By Rick Kaempfer
(From the May 2006 issue)
We were just looking for a quiet weekend getaway. It had been a rough couple of months in our house, and the wife and I simply hadn’t been able to relax and spend time with each other. I dropped the kids off at my sister’s house, and we headed to Northwest Indiana for the weekend. We only had one rule: no plans.
My wife had looked at nearly every single bed & breakfast in the area (on the internet), before choosing the Duneland Beach Inn as our destination. (Duneland Beach Inn & Restaurant, 3311 Pottawattammie Trial, Duneland Beach, IN 46360, 219-874-7729 or 800-423-7729, www.dunelandbeachinn.com) She couldn’t have made a better choice. Even though a private party had been booked in the dining room, the staff was helpful, friendly, and accommodating. They set us up in the Tally-Ho room; a room with a fox-hunting theme to the décor. They even helped us pick out a nearby restaurant, and asked us about the next morning’s breakfast.
“What are the breakfast hours?” I asked.
“8:30—10:30,” they said.
“I don’t know, how about nine?” I asked the wife.
“How about 10:00?” she said.
She wasn’t fooling around with this no-plans idea, and I didn’t exactly need my arm twisted.
Since it was just before Christmas, we headed over to the mall to do a little shopping. We had been to Lighthouse Place Premium Outlets (601 Wabash Street, Michigan City, IN, 219-879-6506, www.premiumoutlets.com/lighthouseplace) before, but for some reason this time it felt so much more relaxing. (Oh that’s right; I wasn’t chasing a three year old through the clothing racks, while also trying to keep an eye on a 10-year-old and a 7-year old.) The collection of outlets there is legendary; Ann Taylor, Casual Corner, Old Navy, Nine West, OshKosh B’Gosh , Crate & Barrel, Polo Ralph Lauren, Coach, Burberry, Tommy Hilfiger, Gap, and many others. We only hit a few of them, because my wife was wise enough to sense the onset of my whining, and we had come to this area to get as far away from whining as possible.
It was dinner time anyway. The restaurant they recommended to us was a little place just across the street from the mall. (Café Elite & Catering, 231 W. 7th St, Michigan City, IN, 219-873-1788). I must admit we had low expectations, but we were blown away by the fine dining hidden away in this little house on 7th street. The restaurant probably can’t serve more than thirty or forty people at a time, but the food is excellent. I still occasionally have visions of the cup of seafood bisque and/or the mussels appetizer with andouille sausage in a spicy lobster broth. My wife had the filet (don’t get her started talking about those garlic mashed potatoes that came with it), and I had the scallops. Plus, we each had a scrumptious glass of wine. I was bracing myself when I opened the billfold to look at the total, and I was absolutely shocked. It was $58. Are you kidding me? I’ve spent more than that at Applebee’s.
The next fourteen hours of the weekend were probably my favorite. We really loved the atmosphere at the Duneland Beach Inn. It’s an old farmhouse, built in the 1920s, and renovated by current owner Annette Corbett in 2003. When she bought the place it had over twenty rooms, but she added the restaurant, made the rooms much larger and more luxuriant, and now there were only nine homey rooms. We didn’t leave ours for a very long time. That bed was so comfortable, the hallways were so quiet, and they actually respected the “Do Not Disturb” sign (nobody was knocking on our doors to clean the room early in the morning). We achieved a level of relaxation in that room we haven’t had before or since.
By the time 10:00 a.m. arrived; we could have floated down the stairs for breakfast. Annette’s dog Cagney was there to greet us, and it felt more like we were visiting old friends than staying at a hotel. Annette asked us what we wanted for breakfast, and when we couldn’t decide, she offered to make us special omelets. She fed us so much food we knew we wouldn’t have to eat again until dinner.
It was around 11 a.m. by now, and since we had not made any plans, we simply got in the car and started driving. I thought it might be fun to spend the afternoon in Valparaiso because I heard it was a quaint college town. On the way there, we saw a sign that read “Attraction: Winery.” Well, if it says attraction, we have to check it out, right? That’s the fun of not having any plans.
Anderson’s Vineyard & Winery (4320 East U.S. Highway 6, Valparaiso, IN, 219-464-4936) located in the middle of nowhere, was a great little find. They specialize in light fruity wines produced from fruit and grapes grown in the Midwest and as luck would have it, they also offer wine-tasting. We tried them all and found one that was so good we bought two bottles (Vidal).
With full tummies and a lovely aftertaste in our mouths, we finally arrived on the Valparaiso campus. The campus itself wasn’t that spectacular, but the downtown area of Valparaiso was an antique shopper’s paradise. A half dozen antique stores lined one side of Lincolnway, and we checked them all out. We were on a quest. Our youngest son Sean goes to sleep to the sound of a music box, and his old one had just broken (which will happen when you constantly toss it across the room). We looked at every music box and wind-up musical snow dome in every store on the street. None of them were quite right. Either they were too girly (ballerinas, princesses), or they played terrible songs (“Feelings,” “Lara’s Theme,” “Nadia’s Theme,” “Buffalo Gals,” etc.)
It wasn’t until we made our last stop (Valparaiso Antique Mall, 212 E. Lincolnway, Valparaiso, 219-465-1869) that we hit pay dirt. A beautiful snow dome with a nativity scene was priced at only $3, and I couldn’t understand why. It was in flawless condition—it probably would have sold for more than $50 at a Hallmark store. As I wound the music, I tried to imagine what warm soothing song might be waiting for me. Would it be “Away in a Manger” or “What Child Is This” or maybe my favorite Christmas song “Silent Night?”
When the tune started, I laughed out loud. It was “Chicago, Chicago.” I immediately went to the register and purchased it. This is now the most treasured tacky item in our home (and I collect them). Every time I wind the music I think of that poor schlub in China who had no idea what song this was. Either that, or Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus are bigger fans of “that toddlin’ town” than I realized.
Our last stop for the weekend was dinner at Maxine’s Restaurant in downtown Michigan City (512 Franklin Square, Michigan City, 219-872-4500). We knew it was taking a chance showing up on a Saturday night with no reservation (remember—no plans), but we also figured we could wait at the bar if necessary. It just so happened that a snowstorm suddenly hit the area, and by the time we arrived at the restaurant, it was a virtual white-out. Bad for anybody driving around Michigan City; good for us. We got a table right away.
With a jazz pianist playing in the foyer, and the wonderful aroma wafting in from the kitchen, we immediately knew we picked the perfect location to end our weekend. I got a big steak, and my wife got the crab cakes, and we sat in complete silence at the table. We were too busy drifting off into our own little relaxed worlds to care about the lack of conversation. I raised my glass and proposed a toast.
“To relaxation,” I said.
When my wife clinked my glass with hers, I saw her smile. A relaxed, content smile. That was truly a sight for sore eyes.
This is just one of my three pieces in this month's SHORE MAGAZINE. I'm really proud of this magazine. You should get a copy of it if you can--it's available in the tri-state area (Michigan, Indiana, Illinois). If you want to check out the on-line edition of the magazine, go here: http://www.visitshoremagazine.com
