Introduction: When a Beach Day Becomes a Field Trip

Okay, so here’s the thing: Indiana Dunes is not what I expected.
 Like… at all.

One minute we’re driving past people’s houses and grocery stores, and the next minute we’re standing on a beach that looks like it belongs in a completely different state—or possibly on a different planet. Lake Michigan stretches out in every direction, the wind is basically yelling at us, and there’s sand in my socks before I even make it to the water.

I kept looking around thinking, “Wait… this is a national park?” But honestly, that was kind of the fun of it. This park doesn’t follow a script. It’s a little scattered. It’s not trying to be dramatic. It’s just doing its own thing—and it works.

The more we explored, the more it grew on me. It didn’t have that polished, picture-perfect vibe some parks do. It was messy, windy, a little confusing, and totally out of order on the map. But that weirdness? It made everything feel more real. More like life.

And that’s the thing I didn’t expect: how much I’d relate to a park that doesn’t quite fit into a box.

By the time we wrapped up the day, I realized something that kind of surprised me:
 Not everything needs to be neat or make sense to be meaningful.
 Sometimes, finding beauty in chaos is the whole point.

Lake Michigan – A Shoreline That Goes On Forever

If I’m being honest, I didn’t realize how massive Lake Michigan actually was until I saw it with my own eyes. It’s not just big—it’s “are we sure this isn’t the ocean?” big. The horizon goes on forever, the waves roll in like they’ve got somewhere important to be, and the wind? It does not come to play.

We walked up over one of the dunes, and boom—there it was. Endless blue. Choppy. Loud. Alive. The kind of view that makes you stop mid-sentence and just stand there for a second, trying to take it all in.

And then—wait for it—we saw the Chicago skyline. Tiny and hazy in the distance, but still there. Just hanging out on the horizon like it didn’t know how wild it was that we could see a whole major city in Illinois from a national park beach in Indiana. That’s a moment I won’t forget.

There’s something about water that puts life into perspective. Stress. School. Whatever your brain’s been stuck on that week. I didn’t plan to be that moved by a lake, but here we were. It felt like a deep breath.

Accordingly, standing on the shoreline felt a little like standing at the edge of a very real science lesson. Wave patterns. Wind direction. Erosion. Scale. Perspective. Also, salt-free water coming from an ocean-like lake—which felt both wrong and completely refreshing.

Homeschool win? Absolutely. You know what else is a homeschool win? The way NCC supports homeschool students. I’ll talk more about that shortly.

The Strangest National Park Layout Ever

So here’s where things got… interesting.

Indiana Dunes doesn’t exactly have that whole “grand entrance, wide-open landscape” vibe like some other parks. Instead, it’s sort of… scattered. You’re driving along and suddenly there’s a trailhead. Then you pass a neighborhood. Then a parking lot. Then another random stretch of parkland. It’s like the whole thing got put together with leftover puzzle pieces—and somehow, they still fit.

At first, it was kind of funny. We’d check the map, drive a few minutes, and then be like, “Wait… this is part of it too?” It honestly felt like someone built a park, and then the town showed up right in the middle of it and was like, “Cool, we live here now.”

And while it was a little chaotic, there was something I weirdly liked about that. It felt real. Lived in. A reminder that nature doesn’t always need to be miles away from real life. Sometimes, they overlap—and that’s actually kind of beautiful.

It also made me think about how we learn. Finding beauty in chaos doesn’t just happen in big, open places. It happens when you’re squinting at trail signs next to someone’s mailbox, trying to figure out how this all fits together—and deciding it’s still totally worth exploring.

Beach Houses and Backyard Views

One of the most unexpected things about Indiana Dunes? The houses. Like—actual houses. Right there. Near the sand. Some tucked into the trees, others basically sitting on the beach, with views that honestly rival any beachfront property in California.

We walked past rows of them at one point—cute little cottages, porches with chairs facing the lake, bikes leaning against fences. It felt more like a summer neighborhood than a national park. I kept thinking, Do people really live here? Like, full time? With Lake Michigan just hanging out in their backyard?

It was strange. But also kind of fascinating.

You don’t usually see real life and protected land so tangled up together. In most parks, there’s a clear line—here’s the national land, and here’s everything else. But here? They overlap. It’s like nature and neighborhoods decided to share the space. And, it works.

There was something oddly comforting about it, too. A reminder that nature doesn’t always have to be far away. Sometimes it’s waiting just down the street.

Just Go to the Beach Already – My Honest Opinion

Okay, here’s the deal: I know there are trails at Indiana Dunes.
 I know there are overlooks and forests, and technically a few hiking options scattered throughout the park. But if you ask me what you should do while you’re here?

Go to the beach. Seriously. Just go straight to Mt. Baldy, kick off your shoes, and don’t overthink it.

We were there on a chilly day in May, the kind where the wind has that extra bite and you keep your hoodie on the whole time. No one was swimming, but it didn’t matter. People were still sitting in the sand, wrapped in beach towels like blankets, sipping coffee, reading books, and letting the lake do its thing. It felt calm. Unbothered. Like the kind of place that holds space for everyone, even when the weather isn’t perfect.

What stood out to me most wasn’t the view or even the lake itself—it was the way people slowed down. There was no rush, no pressure to do anything impressive. Just stillness, wrapped in wind. Sometimes that’s exactly what a homeschool field trip needs—not more movement, but a moment.

Spiritual Reflection – When God Calms the Waves

Standing on that windy beach, wrapped in my hoodie, I kept watching the waves.

They weren’t huge. Just steady. Rolling in, rolling out. Over and over again like the lake had something important to say and wasn’t in a hurry to get it all out at once.

It was cold. It was loud. It was messy. And it was peaceful.

I kept thinking about how life feels like that sometimes—loud, restless, out of order. Plans don’t always go how you pictured them. Trails are harder to follow than they looked online. The map makes no sense. And even when you’re standing still, the wind won’t stop reminding you that you’re not in control.

But right in the middle of that chaos, I remembered this:

Mark 4:39 (ESV)
 “And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”

Jesus didn’t tell the storm to go away. He told it to be still. And that’s different.

It reminded me that God doesn’t always take the wind away. Sometimes, He just calms our hearts enough to stand in it without fear.

And this verse, too:

Psalm 93:4 (ESV)
 “Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty!”

That’s the kind of strength I want to lean on. The kind that doesn’t flinch when things get loud.

So even though the day wasn’t sunny, the park wasn’t tidy, and the wind had zero chill—God was still steady. Still speaking. Still present.

How NCC Makes This Kind of Learning Possible

If there’s one reason I can travel, hike, beach-hop, and still stay on track with school—it’s Northwest Iowa Community College.

I’m not just homeschooling through high school right now. I’m also dual-enrolled in college, earning real credits through flexible online classes that go wherever I do. And that’s the kind of freedom I didn’t realize I needed until I found myself writing essays one day… and walking a lakeshore the next.

The thing is, NCC gets it. They know that not all students fit the same mold. They understand that learning can happen anywhere—under a bridge, in the passenger seat, or even wrapped in a hoodie on a windy beach in May.

The professors are kind, responsive, and actually interested in helping students succeed—even from a distance. I never feel like I’m on my own, even when my “classroom” changes zip codes every week.

If you're looking for a college that lets you explore the world while still working toward your future, Northwest Iowa Community College is seriously worth checking out. They make room for learners who live a little differently—and that’s exactly what I needed.

✨ Curious about making your education more flexible and adventure-ready?  Request more information from Northwest Iowa Community College today!

Conclusion: Big Waves, Weird Maps, and Lessons That Stick

Indiana Dunes surprised me. It wasn’t neat. It wasn’t predictable. And it definitely didn’t follow the “normal” national park rules. But maybe that’s why I loved it.

We saw houses on the edge of sand dunes. We sat on a chilly beach wrapped in hoodies and wind, watching waves crash like they had something to prove.

And in the middle of all that? I learned something important.

Not every adventure has to make perfect sense. Not every field trip has to come with a trail map that’s easy to follow.

Finding beauty in chaos isn’t about pretending the mess isn’t there. It’s about standing in the middle of it—windblown hair, sandy shoes, off-track plans—and deciding to call it beautiful anyway.

So if you ever find yourself in northern Indiana with a few hours to spare? Skip the map. Head to the beach. And give yourself permission to slow down, breathe deep, and just be. The waves are waiting.