No welcome here! I have been coming up to the South Haven…read morearea for years since my family had a cottage up here. Now that country home is my full time home. Today was the first time I stopped at the visitors bureau and it will be my last. I had dropped my car off to get detailed at Bodfish-N-Sons and those folks had graciously dropped me off in downtown South Haven where I had breakfast at Phoenix Street Cafe and then did some shopping. Then I noticed that my iPhone battery was almost dead and I needed the phone so Bodfish could call and let me know when my car was finished. I was right by the South Haven Visitors Bureau so I stopped to see if I could plug in my phone for a bit - "Oh no!" said the unfriendly young man at the desk. "That is not allowed - maybe you can go to a coffee shop and they'll let you..." Then a woman walked in from off the street and she suggested the library. I agreed that would work. "Where is library?" I asked the young man. "It's over that way," he replied waving vaguely toward the east. Well I went to the east and never did find the library. Fortunately, I stopped at Fifth Third Bank where Emily, the officer who helped transfer my account from Chicago to my new address said, "Sure! And have a cup of coffee while you're waiting." I can understand that the Visitors Bureau wouldn't have the facilities to help out with this specific problem - but the lackadaisical attitude I encountered can not bode well for anyone coming to them for help or information about South Haven.

From the owner: A quaint visitor information office with a warm, welcoming, and informative staff. Come on in, we…read moreare waiting for you!

As an update I would have to say I love their new offices! I've now officially done the Heritage…read moreTrail over 12 times and can pretty much recite the script from memory, but still enjoy it every single time! They have done so much work on making this so great! Wholeheartedly recommend this to everyone!

We happened upon the Elkhart visitors center as it was directly across from the hotel we stayed at…read moreon a whim. We were SO glad we did. The docents gave us recommendations for a great family diner to grab breakfast down the street (can't remember the name unfortunately) and also suggested a self guided driving tour called the Heritage Trail. We received a free CD that directs you in about an hour and a half long loop (or all day if you take your time at each attraction) to all of the sights and attractions of Elkhart county and the surrounding Amish countryside. My boyfriend and I are young people and it was exciting and fun for us too so put your notions aside and just do it' It takes you through the major cute towns in the area and also to off the beaten country spots like Bonneville Mill Park (the historic mill is open and active Weds-Sunday) which was a real treat. It goes into historical detail of many of the spots and the directions were easy to follow. The visitors center also gave us coupons and had tons of brochures on local attractions. The quilt gardens were also a great tip from the docent to take a look at. We grabbed delicious donuts at an Amish bakery and wandered for hours around the Shipshewana flea market (open Tues/Weds). Even brought the pup along.

Attended the Choose Chicago Open House this year and very happy with my experiences. Able to check…read moreout 5 really cool establishment: Mindworks, Chicago Symphony, Federal Reserve, Wintrust Vault and Red Building (333 S. Wabash). All in all a very good experience. I wish that I would have gotten started earlier in the day. I liked the ventures on the app which allowed me to set up an itinerary. Some locations that I wanted to see were closed on Sunday. Favorites spots were the Federal Reserve and 333 S. Wabash. This event only happens once per year but really a good opportunity to check out over 120 buildings in various neighborhoods for free. Very neat experience and if you love history, architecture or sight seeing then this free event is for you.

This visitor center is a great place to start your visit to Chicago. They have docents that offer a…read morenumber of free tours of the area including a great two hour tour of Millennium Park. They are also knowledgeable about other excellent tours by the Chicago Architectural Foundation and other Chicago highlights. The Chicago Architectural Foundation is a few blocks south on Michigan Avenue and is also very worthwhile.

Quality/Quantity - This is what Indiana is known for! And these are the 3 largest dunes in the…read morestate park! Not an easy hike for me as I was not prepared for it. If only my daughter gave me a heads up. I'm now prepared for our next hike, future Yelp coming. This event was supposed to be for a different day, a weekday. Time permitting, I recommend a weekday to visit. It was an hour wait just to get into the park on a beautiful Saturday. (We were warned by the team at the visitor center, but decided to do it anyway). Few dining choices, but WOW, look at all the beach BBQ set ups. I almost asked to join a few. Atmosphere - What a beautiful day today. The hike got better and easier when we got to the trees with shade. Hiking on the beach was just too hot for me. Well again, I did not dress for this event... 15,000 acres, 50 miles of trails, 300 mile lake. Please see the pictures. Open 7 days a week, Yelp hours differ, check with the park. Swimming hours from 11am to 6pm, well that is when there are lifeguards. Events and activities, see pictures or websites. Public showers and bathrooms - Keep in mind there are thousands of people using these, so the conditions reflect that. Service - Small helpful visitor center, see pictures. Also with a Yelp check-in, you get 5 free postcards. They convinced us to go to the state park rather than the national park. Good thing because I left my annual national park pass in my truck in CA. Price - $12 a car, discount for locals ($7). If you walk from the visitor center, $2 a person, but that is a 2+ mile walk each way, in the hot sun! Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 1986. Next time we will come much earlier and appreciate more of your park.

The Dunes, as we affectionately call them, really proved themselves today. If you haven't visited…read morein the winter, you must. Lake Michigan and the sand dunes are majestic in the wintertime. The bonus of no gate admission was a welcome treat. Although the building near the beach is under construction, the public restroom was available. The new landscaping and building improvements are incredible. It's hard to believe that it's the same place!

What a fun visit. I wasn't sure what to expect, however the park proved to be a very good visit. We…read morestopped by one of the beaches, interesting to see how the dunes looked like they were advancing in on the parking lot. Sand, sand everywhere! The walk to beach looked like you were going for a walk to the ocean! The beach itself was a pretty beach, the water was a glistening blue. We also took a ranger led hike at Pinhook bog located in the park. The only way to hike in the bog area itself, is through a ranger led hike. This was definitely a very fun and very educational hike! We learned the history (and folklore) of the bog. There were carnivorous plants there- like the pitcher plant!! This hike is definitely worth taking. Another interesting side trip, when in the area, is the 1933 Chicago Word's Fair - Century of Progress homes. They are along the lake. Just a short trip from the park proved definitely worth a visit. There are some very interesting architecture in those homes.

Indiana is lucky to have this protected shoreline in its backyard, it's a cool collection of beach,…read moresand, marsh, and forest environments all along Lake Michigan. As a National Park, it felt approachable and maybe not the most interesting. You can definitely tackle the most popular trails and sights in half a day with enough planning. Views are cool, but this park is often used as a public beach by the locals, which takes away from the charm a bit. Plus you'll almost certainly get some randos in your photos. Also annoying that the Indiana Dunes State Park is a separate entity basically nestled inside the federal park; the state version charges its own fees and uses a separate reservation system entirely.

We wanted to take a tour of Notre Dame. It is here the tour starts and ends. We arrived early to…read morecheck in. The receptionist was very personable. She recommended Einstein Bagels just across the way while we were waiting for the tour to start. We followed her suggestion then came back to look around. The Eck Center is very modern and features art and information about the campus. There is also a theater that has an introductory film about the history of Notre Dame. The tours start at set times and can take up to a couple hours.

State park is $7 per car for Indiana residents and $20 for all other. Great nature views. Dunes…read moreare fun to climb and run/walk down. Beaches are beautiful and water is cold early in the season. The day I went there was a high wave advisory so they didn't let people in the water. Best views of the lake are from observation tower located west of the pavilion. Waves are loud if the wind is blowing from the north. You can see the City of Chicago skyline from anywhere on the beach when it is clear weather conditions. No pets on the beach and it does tend to get crowded when the weather is nice. Walking/hiking paths are available and some go the the highest points in the park where the views are breathtaking.

Driving between Cleveland and Chicago, we like to make time for a stop at Indiana Dunes State Park…read more This time it was a blustery chilly day (Nov 2025), so it wasn't going to be a swimming or hiking day. But we didn't mind the $12 vehicle fee just for the view. South of the park on SR-49, you'll see a Visitors Center, and if we were staying longer, it's a nice stop for local park info, campground reservations, souvenirs, and refreshments. The drive into the state park to Porter Beach takes you through thick woods, and we saw a buck crossing the road, which was a real treat and a reminder that these parks are wild enough. At the end of SR-49, there's an ornate pavilion, and it was closed due to the upcoming holiday, even the cafe and store were closed. The restrooms outside on the boardwalk were open. And we brought our lunch in from Culver's down by I-80. There were only a couple other cars during the time we were there. We pulled up and braved the blowing sand to get a look at the thrashing waters of Lake Michigan. With gusts up to 40mph from an approaching storm, the eaves were spectacular! But it was difficult to stay upright in that wind, not to mention the light sand-blasting we were getting. And we were on the road heading for a holiday visit, so we didnt stay long, only an hour or so. It's a beautiful park, even in the winter. We want to sled down the 170ft dune-canyon known as Devil's Slide!