Indiana: Indiana Dunes, Indianapolis and Hookah
Capital: Indianapolis
Largest City: Indianapolis
Population: 6.7 million
Admitted: 1816
Indiana is a midwestern state. The state is most notable for the dunes along Lake Michigan and Indianapolis. It is also home to the Indianapolis 500. Being originally from Michigan, I surprisingly rarely went to Indiana. In fact, my first memory of visiting Indiana was in 2014 when I went with my husband to Indianapolis. While there, we went to a hookah bar because I thought it sounded cool. I did not smoke any hookah and I still do not know what it even is.
Returning to Indiana to Visit the Dunes
In April of 2026, my husband and I had a return visit to Indiana with the purpose of exploring Indiana Dunes National Park (and an unexpected visit to the state park). Despite being next to each other, the national park pass does not get you into the state park. At the national park visitor center, it advertised hikes and other activities in the state park. It was very confusing.
In the state park, we attempted a popular hiking challenge -- the three dune challenge. We failed. It is much harder hiking in sand than one may think it is. Instead of three dunes, we climbed two (and then took a shortcut path back to the car after nearly dying).
Once finished, we went to Portage Beach, which is a very popular beach in the area -- and also in the state park! While at the beach, we touched a very chilly Lake Michigan.
Next, we went to walk around a marsh -- this was in the national park! Along with dunes, the national park also had many marshes and bogs. This walk was much easier and more manageable than the three-dune challenge (it was also much flatter, but I digress). A big highlight of our trail visit was seeing three new birds -- a red-bellied woodpecker, red-winged blackbird and American goldfinch.
We ended our Indiana trip by going to Michigan City and seeing a lighthouse in the distance. From this beach in Michigan City, you can also view one of the largest cities in the United States -- Chicago! It was chilly in Michigan City, so we admired the lighthouse from afar before ending our trip with a lunch stop at Culver's.
Final Thoughts
Indiana has some beauty, but honestly, it is not my favorite state.
If you like sand, I would recommend visiting.
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