As a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, I always cringe when people refer to it as Notre…read moreDame University. That's kind of a personal peeve--although you'd be surprised at how many really well educated people in academia make this mistake--but it's also kind of ridiculous because (a) I'm normally not a pretentious person and (b) the official name of the school isn't the University of Notre Dame. The official name is the University of Notre Dame du Lac. For those of you whose French is rusty, that means "the University of Our Lady of the Lake." "The Lake"? Which lake? Well, despite the fact that the Golden Dome and Touchdown Jesus and the Grotto are far more famous landmarks, Notre Dame has two lakes at the far north end of campus. I'm not sure whether they were man-made or whether they used to be one lake (which would explain why it's not "Our Lady of the Lakes"), but I'm glad they exist and that there are two of them. This review is of St. Mary's Lake, which is the western one. It's a little bit smaller than St. Joseph's Lake, but the main differences between the lakes are that the terrain around St. Mary's Lake is flatter and has less foliage and that it freezes during the winter. (I'll explain in a future review why St. Joseph's Lake doesn't freeze.) I love this lake. When I first visited Notre Dame in 1993, I walked around it a few times, saw all these students jogging around it, and saw people playing chess at a bench on its north (?) side. Although I wanted to come to Notre Dame for many other reasons, that trip cemented my desire. Besides being spectacular in myriad ways, Notre Dame is a beautiful place. I say this as someone who hates most of its architecture. Despite some of the monstrosities that the university has erected, especially recently, the natural beauty of Northern Indiana shines through, and St. Mary's Lake is a good example of that. When I ended up here in grad school (having officially been denied admission three times so far--I would also be denied a fourth time), I walked around St. Mary's Lake a bunch of times. In fact, I bet I circled the lake more times in September and October 2001 than I did the rest of the time I was at Notre Dame. Grad school is busy, and I found so many other unique campus landmarks that reinforced my connection to this physical place. It's not that I began to dislike St. Mary's Lake; it's that I began to appreciate other things as well. I never did play chess with anyone on that bench, but I did have some pretty amazing conversations with people while walking around the lakes, and it was always fun each spring to watch the ducks and geese showing off their offspring.

Used to fish here when i was little and mom worked on campus. Great memories. Fishing ok. Campus…read morehas changed. More uptight.

Beautiful day for a walk with nature at Asylum Park. Even had a few deer friends with us.read more

Great park for walking on trails. Some are paved, some are grass, and some are dirt. We saw many…read moredeer in our walk! There are serval lakes along the paths too. We weren't brave enough to try the wild berries but there are plenty if you're up for it.

If you're looking for a peaceful getaway, Grand Mere State Park is a hidden gem that delivers on…read moreall fronts. The park offers several trails that take you through dense forests and towering sand dunes which lead to some stunning overlooks and beaches of Lake Michigan. It's a bit of a trek to get to the water, but once you do, the lakefront is beautiful and less commercialized than other spots. Definitely recommend Grand Mere State Parkin for anyone in the area looking for a peaceful outdoor escape.

Path to Lake Michigan was flooded, water over your ankles. No easy path to Lake Michigan. A…read morehiker would love the up/down sand dunes.

This is the classic Japanese-style garden. It was a gift from Mishawaka's sister city, Shiojiri,…read moreand unlike anything else in the city. Upon entering the park, one will notice how this garden sends off quite a different "vibe" than western-style gardens do. Typical of Japanese design, it was thought out quite a bit, and there is a reason behind every little detail within. Every changing month seems to bring its own charm to the park. An excellent park to go to for feeling closer to both God and nature. This has got to be the loveliest acre of land in Mishawaka.

This park celebrates the sister city status of Mishawaka and Shiojiri, a city in Nagano, Japan…read more Niwa is Japanese for garden and this park takes on many of the characteristics of a Japanese Garden. Some of those characteristics include: Water - renewal and calm Stone - longevity and forces of nature Yukimi-gata Lantern (a snow lantern) Bridges The park has all these but the water/pond which would ideally contain fish /koi. Of course, the weather here would necessitate wintering of the fish elsewhere, so it is probably a cost management issue. The park is well kept and is filled with plants, small trees, and gardens. There is also a bronze sculpture to the right of the entrance that commemorates the relationship between the two cities. Review #3099

I feel like this is the perfect beach for a small town…read more It was not overly busy on a Sunday around 11am, but it was overcast and only about 70 degrees. The water was still freezing so we only put our feet in. I loved the fountain and the carousel. There are lots of benches and observation points. Plus, parking was quick and easy. There was also surprisingly clean public restrooms as well.

This is my childhood beach location. There's so much that has changed here over the years, but all…read morenecessary upgrades. There's a handicap accessible playground and more seating to eat at the little beach food shop. Walking the pier allows you to see a great view of the shoreline, but be careful on windy and wavy days as the water comes up over the pier . In the peak summer months, I would recommend parking up on top of the bluff and walking down the steps right by Silver Beach Pizza, so you can save yourself from the cluster of cars trying to get down to beach parking. Also, St. Joe city is changing parking and routing near Silver Beach so be aware of traffic shifts. All in all, a great beach for families, but 4/5 stars because some other beaches are less touristy, which locals like myself much prefer.

What an amazing park. I'd say it's a hidden gem but lots of people hang out here & parking can be…read morehard to find on a nice day! The water is shallow so it's much warmer than most Michigan beaches and you can enjoy the water. It's clean and everyone tends to pick up after themselves. There's a great playground next to the parking lot but be prepared for some extensive stairs on your way down to the beach. If needed, there are built in benches along the way. But don't be like some people we saw trying to carry wagons full of beach items lol

I have two yellow labs who love to swim and it's hard to find places for the them to go swimming…read more We tried it out, perfect place to go. Be careful though a lot of steps to the water. Definitely worth it.

Lakeside Cabins Resort is a wonderful place for all ages. We recently stayed in Cabin A-10 and we…read morewere pleased with the cleanliness & comfort the cabin provided. We spent many hours outside on the screened in deck. A personal fire pit was available for our use. The swimming pools & lake provided a respite from the heat. The management schedules games & activities, and there are shuffle board & pickleball courts for pickup games. The bright stars lit up the night sky. I felt a nostalgic feel of camp days I experienced as a child. Book next summer's getaway weekend at Lakeside Cabins Resort today!!

It is hard to find a place to go to getaway from home in the middle of a pandemic. After a few…read morehours of searching, my friend and I decided to spend 3 nights and 4 days at Lakeside Cabins Resort. The cabins have a full kitchen and the location is only 1.5 hours from my condo in Chicago. The prices were more affordable than Airbnb and Vrbo mostly due to lower cleaning fees. The grounds also have nice amenities (pool, kayak/ stand up paddle boards, volleyball, catch and release fishing, basketball, shuffleboard, firepits, etc.) We picked Cabin C62 because of its patio/deck space and lake views. The cabin is somewhat dated, but it was very clean. You do have to bring towels, linens, shampoo/conditioner/dish soap, paper products, etc. which makes for more packing/ planning but we expected this so it wasn't an issue. The sleeping lofts can be used by children or adults. I had no problem going up and down the stairs both during the day and in the evening/night. The only "problem" that we ran into was that our DVD player was not working when we tried to watch a movie the first night. We reported this to the front desk and they purchased a new DVD player and delivered it to us in a timely manner so we were satisfied. The staff was very friendly. We were able to find more than enough to do and were also able to relax. The property is very kid friendly and not loud at night or early in the morning which is exactly what we were looking for. After my rental experience, I am considering purchasing and building a new "tiny house" on the property. I've always wanted a second home, and this is a very affordable way to be able to do so nice and close to home! I plan to visit again next month with my husband for another short getaway. A+++++ experience!

So peaceful and well kept it's nice to take a time to stop breath and enjoy the things and people…read morearound you

A good stop on the drive from Chicago to Michigan beach towns. Photo opportunity at far look out…read moreover Lake Michigan- so its not just a clever name. Also, vintage water fountains.