I have only been to the Indiana Dunes a few times but will soon have more time to explore it. High on my list is a visit to Cowles Bog, which a local recommended for its abundance of rarely seen wildlife. (“You’ll see thing you never saw before,” he told us.) We drove by the bog recently during a quick visit to see the “Century of Progress” homes nearby and learned that it offers a 4.7 mile hike “moderate to rugged with steep dune climbs in loose sand” and dogs are allowed. Its ponds, marsh, swamp, black oak woodland, and those dunes offer such a diversity of wildlife that it was named a National Natural Landmark in the 1960s.
It took us awhile to find them but the five “century of progress homes” produced for the 1933 Chicago world’s fair were worth the hunt. We drove west along the Indiana Dunes National shoreline until there they were. We parked our car (15 minutes allowed) at about 6:30 on a Saturday afternoon and walked right up to the homes, including the stunning “Florida Tropical House” right above the silky sand beach. The silhouette of the Chicago skyline rose like a distant Oz across the shimmering water of Lake Michigan. The “flamingo pink Art Deco” Florida house – designed to resemble an ocean-liner, was the only state-commissioned house, commissioned by Florida, to lure tourists. Word has it the Florida house is a navigational landmark for Lake Michigan boaters.
The five homes were relocated here after the fair. They were considered state-of-the-art at the time, with new-fangled options like air-conditioning and dishwashers. A real estate developer (who wanted to lure buyers to his new Beverly Shores resort community) bought five of them (not clear how many there were total) and had four shipped by barge to Indiana and one transported by truck. There’s an annual tour of them in September that sells out quickly when the tix go on sale. Apparently some are lived in by people subleasing them and using private funds to restore them.
The Indiana dunes is an odd mix of natural and industrial worlds, with beaches and wildlife areas (friends from here recommend Cowles bog trail for wildlife) but also a nuclear cooling tower and steel mills.
Wiebolt-Rostone House
The Wiebot-Rostone House’s experimental materials apparently didn’t prove up to snuff, although its very cool looking. Billed as a material that would never need repairs, Rostone was made of limestone, shale, and alkali. But it proved no match for harsh lake-effect weather (snow etc.) and the air pollution of its industrial neighbors (steel mills, refineries.) By the 1950s, it was deteriorating and recovered in Perma-stone, a concrete stucco. It was later restored with a new improved synthetic Rostone. Perhaps most astonishing is that the 120-130 ton house was transported by barge (it was the heaviest house moved).
Here’s more info from the National Park Service:
1933 Chicago World’s Fair Century of Progress Homes
The annual tour is held on the last weekend of September. The tour is sponsored by the non-profit organization Indiana Landmarks. Tickets go on sale early in August and usually sell out within one hour.For information on the exact tour date, ticket sale date, pricing, and all other information, please visit the Indiana Landmarks’ website.
The 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago—called the Century of Progress—offered millions of people in the depths of the Great Depression a hopeful vision that highlighted futuristic changes on the horizon. Developer Robert Bartlett brought a dozen buildings from the fair including five from the Homes and Industrial Arts housing exhibit that make up the Century of Progress Historic District. The buildings were moved by barge and truck to Beverly Shores, a resort community he was developing on the Indiana shore of Lake Michigan. You can visit the cluster of five landmarks on the annual Century of Progress home, sponsored by Indiana Landmarks in partnership with the National Park Service.
The tour admits you to the first floors of the Florida Tropical, Rostone, Armco-Ferro and Cypress houses. As you can tell by their names, the houses at the fair promoted products for residential living—Florida’s beachy appeal, and artificial stone, enameled steel, and cypress wood as building materials.
Four of the five houses looked wildly modern in 1933, so ahead of their time that they remain modern looking today. The Cypress House, honoring its material, looks like a rustic log cabin, albeit with modern amenities. To save the structures, Indiana Landmarks leased them from the National Park Service, then subleased four to people who have restored them in exchange for long-term leases.
The tour lasts a little over two hours and is guided by park rangers and volunteers who will provide histories and architectural overviews at each property.
Because there is no parking available in the historic district, your timed entry ticket includes shuttle transportation to the district from the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center, 1215 North State Road 49, Porter, IN, 46304. The private homes are clustered together on either side of Lake Front Drive within easy walking distance of one another.
Touring the historic homes requires walking and climbing stairs. If you require accommodation, please call Indiana Landmarks’ Northern Regional Office, 574-232-4534.
Tickets cost is $35/person, ($30/member of Indiana Landmarks or Dunes National Park Association) (2018 prices, subject to change).A Century of Progress – The 1933 World’s Fair HomesOver 85 years of wind, sand, and surf have battered the five World’s Fair houses located along Lake Front Drive in Beverly Shores, but their uniqueness has weathered the elements. With the theme of a Century of Progress, the houses were built for the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair to demonstrate modern architectural design, experimental materials, and new technologies such as central air conditioning and dishwashers.Four of the houses were brought to the dunes by barge in 1935 by real estate developer Robert Bartlett. The Cypress Log Cabin was dismantled at the fair and moved by truck. Bartlett hoped that the high profile houses would entice buyers to his new resort community of Beverly Shores. Today the houses are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the houses have been leased by the non-profit organization Indiana Landmarks. Through this organization, private individuals or families have leased the homes and are rehabilitating them. Please respect these agreements by not trespassing on the properties.
I was more of a Royal Oak gal growing up in suburban Detroit than a Berkley gal. But today I discovered Berkley anew, while visiting my family here. I generally thought of Berkeley’s business district as being along Coolidge road but turn the corner heading north on 12 mile and there is some interesting entrepreneurial stuff going on, the kind I associated with Royal Oak.
We had a charcuterie board at The Rind, therestaurant in the shop Mongers (as in cheese mongers), which also has excellent fresh soups (tomato, mushroom) and sandwiches (grilled cheese with bacon; a hefty muffuletta). The gourmet food area next to the dining area has lots of well-chosen cheeses (Pleasant ridge!), cured meats, chocolates etc. The cheese monger world is tight knit. The Monger owner told me he’s hung out with other cheese mongers I know including my cousin in Great Barrington, MA (@ Rubiner’scheesemongers) and in Des Moines (TheCheeseshop).
Next door we found a gift store I first visited in Ann Arbor, Catching Fireflies, which turned out to be the original store, in Berkley for some 20 years. Who knew?
Dinner was hearty Italian food at the old school Cafe Cortina in Farmington which has been around since the 1970s, I believe.
A complete thrill to see West Des Moines-native basketball phenom Caitlin Clark in person as she effortlessly (or so it seemed) made one of her signature “logo threes” — this one, 36 feet from the basket. We were in the packed U of Iowa basketball arena, Carver-Hawkeye. (Just watching her jaw-droppingly astute passes almost would have been enough.) This was Caitlin’s first return to play at UI since her senior year, only a year ago. Seeing her in action as a WNBA player was like seeing a famous rock star, but with the unusual added familiarity of the star being an Iowa kid. Caitlin is Iowans’ rock star/next door neighbor.
This outing was even better with my friend Jane beside me. (she also snagged the hard-to-snag tickets.) Jane has covered women’s basketball in Iowa since way before its current popularity. She patiently answered my newbie-fan girl questions. For more see her excellent substack account: https://janeburns.substack.com/p/an-expedition-of-joy-and-basketball
As Jane explained, a logo shot (for three points) is when the player shoots from the logo design inscribed on the center of the court. In this case, Caitlin shot from beyond the 22 logo on the court. (22 is Clark’s retired Iowa jersey # and now her Indiana Fever number.) It’s a long way to the basket from there! The crowd (my three friends and moi included) went wild. The discreet 22 logo on the court (next to a larger Mediacom logo) is the spot where Caitlin, in her U of Iowa heyday in 2024, hit a logo three to break the NCAA’s all-time scoring record (that’s for women and men, my veteran basketball fan husband reminded me). To honor her achievement, the “22 Clark” was inscribed on the court.
This time, Caitlin dribbled down to mid-court, jumped into the air and shot the ball over her head, which soared in an arc above the court and right into the basket, hitting nothing but net, no rim. (I’m getting a lingo assist here from my husband). She made it look effortless. Graceful. She leapt like a dancer.
The Indiana Fever was in town to play a pre-season exhibition game against the Brazilian national team. The Brazilians got clobbered (100-something to 40-something…I soon ignored the score) and seemed as much in awe of Caitlin Clark as the older women and little girls in attendance. The Brazil players waited in a cluster with the little girls to have their photo taken with Caitlin. The stadium was packed with proud Iowans in #22 shirts. (I wore my #22 sweatshirt until it got too hot.)
Courtside
This exhibition game was unusual but for future visitors going to Carver-Hawkeye to see the Iowa women (or men) play, a few tips: We had excellent reserved parking for $20 in the lot across the street from the arena and there’s a grassy area with shade from trees for picnicking, but no tables or ledges. (Bring a fold up table and/or chairs.) A few others were tailgating. The arena has no AC and has a reputation for being hot. I didn’t find this an issue but it was a cool day in May. Also remember to bring a see-through bag. My not-see-through bag is small but wasn’t small enough. (It was oversized by 1/2 inch width and height.)
We continued our sentimental tour of Des Moines, stopping at favorite spots and remembered how much we enjoyed life here. first to Graziano’s Italian Import store where I had to restrain myself from buying too much at the deli counter. but I did get cacciatore, smoked provolone, salami, spicy green olives, for a gathering here.
Nadia’s
We stopped at Moglea, which few people in Des Moines seem to know about but has its colorful paper products prominently displayed in fancy stationary stores and art museum gift shops in places like Chicago and New York. It’s Des Moines production print shop has a little retail space and better yet, some good sale merch so I stocked up on gifts.
Moglea
Onto a little French bakery called Nadia’s near the governor’s mansion at Terrace Hill. The pastries looked good but we went to Zanzibar, an old favorite for coffee and met our friend Veronica at La Mie, another favorite bakery and lunch spot.
Busy day in my old stomping ground. I had an excellent lunch downtown at Allora, a sophisticated but casual lunch place in the very cool Krause Center, a 2018 Renzo Piano marvel, formerly home of the Kum & Go, that is now practically empty after the sale of that awkwardly name gas/convenience store company. The food was terrific.
I had a salad with long strip so of crispy prosciutto cooked like bacon, slices of Parmesan, apples, pecans, walnuts on greens. My friend Judy had a delicous creamy polenta with grilled mushrooms, carrots, garlic and onion. Excellent flavor. And there’s the Des Moines sculpture park to look at across the street.
Art center installation (with video screens inside)
I was sad to see that Bauder’s Ice cream on the now nicely named Ingersoll Ave is no more but Judy gave me the tip of the day: nearby Tandem Brick (frame shop/gifts) has a cooler full of bauder’s famouse peppermint ice cream sandwiches, so you don’t have to wait until the iowa state fair to get them! (The also sell the killer peppermint ice cream pie with chocolate cookie crust and a layer of chocolate fudge.😳
Next stop the fantastic Des Moines Art Center which has an interesting one-room exhibit of Haitian art borrowed from the famous collection in Waterloo. I dropped by Worn, one of my favorite resale shops and scored big time with two pairs of my favorite jeans, Democracy; also stopped at Gateway Market, picked up worlds best bread from South Union bakery. For old times sake, I ripped off a piece of chewy choibattta in the car to eat as a midday snack.
This afternoon, my friends Kathy and I went to an anti-Trump rally at the state Capitol. So good to see so many people there, resisting!
I last visited Frank Lloyd Wright’s artistic compound in Scottsdale over 20 years ago with my mom and it was pouring rain with dark skies. Very different on a perfectly sunny spring day and worth the steep admission price ($44 for a self-audio tour.) Good thing we booked ahead; the place was busy. Taliesin west was the famous architect’s western retreat, studio and school where his students/disciples roughed it in the desert. Today it is a more manicured estate, at the foot of the mountains.
For lunch, I found a bohemian NY style pizza and sandwich shop, Pane Bianco Central, created by a James Beard winner.
Pane Bianco
Great atmosphere and sandwiches (the prosciutto, mozzarella on chewy focaccia: and the coffee-crusted roast beef with horseradish aioli on a thick baguette) were outstanding and too big to finish so the leftovers are on the plane with us now. The restaurant was a short backroads drive to the phoenix airport (Note to self: next time, go to the arco station near the sandwich place for the cheapest gas.)
A pack (?) of javelinas greeted us as we walked to Ventana Canyon Trailhead yesterday. Fortunately they were behind a fence in the woods and when they saw us they ran away. Not attractive animals. Like black-grey hairy pigs.
We did a longer hike this time, making it almost all the way to the top of the canyon, for spectacular views from on-high of Tucson below. We made it to just-before the second to top X (“top of ridge overlook”) The last bit was difficult, switchbacks on steep ridges with rocks and boulders to navigate. (“Sweaty steep climbing and rock stepping” according to the map) Glad I had my trusty rented hiking pole and dirck’s outstretched hand!
Ventana Canyon trail
Another fancy dinner, this one at Maynard’s kitchen in the train depot downtown. Fun to watch the trains rumbling slowly past as we ate steak, duck, Brussel sprouts, and local greens with lardons. All excellent. The next-door bar looked good too with charcuterie boards in a train depot decor. We wandered across the street to the Hotel congress and wandered around. Not much happening on a Sunday night, even on st Patrick’s day weekend. The outdoor plaza looks like a fun space for music.
Cool Congress HotelMaynard’s KitchenSabino canyon Trail
Today we returned to sabino canyon, this time wisely booking our shuttle ticket the night before. It was busy, even on a Monday. Lots of families on spring break.
We took the shuttle tour to the end of the line, stop 9, and then hiked 2.5 miles on sabino canyon trail, a spectacular trail along a ridge high in the canyon. We could hear rushing water way below and finally saw it on occasion way off in the distance. Good Beyond bread sandwich to split on trail (they’re huge): turkey, cheddar, bacon.
We soon figured out why there was a 50 minute for dinner at La Frida (as in Kahlo) on Monday night. The food is very inventive, unlike any Mexican fare we’ve had before. First we tried costilla de elote, which was like eating corn spareribs, gnawing the corn off long fried strips of mexican street corn on the cob, marinated in Serrano sauce (Serrano peppers, cilantro, lime, crumbly white cotija cheese?). New to us although I’ve had whole corn cob elote.
Pork gorditos
Sauces are the big thing at the restaurant and the server brought us four to try, then we ordered the entree with our favorite sauce: fritaditas — pulled pork gorditos with guacamole. The bed of black bean sauce was the best part. The pork carnitas atop one of the three gorditos was almost all fat (ew) but the other two were delicious. The gordito itself (a toasted Mexican flour cake) is not my favorite, sort of a fat, doughy version of a pastry shell/English muffin.
The menu was quite fussy at The Coronet, located in a charming 1860s adobe building in the Barrio, in downtown Tucson. But the food turned out to be fantastic – from the “shrub” (fruit-infused non-alcoholic drink) to the small plates (mushrooms in a white mole sauce; pork belly perfectly grilled with little fat, in a delicious sauce) to the steak we shared, which was served sliced with some grainy rice, broccoli, and a berry sauce that was more savory than sweet. I was skeptical of the Black Forest cake but it was better than the cake I had in its namesake place – – Germany’s Black Forest. This one was rich and chocolaty with tart cherries, and not sweet whipped cream.
Lunch was very different, at the original BK Tacos in South Tucson. We couldn’t stomach its famous Sonoran hotdog (we’re not huge Chicago hotdog fans either…there’s a Portillo’s here, for homesick Chicagoans. We far prefer Wisconsin’s brats) but their other specialty carne asada was good, especially the flour tortillas. Our favorite was the taco Birria – the discovery this trip: a French-dip style taco with shredded beef.
breakfast was the amazing Barrio Bread we ordered two days in advance to avoid the long line! we got two loaves but they were so huge we gave one to our friends here. The heritage bread looked lovely, with an image of a saguaro in the crust. But we kept the cinnamonraisin, which is so good. (I watched a travel video about Barrio Bread at a nail salon in Chicago two days before our Tucson trip…and made a beeline for the place,when we arrived.)
In between eating, we did do some hiking , first at saguaro national park east (the east Mica View trail through a saguaro desert) and later at saguaro national park west (a less easy uphill and then downhill through the west trail – king canyon) across from the desert museum, which now costs $30 to go to).
The high was low 50s here and 76 in Chicago (can you say: global warming?) but no matter. We had fun exploring. First stop a farmersmarket in nearby Udall Park. Not a lot of produce but always interesting to see what’s for sale. The longest line was for raw milk (can you say: rfk jr. ?) Other offerings: elk antler chews for dogs, African shea butter (the African salesman gave me a hand massage while applying a sample), Ukrainian pastries, Mexican hot sauces.
Why?
We wandered around the old Tanque Verde Ranch, a resort on an old ranch in the foothills dotted with saguaros, full of western character- – low adobe ranch-style buildings with atmospheric old rooms with wood floors and wood beams ceilings, stones and tiles, a cool dining room that serves famed blueberry pancakes, a tiny nature museum with live rattlesnakes, spectacular views of the mountains, an old western bar— all open to visitors including spa services. And near the trailhead for a popular hike at the east end of Speedway.
Tanque verde ranch
Onto lunch at the Cup cafe in the honky Tonk Hotel Congress downtown. Great food and vibes in funky old western hotel famous for its rock n’ roll bar with live music.
Cup cafe
We drove about an hour north to the Triangle L Art Ranch in the unincorporated town of Oracle, a remote and windy desert landscape with snow-capped mountains off in the distance. We pulled into a dirt road that led to a faded old ranch (the opposite of tanque verde) with a few buildings and sure enough, art installations dotting the “magic path.”) one other couple arrived and left quickly. It was cold.
Art ranch
We braved the wind and cold (40s) and wandered on the winding desert path, admiring the mix of sculpture and nature. A gallery and gift shop were padlocked but we called a number listed on the front and a very nice artist promptly drive in and open up the spaces. The crafts were quite good (I bought a few gifts.) it’s regularly open on Saturdays.
More art ranch
well worth the visit, although maybe on a warmer day. The place hosts an annual “glow” event in October where the art installations are lit up at night. (There’s also a less official glow in April).
More tanque verde ranch
In oracle, one of those strange windwhipped western outposts, we found a cluttered antique/junk shop worth a quick visit.
TakeBetsywithyou 