An early morning walk in what has become my second home - the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, (not the state park BTW) yielded some interesting sights. I'm not able to visit too often at 6:00 am, so the sights, sounds and smells were new to me. Dew covered every blade of Marram Grass and flower.
This small Spiderwort flower is approximately the size of a nickle. A drop of dew was clinging to the petals, just waiting for a small insect to drink it.
The Indiana Dunes are a marvelous example of biotic progression. This area has over 1100 species of plants - some not found anywhere else in the region. This is more than any other US National Park! Many plants such as the predacious Pitcher plant, Barberry, and Prickly Pear cactus thrive in the unique conditions of the dunes and bogs of this area.
Most of the stages of biotic progression are displayed here. From open sand beaches to Oak forests - and you can walk through them in a matter of minutes! Beginning at the lakeshore and heading inland, the open sand beaches turn into Marram Grass covered dunes, then further inland, other species of plants begin to take hold as decades of decaying grasses add nutrients to the sand. Pucoon, Spiderwart and Juniper begin to grow once the sand becomes a bit more nutrient rich. Cottonwood trees and woody shubs then take over. Further away, Pine forested dunes can be found, and then Oak forested dunes thrive in the richer soil created by thousands of years of plant decay. Oak savannas and prairies, bogs, swamps and wetlands are also part of the picture.
The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore changes almost weekly! Lake Michigan pounds the shoreline, altering the dunes and beach, while winds and storms easily uproot the mature trees growing in the sandy soil farther inland.
A view out the round window of the historic Michigan Avenue Bridge over the Chicago River. The tower is open to the public, and is home to a new museum called The McCormick Tribune Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum. It costs $3 to get in and look around at exhibits about Chicago's water supply and water transportation. You can even see the gears that help lift the bridge.
bridgehousemuseum.org/home/
This small light marks the entrance to the Chicago River. The river is two feet lower than Lake Michigan - this was achieved when the flow of the river was reversed to prevent sewage from entering Lake Michigan (Chicago's source for drinking water). The lock that controls the water level can be seen in the distance.
Two famous Chicago landmarks, the Wrigley Building and the Tribune Tower are seen from the Chicago River, as the tour boat passes under the Michigan Avenue bridge.
Sunday morning was spent dune hopping at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. We arrived pretty early to see everything in the early morning sun. As we walked from dune to dune and explored areas we've never seen, we also found areas that have probably been forgotten for decades, as there were no signs of humans at all. There were no footprints or trails to these places, and we had to do some serious climbing and bushwhacking, but it was well worth the effort to see these progressive dunes and woods that nobody normally explores.
As we walked through the clumps of Marram Grass, we noticed the grass was slightly wet. Upon close inspection, almost every 18 inch blade of grass had a drop on it. These drops help provide water for the tiny creatures that live on these dry sand dunes. Footprints of tiny creatures were everywhere in the sand.
