Inside Outside Michiana Summer Guide 2015

Last summer, I made a guide for summer. Find it here. It has been one of the most popular posts on the blog and many moms and grandparents tell me it is an excellent resource. I'm updating it for 2015 as prices change and new areas to explore pop up. This is concentrated on Elkhart County, though there are many great places a short drive away. See other places below the table. Feel free to share additional places we should explore. Thanks!

Every child should have mud pies, grasshoppers, water bugs, tadpoles, frogs, mud turtles, elderberries, wild strawberries, acorns, chestnuts, trees to climb, brooks to wade, water lilies, woodchucks, bats, bees, butterflies, various animals to pet, hayfields pine cones, rocks to roll, sand, snakes, huckleberries, and hornets. And any child who has been deprived of these has been deprived of the best part of education.

 –Luther Burbank

Michiana Summer Guide 2015

By Dr. Carla Gull

insideoutsidemichiana@gmail.com

Inside Outside Michiana Summer Guide 2014

Every child should have mud pies, grasshoppers, water bugs, tadpoles, frogs, mud turtles, elderberries, wild strawberries, acorns, chestnuts, trees to climb, brooks to wade, water lilies, woodchucks, bats, bees, butterflies, various animals to pet, hayfields pine cones, rocks to roll, sand, snakes, huckleberries, and hornets. And any child who has been deprived of these has been deprived of the best part of education.

 –Luther Burbank

Michiana Summer Guide 2014

By Dr. Carla Gull

insideoutsidemichiana@gmail.com

http://insideoutsidemichiana.blogspot.com/

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Here is a post with links to the "official" city guides for the area.

Our Town Elkhart: Nature!

Not too long ago, I helped out with a documentary by WNIT called Our Town: Elkhart. WNIT put out a call to videographers to help see Elkhart through different perspectives. I signed up for a slot on NATURE! Lucky me, I got to traipse around all the beautiful spots in Elkhart. Here are a few of the notes as I prepared for my interview, reflecting on why I chose nature as my topic. The show was aired August 18th.

Audubon Society Hike at Boot Lake Nature Preserve

This last Saturday morning, my husband took the kids to soccer while I went on a bird hike with the South Bend-Elkhart Audubon Society. I recently became a member, though the hikes are open to others interested in birds. I was just at Boot Lake in July while working on a segment for Our Town Elkhart. True to form, I did take at least one wrong turn getting out there--I guess I don't follow my own advice on checking the directions before leaving. It was neat to see the fall changes since my last visit was in the middle of summer.

We took the trail by the gate over to the left as we entered. It took us past the tree nursery, prairie, out to an overlook that is hard to see through the trees, and through the woods to a pier over the water. This let us a see a variety of habitats. Everyone was very friendly and talked amongst themselves as we walked. 

There are nesting boxes throughout the area. I saw many frogs in them before. One of the hikers found a turkey feather and stuck it in a tree to delight someone later. 

Places to Walk for Free or at a Low Cost in Elkhart

Elkhart is a great place to connect with nature. Many people enjoying taking a walk or jogging outside for exercise and appreciate that time to rejuvenate. I have noticed some discontent about Wellfield Botanic Garden charging for admission recently, as some people feel they no longer have a place to walk in the city. I see this is a period of change. While I have not been around for the whole transformation, I did see the move to charging for admission. I didn't like it as much, either, as I live outside of Elkhart city limits. I thought I would just go to special events. I knew I just needed to pay for my own entrance as my 4 younger children would not have to pay admission. I did go to Spring Marketplace and Envirofest. Both were neat events where we enjoyed the beauty of the gardens, music, and learned of great resources in our extended community. Then, Wellfield recently extended free entrance on Tuesdays to all, calling it a "pay what it's worth" day. So, we have options and I would consider a membership if I lived closer or started using the gardens more regularly. There are great options here that allow us to take a walk in the beauty of Wellfield.

Boot Lake Nature Preserve

I am helping with an Our Town: Elkhart video with WNIT, taking film footage around town in Elkhart.  Can you guess that I chose NATURE as my topic? I tromped out to Boot Lake Nature Preserve, all by myself! I think I was the only person out there, too, besides the farmer plowing his field next to it. I've been here a couple of times in the past, but it's been a while. I HIGHLY suggest printing the trail map before you go and studying it a bit to know what to expect. Sometimes I take a picture of one before I go on a hike, but didn't see one (and forgot and/or thought I didn't need it since I'd been there previously). Looking at the map now, I can see where I went AND I noticed there is supposed to be a photographer's blind there. Now I want to go back and try it out.

I also suggest reviewing the driving directions to Boot Lake. It is in the far north side of Elkhart and I've gotten lost a couple of times getting there. It's almost in Michigan. Watch for signs as you get closer.