Published: July 23, 2008 09:16 pm            

MARK BENNETT: Sand, sun, vacation fun: It’s all available right here in Indiana

TERRE HAUTE — The waves hit me like a cool slap in the face.

Thanks, Lake Michigan, I needed that.

We’ve all endured a litany of reasons why this summer’s recreation will be limited to beef jerky shopping at the gas station after each $70 fillup. After all, fuel costs, by land or air, have put Florida, Mexico and other tropical destinations out of reach for many Hoosiers. So we’re all stuck, right?

Well, as a matter of principle, I only purchase beef jerky on impulse, along with root beer and a Snickers bar. If I’m going to fritter away summer vacation time, it won’t involve comparing the prices of Slim Jim and Oberto. I’d rather have my toes sunk into some hot sand, a shady seat at a pro baseball game, a heaping plate of seafood, or a taste of some off-the-wall wine.

It all can be found right here in Indiana.

That realization came to me a couple weeks ago. In steamy July sunshine, my daughter and I bobbed in the waves of Lake Michigan at Michigan City’s Washington Park. Meanwhile, my wife and our youngest son walked along the pier toward a working lighthouse, where anglers were pulling in lake trout, using jumbo shrimp as bait. At the same time, our oldest son and his girlfriend strolled the white beach, which extends 23 miles along the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

I took all of that in, as the lake surf splashed my face and my daughter begged me to stay in the water, just a few minutes more.

Down Franklin Street, a few blocks from the beach, sits a tasty seafood joint called Matey’s, with three levels, an eyeshot of the lake and a huge buffet.

Yes, the 190-mile drive from Terre Haute required a couple tanks of $4-a-gallon liquid gold, but nothing like a trek to Florida. And, yes, the water is cool, not warm. But once you’re in at least waist-deep, the hard part’s over, and the fun can begin. And, yes, there’s an admission charge to get into Washington Park — $6 per carload, which might get you a hotdog at Disney World.

Forty minutes east of Michigan City is Covaleski Stadium, home of the South Bend Silverhawks, a Class A farm club of the Arizona Diamondbacks. In a duel of Indiana pro baseball teams, we watched the Silverhawks and the Fort Wayne Wizards in a scenic ballpark, along with 3,500 other folks looking for entertainment on a warm July night.

The caliber of play was strong, and we probably saw at least a few future major-leaguers. Yet the atmosphere felt less distant than, perhaps, a game between their parent big-league franchises, Arizona and San Diego. Longtime Silverhawks supporters sold 50-50 raffle tickets between innings. Later, fans threw tennis balls from the stands, trying to drop one into a barrel on the pitcher’s mound to win $148 in cash. My wife and I sipped a beer, we all took turns keeping a scorecard. Unfortunately for the hometowners, the Wizards rocked South Bend’s starting pitcher, who got ejected for arguing with the home-plate ump, and the Silverhawks lost. Soon, real fireworks eased the fans’ sorrows as we all watched a spectacular postgame show.

Right here in Indiana.

Tickets to the game cost us $5 apiece.

A few weeks earlier, my wife and I and two close friends conquered the northern leg of the Indy Wine Trail, a journey including seven wineries from Carmel to Columbus. The wine tastings are free, and the employees give you some history of each flavor and of the winery itself. You might end up buying a bottle — most are less than $20, and some just $10. Two gems we sampled were a blackberry vin at Easley’s in downtown Indianapolis, and the blueberry pomegranate merlot at Grape Inspirations in the Carmel Arts District. The best part of that Carmel winery is its location, side-by-side with a Dunkin’ Donuts. I’m guessing the blueberry pomegranate merlot pairs nicely with a bag of chocolate Munchkins.

It’s funny — as we played on the beach at the Dunes, watched big-leaguers-to-be at Coveleski, and tasted some wild Hoosier wines, I never missed Florida once. The state says 62 million visitors travel to Indiana each year … maybe this summer of tight budgets and closer-to-home getaways will force Hoosiers to understand why.



Mark Bennett can be reached at mark.bennett@tribstar.com or (812) 231-4377.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.