watch this shot without wincing. Amy was a trooper and a very good sport about it. I thought we were going to be at the hospital, but instead she climbed all those dunes after this! And she encouraged me to put this in the video 😂 19:15 Chad just needs to do more running period! Especially this year... 19:44 I'm glad you noticed this one! Just a little piece of BtC lore 😉 Thanks again for the thoughtful comments, brother. I appreciate you taking the time. I'm finally feeling 100% again and now I'm really starting to feel the pull of the trail again. I hope we can get out there together next month!

[@amycoghill1413]

I absolutely love this gem of a place! Thank you for sharing this adventure with me! The shot at around 13:27 where it fades and then you are walking is everything! You know I loved the sunsets and everything about this trip with a few exceptions 😏😬 Your talent always amazes me, another beautiful video. 💜

[@beyondthecampfire]

I'm glad to hear you still like the video and remember the trip fondly after The Incident 😅 Thanks for hanging out with me and making it such a memorable weekend. Let's go back.

[@Smokeybeesnatural]

So relaxing! I love the sunsets and sounds of the waves, seagulls and frogs 😊! Amy seemed very exited to see what was on the ground 😂 and I'm glad to see you got in plenty of jogging 😂. Yet another great video!

[@beyondthecampfire]

Thanks, brother! I don't think I'd ever get tired of those sunsets. I'm pretty sure Amy was just looking for the ankle that fell off and rolled away somewhere 😅 I can barely even watch that shot 🤢 I don't know why I decided to run for the camera every time. I guess I just didn't want to miss anything, hahaha.