Shore Magazine by The Times of NWI

style & culture

BUNNY FISHER’S Ancestors Warmed By Other Suns

Midsummer FUN GUIDE

AMERICA

Beautiful

THE

INCLUDING LAND OF OPPORTUNITY Andy Shaw Angry, Angry Birds MARK LOEHRKE DANIELLE ZIULKOWSKI Guide to Hiking & Camping

july 2012

Just across the Indiana boarder in the quaint lakeside resort town of New Buffalo, the beauty begins the moment you walk through the doors. With 3,000 slots, all your favorite table games, three unique restaurants and more, winning never looked so good.

Make your escape to Four Winds Hartford, a short 45 minute drive northeast of Four Winds New Buffalo. With 22,000 square feet of gaming, you can enjoy 500 of the latest slots and a selection of your favorite table games.

fa Buf

e 29

ew un o n enIng J T n P

soo ooMs o cenTer g In nT lr e

coM Must be 21 years of age or older. The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians invites you to play responsibly. If you think you have a gambling problem, call 1-800-522-4700. ÂŠ2012 Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians.

eve caf oTe re h 0 seaT rock o M 1,50 ard 250 h

Proof 3

JULY 2012

711 Main Street • Schererville, indiana 46375 • 219-322-2700

179-31576

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The Right Approach to

Sand Creek Beauty

First time offered! Three floors of finished space. 9,000 square feet: 6 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, main floor suite, large kitchen, outside entertainment area with pool, fireplace, and slide. Three media rooms, play room, 2nd kitchen in lower level, architectual details, 3 fireplaces, exercise room, exceptional landscaping, sound systems, fabulous 2 story Great Room, kitchen fit for a gourmet cook. All the bells and whistles!

Now Offered at $1,895,000!

eState area VISITSHOREMAGAZINE.COM

1.8 acres with 5 bedrooms, open porches front and back to take in the views. Pool, carriage house, 2 bars, finished basement, library, butler’s pantry, formal dining, living, family room, main floor bedroom, large upstairs master suite and 3 fireplaces. Sweeping wide staircases, gazebo and formal gardens.

Offered at $1,393,000

On the GOlf COurSe All Brick 2 story on a beautiful 3/4 acre lot. Study, family room open to kitchen, finished basement with bar, bath and wine tasting room. Large master suite with fireplace and sitting room, formal living, dining, Patio with exceptional views, 3 fireplaces, hardwood floors. Rose garden and 3 car garage.

Offered at $895,000

1534 Snead avenue On One Beautifully Landscaped Acre this Lovely all brick home with fully finished walk-out basement, main floor master, large dining , theater room, 4 fireplaces, office, 3 season’s room also. Patio’s , porches, creek with bridge all near all the amenities that Sand Creek has to offer.

Offered at $875,000

1712 Snead avenue Beautiful and spacious 4,300 sq ft brick 2 story on a large lot in Sand Creek’s Gated Estates section. Main Floor Master Suite, Upper Level has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and 2nd family room. Study with Built-ins, Formal Living, Dining, and family room all on a large lot with water views and southern exposure.

Offered at $699,000

loTs aVailable in sand CreeK

S O L D

ChesTerTon 1123 n. 250 e.

2.44 Acres 4 bedrooms, 2 bath, basement, Main floor Master, Creek, Stream, Close to town but a Quiet Location just behind Sand Creek!

Offered at $284,990

on The golF Course and pond

This all Brick Quality Construction is just the right size for a weekend home. 3 bedrooms, Open Concept, 2 car plus cart garage. Sun Room, Living Room, Keeping Room Kitchen, See thru Fireplace, Breakfast Bar, And Oh what Views!

Offered at $424,500

Various Lots in Phase V, IV call for prices from $79,900 1361 Nelson Drive Wooded Golf Course and Creek Views .468A $145,000 1220 Ryder Road Golf Course Lot .85A Pond Views $199,000

on The golF Course

golF Course and pond

This one of a kind home all brick home has 4 bedrooms and 5 baths, contemporary design and unique details. Private court yard, golf cart garage, very open floor plan, an entertainerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s delight!

Location! This home has 3900 sq feet of living area. Covered verandah across the back of home. Main Floor Master Suite, 3 bedroom suites on upper level. Hardwood floors, professional kitchen.

Offered at $697,018

Offered at $635,000

1709 Snead Avenue Large Golf Course Lot Pond and Fairway Views 1.6 Acres Walkout Possible $444,000 Two Golf Course Lots in the Highlands Area of Sand Creek Breath Taking Views $79,000 and $69,000

Valparaiso on 1.26 aCres Vernon Woods beauTy!

5 to 6 Bedrooms, Finished Daylight Basement Hardwood Floors on both levels. Built in 2006. Pond, 2 Story Great Room open to Kitchen, 3 seasons room. 3.5 car heated garage. Close to 6,000 sq ft.

Offered at $744,000

WhiTeThorne Woods Valparaiso

Gated Community, 1 acre wooded lot. Sprawling ranch with 3/4 beds, 3 baths. Large open great room and kitchen. Partially finished basement, 3 car garage.

Offered at $445,000

Karen CourT, TiFFany Woods laporTe

All brick 5,000 plus sq ft. 3 Story Home 6 beds, 6 baths, in-ground pool, near express-ways and Briar Leaf Golf Club.

Offered at $548,900

MiChigan CiTy 364 Furness road

Nearly new on 11acres with pond, wooded, detached workshop and garage. Walkout basement finished, 5 beds, exceptional kitchen, hardwood floors, close to Dunes, train, expressways.

Offered at $597,700

Valparaiso, TurTle run

JULY 2012

A New 4 bedroom ,5 bath all stone ranch on 2 acres. Upper Bonus room and finished basement for close to 7,000 sq. feet. HW floors and exceptional details throughout! Room for a pool, whole house generator. Attached and detached garages.

Offered at $887,500

SAND CREEK

contents JULY 2012

Generation Green BY LAURI HARVEY KEAGLE

Young stars are emerging in an environmental movement around the lake.

photography by TONY V. MARTIN

52 How Bunny Fisher Learned about Herself from Her Father’s Story as Told to Isabel Wilkerson BY PAT COLANDER

Much of what Bunny Fisher now knows about her father’s life as a child and young man she learned more than a decade after his death.

58 Inn Season BY MEGAN SWOYER

A South Haven neighborhood overflows with hospitality, thanks to a trio of bed-andbreakfasts.

VISITSHOREMAGAZINE.COM

61 The Great Outdoors: Your Go-To Guide for Hiking and Camping in the Lake Michigan Area BY DANIELLE ZIULKOWSKI

What to pack, and our 20 top tips for the great outdoors.

64 Honoring the Immigrant Spirit BY GINA J. GRILLO

‘Between Cultures’ photo project showcases the diversity of our country.

70 Ryan Pavlovich: Cool Photographer BY PAT COLANDER

Here’s Ryan Pavlovich on the magic moment watching a print come up in the darkroom for the first time.

79 Travel the World through Food BY JANE AMMESON

A Southwest Michigan chef shares her global cooking skills.

92 A Salute to the Red, White and Blue BY LAVETA HUGHES

This patriotic apparel can be stylish and festive for any occasion.

ON OUR COVER DIRECTION AND CONCEPT KELSEY ZAHN AND RYAN PAVLOVICH MODELS Esther Thorp and Caton Vance LOCATION an open field in Southwest Michigan near Grand Rapids

style & culture

Bunny Fisher’s Ancestors Warmed By Other Suns

Midsummer Fun Guide

AMericA

Beautiful

the

including land oF opportunity andy shaw angry, angry Birds Mark loehrke danielle Ziulkowski guide to hiking & camping

july 2012

BEVERLY SHORES. Camp Watchamachia. A lakefront family compound like no other. Family & guests can pile in for the weekend & everyone has their own space. 7 bdrms/4.5 baths. 28’ x 28’ circular great rm w/fireplace & wet bar, adj kit w/ breakfast bar, main flr master w/fireplace. Private bdrm wing, game rm. All but 3 rms open to lakeside scrned porch & pool. Warm woods, mexican tile, gorgeous pine vaulted & beamed ceiling in Grt rm. Private. Lots of off street pkg. Steps to beach. Definitely priced to sell. $1,150,000.

BEVERLY SHORES. Its all about the views. Panoramic lakeviews from three levels of open flr plan. Central staircase takes you to fam rm w/fireplace that opens to patio, living rm w/fireplace, kitchen/dining room overlooking LR and opens to lakeside screened porch. Spacious & private master suite w/office, 2 guest bedrms/2 baths. Steps to beach. $1,095,000

DUNE ACRES. Tucked into the natural landscape as dunes, beach & those forever views of Lake Mich & Chgo skyline unfold in front of you make this ‘one of a kind’ property a rare offering along our shoreline. Sited on 1.5 acres w/ over 100’ of beach frontage, this home offers almost 7000 sf. LR/DR w/incredible views, chef’s kitchen, 6 bdrms/6 baths. Media, fam rm, workout rms. Indoor pool. Lrg outdoor hottub overlooking lake. Scrnd beach gazebo w/ water & elec. Steps down to beach. $1,899,000

DUNE ACRES. Winding wooded private drive takes you to this lovely vintage home overlooking Lake Mich & the Chicago skyline. 3.5 acres of woods, dunes and 300’ of beach frontage. A SO charming 3 bdrm home, detached 3 car garage w/office & sleeping qtrs upstrs. Screened beach gazebo w/ water & electricity. 200’ of riparian rights. Secluded, private. Awesome property! $1,999,000

BEVERLY SHORES. Stunning home on 1.55 acres overlooking Lithuanica Pk. Winding drive to intimate & private destination. Surrounded by gardens, flagstone walkways & patio. Scrnd tea house & koi pond. Spacious open plan w/soaring beamed ceiling, walls of windows, oak flrs, chef’s kit, 2 firepls. Custom cabinetry. 3 bdrms/3 baths, office, fam rm. A touch of prairie style blends beautifully in this rustic setting. $689,000

BEVERLY SHORES. This 2.5 story sophisticated retreat offers a very contemporary open plan w/ sundrenched spaces on all levels. Just over the foredune from Lake Mich, this 3 bdrm/3 bath glass & cedar offers amazing main level that’s perfect for entertaining. Walls of glass frame wooded dunes views. Guests can participate in the spacious chef’s kitchen. Private master suite w/loft den. Family rm, 2 guest bedrooms & bath. Priced to sell. $529,000

BEVERLY SHORES. PRICE CHANGE. This sweet home is move-in ready. Designed for casual living, privacy & those great dunes views. Entry level is for guests... family rm w/firepl, guest bdrm, bath & laundry. Upstairs opens to a great room w/LR, DR & Kitchen... fireplace, huge screened porch and deck. Large master suite, guest bedroom & bath. Corner lot of woods & wetlands and the only sidewalk in town. Walk or ride bikes to the beach. Mint condition. $499,000

DUNE ACRES. NEW LISTING Wonderfully secluded location, stunning modern architecture & dramatic wooded setting. Open plan w/flr to ceiling glass, high ceilings, floating staircases & dramatic views of natural dunes landscape at every turn. LR, DR w/fireplace, chef’s kit, main flr master & den. 2 guest bdrms & huge office. Limestone flrg w/radiant heat. Plenty of storage, sm caterers kitchen. 2 car garage. Short walk to beautiful beach. $759,000

SO LD

BEVERLY SHORES. The perfect modern beach house. Stunning lakefront designed by Filoramo Talsma. Sleek, sophisticated. Blt 2009. Open plan w/ high end finishes, amazing Lake Mich & woodland views. 3 bdrms, each w/outdoor space, 3 baths, 3 fireplaces. Custom cabinetry & steel staircase. Glazed concrete flrg w/radiant heat. Decks, flagstone patio. Intimate and inspiring. Steps to beach. Price change. $1,149,000

Donna Hofmann 219.331.1133 / donna@dhofmann.com

Preview these and other fine properties online at www.dhofmann.com

contents JULY 2012

24 26

88 CLICKS 36 UNICEF Gala 37 Dancing with Our Stars 38 M ovie Premiere 38 Harbor Shores Grand Opening

40 Walk for Sojourner Truth House

HOUSE & GROUNDS 88 Mansion

or Beach Cottage

BY JULIE DEAN KESSLER

SHORELINES 17 INTRO

Best-selling author Mark Nepo on awakening to the joy in the present moment.

18 LISTEN

The South Shore Chamber Orchestra plans a diverse programming season; plus, a summer jazz playlist.

22 SHAW THOUGHTS

For Andy Shaw, the lure of the beach trumps politics in the Land of Opportunity.

VISITSHOREMAGAZINE.COM

24 CULTURE

NUT

Weird wonderment at 500 oddities in Illinois; Lest We Forget focuses on WWII in Benton Harbor/St. Joe; and ‘I Am the Greatest’ exhibit spotlights Berrien County’s most famous retiree.

26 MOTORING

Andy Mikonis deconstructs this year’s Jeep Wrangler, Wrangler Unlimited and an upcoming Mercedes Benz.

28 THE

GOOD LIFE

George Aquino learns five lessons about living like the French.

30 INTERVIEW

Digging into Illinois politics for 30 years, Mike Flannery on making a career of observations of a blood sport.

32 WHERE TO

Lois Berger builds her not-quite-basic culinary skills at the World Kitchen.

34 A FINE

MESS

For Rick Kaempfer, 4th of July bliss is suburban dads in lawn chairs, playing cards, drinking beer and watching television…in the garage.

A design puzzle came together perfectly in a Benton Harbor home that offers ‘the best of everything.’

LAST RESORT 104 A

Killer App and Some Angry, Angry Birds BY MARK LOEHRKE

When it comes to wildlife, Hitchcock birds are way scarier than mobile games.

HOTSPOTS 42 Essential Events 82 Bite & Sip 94 Shore Things 102 Shorecast 10 Publisher’s Letter 12 Editor’s Letter

photography courtesy of [clockwise, from top left] SOUTHWESTERN MICHIGAN TOURIST COUNCIL; AJ MUELLER, courtesy of CHRYSLER GROUP; TONY V. MARTIN; GREGG RIZZO; GEORGE AQUINO

ExpErtisE at your fingErtips

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SMART. TIMELESS. BEAUTIFUL.

“best

VACATION

PUBLISHER’S

LETTER

RENTal source

in southwest michigan.”

have been preoccupied over the last several months with wonderful projects to rebuild and promote the Region—mainly on behalf of the John Will Anderson Boys and Girls Club to upgrade and refurbish the Tolleston school in Gary into a facility for young people. I’ve been writing about it in the daily paper and at NWI.com, so I won’t rehash it here, but if you’re not familiar with it, I encourage you to go back and read some articles. I am amazed at how the Region has come together for this project.

UTH

HAVEN

OU • SAUGATUCK • D

GLA

(269) 637-8770 • 300 Kalamazoo Street, South Haven

shoresvacationrentals.com (269) 857-7653 • 29 Blue Star Highway, Douglas

shoresofsaugatuckdouglas.com

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I have been traveling all over the Lake Michigan area, and we have created some gems. Recently the Marquette Park Pavilion, under construction for the last two years as part of the federally funded project to restore and beautify the lakefront in Indiana, reopened and it was worth the wait. Down the coast, Whiting is getting an even more intense rehabilitation of its downtown, the public park and new facilities along the shore. Wait until you get to Pierogi Fest this year and see the beautiful homes springing up in the adjacent area. You are probably already seeing weekly updates on these and other environmental and economic development initiatives in our Shore e-newsletters, and we are now providing a new opportunity for event promoters via the Shore Weekender page in our Friday Times’ entertainment and event section (also available on mobile and tablet devices). I recently took some time out from a busy schedule full of openings and springtime honey-dos like resurfacing the driveway, to spend an excellent weekend in Denver with Julie checking out the Rockies—the team that still has my heart. They are playing worse than my White Sox, and we won’t talk about the scuttled hopes and dreams of my Bulls and Blackhawks this year. We got home just in time to get with the fun stuff like the Senior PGA Tournament at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Michigan; and our Fashion on the Shore event (and if you didn’t make it this year, you can see the work of the best student designers at the Box Factory for the Arts in St. Joe on August 10th). Next up will be the Gary Crisis Center’s annual wine-tasting event at Sand Creek mid-month—Julie’s on the committee, so there’s a little competition in our house—and don’t forget the Krasl Art Fair in July and the Concours in August. Make sure you check out a copy of our special edition Best of 2012 at your nearest Shore marketing partner, or visit us online at NWI.com/bestof. No doubt you voted for some of the winners, but there are always newbies in the area that keep our Flickr Twitter Retweet contest humming along and vote totals growing. Next month, you can plan ahead with our annual entertainment issue. Until then, have a terrific summer holiday season around the lake, where America is at its most beautiful. MySpace

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EDITORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

LETTER

ast summer, looking at possible cover photos is what got us thinking about patriotism, beautiful days and holidays. Counting on a big election year, the Olympics and summertime staples like air shows, county fairs, baseball, music festivals and events that call for a display of our flag, we knew there was going to be plenty of USA in the atmosphere.

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Then there were the surprises, like photo journalist and documentarian Gina Grillo, who came to us via Sharon Halliburton, with her project on children of immigrants. Then we found the story of well-known arts patron and singer (she will be appearing at the Acorn in Three Oaks this month) Bunny Fisher. Bunnyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s story is told comprehensively and comprises a third of a bestselling social history, The Warmth of Other Suns, by Pulitzer Prize-winner Isabel Wilkerson. The journey of Bunnyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dadâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a migrant from the Deep South who traveled to mid 20th-century Los Angeles, where he quickly became a prominent surgeonâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;is triumphant as well as troubling and sad. The legacy of Dr. Robert Pershing Foster, who died before the book was finished, could not possibly be more American. Bunny Fisher generously talks about her own feelings and what happened in her family. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m grateful. Our cover photo was also completely unexpected. The photographer Ryan Pavlovich, who lives in Southwest Michigan (more about Ryan on page 70), just happened to send a couple of black and white photos that showed a man with a flag. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This shoot was so fun,â&#x20AC;? Ryan explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My good friend Kelsey Zahn and I sat down and we had this concept: Americana, fun, really down to earth, jeans . . . we wanted to go somewhere cool. So we got the two modelsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Esther Thorp, a nanny who also does fashion design, and Caton Vance, a 22-year-old writerâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and went to that big wide open field. Caton grabbed the flag and just started running. We were going to someplace.â&#x20AC;? The resulting photos are effortlessly beautiful: no cynicism, qualification or equivocation. Just one vision of whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great about America. Finally, Mike Marlow wrote to me about the story on Whiting that appeared in our May/June issue. He said that it fell short in its analysis of ethnic roots because the writer forgot about the Croatians. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There was until about 9 years ago a Croatian church in Whiting, Sts Peter & Paul,â&#x20AC;? Mike says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Croatian Fraternal Union still has a lodge in Whiting and the Croatian Catholic Union also had a lodge in Whiting until it merged with the Croatian Fraternal Union. I was not raised in Whiting, but my wife and her family were Whiting people. We did get married at Sts Peter & Paul and did live in Whiting for a while.â&#x20AC;? Thanks for the heads-up, Mike. PAT COLANDER

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FABULOUSLY FUN HOME FURNISHINGS

Liven up your living space with a visit to HarborTown Interiors. Make a big splash with one-of-a-kind treasures! Have fun browsing through the latest in furniture, lighting, fabrics and accessories to make your living space so much fun! Come in and take a peek – and keep the hot days of summer looking cool!

Come in for the fun of it! 613 BROAD ST., ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN • 269-983-7774 OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK AND THURSDAYS EVENINGS.

New Buffalo Office 10. N. Whittaker Street New Buffalo, MI (269) 469-3950 (800) 288-7355 style & culture

Publisher Bill Masterson, Jr.

New Buffalo

$7,350,000

Harbor Country’s most gracious lakefront estate! Offering every amenity and state-of-the-art security, this 11,000 SF home brings unparalleled elegance to the lakefront lifestyle. Master suite, additional 5 br & 9 ba. Coldwell Banker 269-469-3950

Union Pier

$2,399,000

Attention lakefront buyers! Check out this extremely rare low-bluff property with littoral beach ownership in the heart of Harbor Country with buildable fore-dune on 1.5 acres. Historical property was updated in 1989. Coldwell Banker 269-469-3950

Advertising Operations Manager Eric Horon 219.933.3346 Eric.Horon@nwi.com Senior Account Executive Lisa Tavoletti Illinois/Indiana/Michigan 219.933.4182 Lisa.Tavoletti@nwi.com Account Executive Mary Sorensen Michigan 616.451.3006 Mary.Sorensen@nwi.com

Michigan City

$749,000

Breathtaking views from this updated and sundrenched lakefront home located on one of the sandiest beaches. Walk out your back door on your private path to white sandy beach or sit back an enjoy the sunsets! Carie O’Donnell 269-612-0412

Saint Joseph

$600,000

St Joseph ranch home has a gourmet kitchen, large master suite w/ gas fireplace and spa-like bathroom. 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, 4.5 car garages, maple floors, raised ceilings, skylights, two decks and more. Close to town. Coldwell Banker 269-469-3950

Long Beach

$600,000

Lakefront lot in Long Beach. Your chance to own one of the last lots available at Stop 29. This is a forty foot wide lot with all new homes around the property. Walk out your lower level onto a gorgeous sandy beach. Carie O’Donnell 269-612-0412

New Buffalo

$329,900

Beautiful 2 br, 2 ba end unit at South Cove overlooking New Buffalo Harbor and Lake Michigan. Take advantage of the wonderful lake breezes provided by the additional windows of the end unit! Coldwell Banker 269-469-3950

Traffic Manager Tom Kacius Creative Services Manager Ami Reese 219.933.3398 Ami.Reese@nwi.com Pre-press Specialists Maureen Benak Rhonda Fancher Tracy Ferguson

Published by Lee Enterprises The Times of Northwest Indiana Niche Division 601 W 45th Street Munster, Indiana 46321 219.933.3200 Michigan/Indiana Sales 1111 Glendale Boulevard Valparaiso, Indiana 46383 219.462.5151

New Subscriptions, Renewals, Inquiries and Changes of Address: Shore Magazine Circulation Dept., 601 W 45th St, Munster, IN 46321, or 800.589.2802, or visitshoremagazine.com

Union Pier

$199,000

4 VISITSHOREMAGAZINE.COM 1

PRIVATE BEACH RIGHTS! Short walk to Lake Mich beach. A move in ready 2 br, 2 ba Gordon Beach cottage. Fabulous private beach assoc in sought after Union Pier. Hdwd flr, fplc & parking all in a neat, affordable package. Coldwell Banker 269-469-3950

New Buffalo

$154,900

Great beach house, located across the street from St. Mary’s and located within walking distance of the beach, town, ice cream and all the shopping. Home is completely renovated. 3 bedrooms with large yard. Carie O’Donnell 269-612-0412

For detailed information on these and other fine properties in Southwest Michigan, Northwest Indiana, Milwaukee and the Chicagoland area, log onto our website:

www.ColdwellBankerOnline.com Any house. Any time. Anywhere. Call Coldwell Banker Home Loans for your FREE mortgage pre-approval at (877) 202-8619.

Reprints and Permissions: You must have permission before reproducing material from Shore magazine.

Single copy price is $4.95. One-year subscriptions $20 Two-year subscriptions $25

volume 8 / number 4

Editor / Associate Publisher Pat Colander 219.933.3225 Pat.Colander@nwi.com Managing Editor Karin Saltanovitz 219.933.3230 Karin.Saltanovitz@nwi.com Assistant Managing Editor Kathryn MacNeil 219.933.3264 Kathy.MacNeil@nwi.com Design Director Ben Cunningham 219.933.4175 Ben.Cunningham@nwi.com Designer April Burford Niche Assistant LaVeta Hughes 219.933.3353 LaVeta.Hughes@nwi.com Lead Photographer Tony V. Martin Contributing Editors Jane Ammeson Heather Augustyn Lois Berger Christy Bonstell Claire Bushey John Cain Laura Caldwell Tom Chmielewski Jane Dunne Rob Earnshaw Jeremy Gantz Terri Gordon Dave Hoekstra Seth “tower” Hurd Rick Kaempfer Lauri Harvey Keagle Julie Dean Kessler Mark Loehrke Sherry Miller Phil Potempa Andy Shaw Fran Smith Megan Swoyer Eloise Valadez Sharon Biggs Waller Contributing Artists and Photographers Ryan Berry Jennifer Feeney David Mosele Gregg Rizzo

Shore magazine invites readers and writers to submit ideas, comments and feedback through email at feedback@visitshoremagazine.com or the post office at Shore Magazine, 601 W 45th St, Munster, IN 46321, or 1111 Glendale Blvd, Valparaiso, IN 46383.

GINA GRILLO is a photographer, writer and teacher who creates programs that explore creativity as a force for social change. For over 14 years, Grillo’s photographs have appeared in magazines and newspapers worldwide— while serving as adjunct faculty in the photography department of Columbia College Chicago, where she earned an MFA. Her photographic documentary project, Between Cultures—Children of Immigrants in America, won the International Chicago Sister Cities Multicultural Book Award in 2006, after its publication in 2004, and opening exhibition at Ellis Island. When Grillo agreed to write this story for Shore, she didn’t know it would be such a creative revelation. “What a gift to be able to tell the Between Cultures story myself, in my own way—rather than through the filter of an interview or outsider’s perspective. I really had to ‘dig deep’ to answer questions about why this photographic work felt so important to do in the first place.” DANIELLE ZIULKOWSKI is a freelance writer and public/media relations professional. A Northwest Indiana native, she decided to move back to “The Region” after graduating from Indiana University’s Ernie Pyle Hall six years ago. One reason she decided to return home: the uniqueness of Lake Michigan and the dunes. While she’s no hiker/camper extraordinaire, Danielle says she’s not an outdoor prima donna, either. So when she interviewed the experts, she learned a thing or two. More importantly, she remembered to put work and obligations aside once in a while to enjoy the natural resources in the area. MEGAN SWOYER loves staying at small inns. The Troy-based writer contributed this issue’s feature on three inviting inns in South Haven. “My getaways at these quaint, personable havens let me really relax so it feels like I’m truly on vacation and can unwind in a different setting other than a hotel.” Swoyer has been a freelance editor and writer since her second son was born 15 years ago. Before that, she worked as an editor for Crain Communications in Detroit. Today, her features on home design, the arts, travel, gardens and more appear in newspapers, magazines and online publications and blogs. When she’s not tied to her MacBook Pro, Swoyer paints watercolors, which can be viewed at greenbushmedia.com. “Painting is another great way for me to express; sometimes, words just don’t cut it.”

“the destination for art lovers since 1988” We invite you to enjoy our exciting collection of handcrafted American artwork.

A distinctive collection of art and ﬁne craft featuring

175 American artisans

Look for our awning downtown @ 611 Broad St., St. Joseph, MI 269-983-6261

325 Butler Street Saugatuck, MI 49453 269-857-1359 JULY 2012

santafetradingco.com

contributors

MARK NEPO Becoming Part of Life’s Flow

JULY 2012

photography by TONY V. MARTIN

ou’ll never see Mark Nepo throwing a club or uttering a curse if he hits a ball into the rough. Because for Nepo, author of New York Times No. 1 bestseller The Book of Awakening, it’s not about the score (he doesn’t keep one), it’s about the experience. “We want to make a story about where we’re going, not where we are,” says Nepo, author of twelve books, six of which he’s narrated for audiobooks. “If you sing well, people say, ‘Oh, you should be a singer,’ but why can’t you just enjoy singing? In golf, if you start out well, then the expectations are you will get better. If you start off poorly, the story is will he recover. But it really is the pure joy of the moment. If we’re always focused on where we’re going, we miss where we are.”

Brooklyn-born Nepo, who has a doctorate in English, taught for eighteen years at the State University of New York at Albany before moving to Kalamazoo. Diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma when in his 30s (he’s now 61), his life and death struggle helped form his philosophy to experience life fully while living it, not by becoming goal-oriented towards an unknowable future. It was Nepo’s values as well as his ability to write prose that reads like poetry that so engaged Oprah Winfrey, who chose The Book of Awakening as one of her Ultimate Favorite Things for her final show. And so the man who wants to live in the moment found that his story became one of fame—being interviewed twice by Winfrey on her SIRIUS XM Radio show, Soul Series, and appearing with her on her Super Soul Sunday program on OWN TV as well as on Good Morning America. He now travels frequently for speaking and seminars and is also introducing several classes based on the teachings of his books. But Nepo remains focused on where he is in the now, and with The Book of Awakening now available in twenty different languages, he finds joy that one of those is Russian. “My grandmother was Russian,” he says, noting that life is about connection and relationships versus just achievement. “And it’s touching to think that a hundred years later, her grandson is having a book published in Russia.” -JANE AMMESON

>> intro <<

shorelines

Musical Mission The South Shore Chamber Orchestra plans a diverse programming season

roy Webdell, music director for the South Shore Chamber Orchestra, likes to surprise audiences with works to both entertain and enlighten. It’s one of the reasons he asked Michael Schelle, a composer in residence at Butler University’s School of Music, to present his world premiere piece “Exorcism of the Sugar Plum Fairies” for the organization’s fall performance. “We like to bring a mix of new and different musical works, as well as a selection of favorites, when we do our planning for the season,” says Webdell, a 1989 graduate of Chesterton High School who also works as a band and orchestra director in the Crown Point Schools. “When we started South Shore Chamber Orchestra eight seasons ago, it was to fill a need in our area for Porter County to have this programming for the community.” Webdell, the founder of the organization, says the group’s mission is to support “an auditioned community orchestra committed to bringing musicians, audiences and communities to advance enjoyment and appreciation of orchestral music throughout the south shore region through innovative programming that challenges, educates, enriches and entertains at the highest artistic level.”

-PHILIP POTEMPA

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SOUTH SHORE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA EVENTS Annual SSCO Music Scholarship Audition/Applications are due June 15.

A $2,800 scholarship is awarded. Call or visit the website for details. • 2 P.M. JULY 14: South Shore Chamber Orchestra String Quartet performs a free program at Old World Market, 76 S Washington St, Valparaiso • 7 P.M. OCT. 5: Full Orchestra Concert at Ivy Tech College Auditorium, 3100 Ivy Tech Dr, Valparaiso. Features Beethoven Symphony No. 7 and the world premiere of composer Michael Schelle’s “Exorcism of the Sugar Plum Fairies.” Admission is $15 for adults and $8 for seniors and students. • For more information, call 219.928.8192 or visit southshoreorchestra.com

photography courtesy of SOUTH SHORE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

>> listen <<

He says the orchestra includes as many as sixty musicians, with members from Lake and Porter counties and a mix of professional and community contributors. “Our harpist comes from Michigan and other members are from throughout the area, near and far,” Webdell says. “The idea for this orchestra came after Valparaiso University decided to disband their traditional chamber orchestra comprised of VU students folded in with musicians from the community, in favor of an all-student orchestra.” Governed by a board, the South Shore Chamber Orchestra is a nonprofit supported by area business sponsors and donations for funding opportunities, such as the group’s third performance tour in China on December 26 to January 5, 2013. To date, the organization has also provided more than $10,000 in donations for the Porter County Prevent Child Abuse program. The group is now accepting application auditions in June for the $2,800 scholarship it awards to a college student musician, emphasizing applicants need not be a music major. “It’s the time, talents and dedication of the group and our generous contributors that make this organization possible for our musical outreach,” Webdell says. “We want to help encourage and educate the musicians and audiences of the future.”

THE LIVIN’ IS

EASY

A SUMMER JAZZ PLAYLIST Nothing goes better with a bonfire on the shoreline, an evening on the back patio or a relaxing top-down drive to no place in particular than a good soundtrack. But if the nostalgic rapping of Will Smith, the sun-and-sand harmonies of the Beach Boys or the boozy anthems of Jimmy Buffett are beginning to sound a bit too played out, perhaps it’s time to shift gears with a few great jazz cuts that will immediately put you in that warm, laidback summertime state of mind. When the Heart Dances Laurence Hobgood and Charlie Haden Ever hear an instrumental tune that perfectly captures the suggestion of its title? Download this piano-bass duet. There, now you have. This I Dig of You Hank Mobley Every kid knows there’s no better way to spend a summer day than just plain swinging; Mobley knew it too. Freddie’s Yen For Jen Kurt Elling For sheer gonzo summertime wordplay, the singer’s earlier “Dolores Dream” is a hot mess in the best sense of the term; but for its head-over-heels romantic spirit, this vocalese take on an old Freddie Hubbard tune is a pitch-perfect reflection on summer love. Uncle James Christian McBride and Inside Straight The bassist and his crack quintet deliver an easygoing vibe that serves as the perfect accompaniment for an afternoon spent doing absolutely nothing. Waters of March Cassandra Wilson A summer jazz playlist without a little Jobim? Not a chance. The title may suggest spring, but the

bossa nova beat (by way of the Mississippi delta) is pure summer all the way. Dirty Blonde The Bad Plus On those summer nights when your inner teenager feels the need to roll down the windows and crank up the stereo for a disruptive neighborhood cruise, this four-minute banger from the piano power trio will give those speakers enough of a bass-thumping shot of aggression to rival anything from your hairmetal youth. Is This America? Pat Metheny Too somber for summer? Perhaps (the guitarist wrote it in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, after all), but the melancholy is offset by the beauty—particularly during Christian McBride’s brief but stirring bowed-bass solo—for a wonderfully poignant salute to a summer sunset. Never Will I Marry Renee Rosnes and Bill Charlap This two-piano number from the husband-andwife duo (ironic?) is a lot more buoyant than its downbeat title might suggest—especially in the middle of wedding season; best of all, though, it’s a light-as-air way to close out a summer’s day. -MARK LOEHRKE‌

1-888-UCH-0200 or UCHOSPITALS.EDU

>> shaw thoughts <<

Beach Life Leaves an Enduring Impression

This magazine, like many others, assigns every issue a theme or two. And this columnist, like many others, follows the theme when it feels right and doesn’t when it doesn’t. This issue has twin themes: America the Beautiful and Beach Life. And since both are so relevant to me, I had to think hard about which to write about.

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America the Beautiful reminds me of jogs on the Mall in Washington during reporting trips to D.C. Visits to the Lincoln and Vietnam Memorials reinforced my sense of balance between appropriate and excessive patriotism, a balance that was helpful in traversing ideological minefields along the political trail. This country, the ultimate land of opportunity, has been so good to so many of us that we’re right to celebrate America the Beautiful. But we’re off-key as a country right now, mired in a deeply troubling era debilitated by a shaky economy, a poisoned political well and a growing sense of unease about our direction and future. So I’m relegating that theme to my favorite pessimist, Eeyore, to ponder as he mopes through life with a rain cloud over his head. I, on the other hand, was born with the optimism of Pollyanna, despite the venality I’ve seen and reported on over the years. So I’ll devote the rest of this column to joyful reflections on my love of the beach. It began with my late mother, who introduced me to the beaches of Rogers Park as an infant. I have only vague recollections—a fleeting image of a park district beach house across Sheridan Road pops into my head—so I have to rely on stories family members told me. Like the time my mother—who was funny and literate but also absentminded—left me in a stroller in the foyer of our apartment building while she walked upstairs to drop off the groceries she had picked up on the way back from the beach. And forgot to come back down for me. So I sat there, apparently content in my little world, until another relative came by a few hours later. Maybe it’s more apocryphal than real, but I always enjoy the retelling. We moved to Evanston in 1952, when I was four, and those beaches became my playgrounds. I rode my bike there on warm days, misbehaved there on warm nights and even did some lifeguarding one summer, soaking up so much sun without adequate protection that I had to quit the job early to deal with a case of sun poisoning. I inherited blondish hair from my mother’s family, and

let it grow hippy-long when I went East to college in the mid-’60s, so I had a kind of California surfer look. And that, combined with my long neck, won me the moniker “Surfer Goose,” which I still hear occasionally from college pals. The travel bug bit me in a year off from college, so I headed down to Mexico and crashed in a hammock on a beach in thenundiscovered Zihuatanejo. Back in Chicago to finish school, I moved to an apartment in Old Town a few blocks from the lake and became a jogger, so I ran along the beach every morning, transfixed by the magic of the sun rising over Lake Michigan’s ever-changing colors and rhythms. After Mary and I got hitched in ’72, we found a beach to play on every winter, heading off to Mexico, Central America or the Caribbean with one, two and then three little ones in tow. Sun, sand and surf met all of our needs, and by now I was smart enough to use sunscreen. Mary’s from Wisconsin, and we met at Madison, so we headed for those lakes in our first summers together. But in ’79, after our oldest daughter was born, we fell in love with Southwest Michigan on a visit to friends in Sawyer. Add rolling dunes to the rest of the magic mix and you have getaway perfection. So when a house opened up in the Dunewood section of Bridgman, we grabbed it, and we’ve been here weekends and vacations ever since, moving closer to the beach when we could afford to trade up. We spent every warm summer day on the beach, trekking down to Weko for candy or ice cream, building sand castles, playing in the waves, marveling at the sunsets and celebrating our good fortune. One summer workday, with me in Chicago and Mary in Michigan with the kids, I had to helicopter up to a news story near Traverse City, so I told Mary when I’d be flying over and she arranged to have the kids write “HI DAD” in the sand. That was a moment. Mary says I’ll probably spend my final days here in Bridgman, above a beach that is a figurative part of my heart and soul. So “Life’s a Beach and Then You Die” may be a saying on a T-shirt. But it should also be part of my epitaph. -ANDY SHAW‌

illustration by DAVID MOSELE

shorelines

shorelines >> culture nut <<

Weird Wonderment

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here’s something very odd about Chicago author Jerome Pohlen. Readers of his books know it has to do with his published series exploring the strange and wonderful destinations that once inspired tourists to send postcards boasting “look what we saw,” and now, still inspire a new generation to Tweet and Facebook post these same discoveries. To date, Pohlen has written books exploring the best of the worst wonders of Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, Colorado, Florida and Texas. And now, a decade later, he’s just published his second and expanded edition of Oddball Illinois—A Guide to 450 Really Strange Places [Chicago Review Press, 2012], released in April, and continuing his journey to the out-of-the-way places with bizarre claims to fame. In some cases, Pohlen decided to include destinations in his new update that were already recommended in the first edition. So in Chester, Illinois, where a lone statue of Popeye once stood in this hometown of the comic strip sailor’s cartoonist creator, Pohlen shares that the spinach addict now has the company of statue likenesses of Olive Oyl and Swee’ Pea, along with baddies Bluto and the Old Hag. Ranging from the bronze statue of Bob Newhart in his TVpsychiatrist character guise of Bob Hartley (complete with bronze analysis couch) at Navy Pier in Chicago to “the world’s tallest catsup bottle” (a water tower in the likeness of a Brooks Catsup Bottle in Collinsville, Illinois), there are nearly twice as The “World’s many strange finds in the Largest Bottle second edition. of Catsup” in “Illinois is definitely Collinsville, in the Top 10 of weird Illino is, is really a water tower.

states, but I think Florida reigns supreme,” says Pohlen, an editor and educational writer who lives in Chicago and is also a regular contributor on travel and culture for Eight Forty-Eight on WBEZ, Chicago’s NPR affiliate. “Illinois seems to have embraced its weirdness, which I definitely appreciate,” Pohlen says. “Why else would the town of Gays put in a landscaped ‘contemplative garden’ next to its two-story outhouse? Mark my words, a Rod Blagojevich Roadside Shrine will be erected somewhere in this state before he’s out on work release.” He says his book, which Pohlen describes as “the strange and wonderful in the heartland of America,” disproves what he describes as “the often-held notion” that there’s nothing to see between Chicago and St. Louis but cornfields. Some of his favorite finds include the World’s Largest Sock Monkey (Rockford), the birthplace of the Jungle Gym (Winnetka), a truck stop with a marionette show (Morris) and a coin-operated fire-breathing dragon (Vandalia). The paperback book is also filled with trivia, photos, directions, websites, hours of operation and admission info. As for his favorite travel Holy Grail in the Land of Lincoln, Pohlen says “The Tower of Baaabel” on page 199 surprised him. “I don’t know why I never thought of goats as climbers, but they are,” says Pohlen, describing the Rapunzel fairytale-inspired tower in Findlay, Illinois, built for goats to scale. “And Oddball Illinois as it turns out, they like author Jerome Pohlen enjoys a to climb verrrry high session on the bronze on strange-looking couch statue salute structures.” to Bob Newhart’s TV As for trends, Pohlen psychiatrist character, says he thinks there’s located at Navy Pier. definitely a “World’s Largest (fill in the blank)” competition happening. “Maybe it’s the cold winters and deep snows, so you need to build the World’s Largest Abe Lincoln Statue to stick out above the January drifts,” he says. “The fact that Minnesota has ten jumbo statues to every one of ours, given their annual snowfall, only confirms this point.” -PHILIP POTEMPA

photography [this page] courtesy of CHICAGO REVIEW PRESS AND ODDBALL ILLINOIS—A GUIDE TO 450 REALLY STRANGE PLACES; [opposite page, left] SOUTHWESTERN MICHIGAN TOURIST COUNCIL, [right] by GREGG RIZZO

THE ‘ODDBALL ILLINOIS’ SECOND EDITION GUIDE UNVEILS NEARLY 500 STRANGE PLACES IN THE LAND OF LINCOLN

THE ‘I AM THE GREATEST’ PROJECT COMES TO BENTON HARBOR

Sauvé’s project, featuring sixteen sculptures, is a celebration of the life of champion boxer Muhammad Ali. “Through the project, our goal is to raise funds and scholarship money for at-risk youth,” says Anna Russo Sieber, owner of ARS Gallery in Benton Harbor. Russo Sieber is also a codirector of the “I Am the Greatest” Project. The installation is being presented through a collaboration by artist Sauvé, ARS Gallery and the New Territory Arts Association. Russo Sieber says the project also provides a creative way to introduce children to sports great Ali. A twoweek workshop, presented by ARS Gallery, in conjunction with the installation, was held recently. Youths who took the workshop created wood versions of Sauvé’s Ali sculptures. “In the workshop, they learned about the life of Muhammad Ali, his philanthropic works, and how art builds community,” Russo Sieber says. She says although Ali faced great adversities, he had the strength and conviction to “follow his dreams” and is a great example of working through obstacles to find success in life. Throughout the two-year duration of the exhibit, Russo Sieber says other youth workshops will be held every couple of months. The project is comprised of sixteen sculptures of Ali, which are based on a photo of the boxer that appeared on the cover of Esquire magazine in 1968, depicting him in a stance similar to an image that was done of St. Sebastien. At the time, Ali was known by his legal name of Cassius Clay. The Ali project sculptures appear in front of various Benton Harbor arts organizations, cultural and civic buildings and other popular community locales. Russo Sieber says the wood student sculptures made in the workshops, which will also number sixteen in total, will be displayed near the Sauvé sculptures. Through the years, Sauvé’s artwork has also been featured as part of the 2011 Art Chicago Sculpture Exhibit and in 2010, one of his public sculpture exhibits was displayed on New York City’s High Line. To learn more about the “I Am the Greatest” Project, visit iamthegreatestbh.com. -ELOISE MARIE VALADEZ ‌

JULY 2012

n June of 1944, when Allied troops stormed the beaches of Normandy, the outcome of this daring World War II strategic battle was in doubt. This June 30th, victory is assured when reenactors splash through the waters of Lake Michigan onto the sands of Tiscornia Beach in St. Joseph. But that doesn’t dim the excitement of watching this pivotal European beach invasion take place. Part of the annual Lest We Forget (LWF), a celebration of America’s military greatness, this three-day event, starting on June 29, showcases the stories of WWII through such activities as a reenactment of the Pacific Invasion that occurred the following year with Japanese defenders hidden in the dunes, a WWII-era dress USO-style dance and a parade of classic cars and military vehicles accompanied by Medevac 369 Vietnam helicopter flying cover. “People learn more when watching these IF YOU GO enactments,” says Don What: Lest We Forget Alsbro, one of the three When: June 29 to July 1 cofounders of LWF, which Where: St. Josephfirst began in 2006 and Benton Harbor has been gaining in How much: Many momentum since. “And events are free we also help our fellow FYI: 269.925.6301 or veterans.” LestWeForgetUSA.org Alsbro, a tireless organizer, notes that LWF partners with Hospice at Home to provide care for terminally ill veterans, funds transportation so that patients at the veterans hospital in Battle Creek can travel to St. Joseph for fishing trips, and donated money to Blue Star moms sending packages to troops. Though LFW spans the years between 1745 and 1945, their primary focus over the years has been the War of 1812 and World War II. And this year, on hand for the celebration are those who served, including Hershel “Woody” Williams, a medic at Iwo Jima. “Woody will be here to witness the reenactment of the Iwo Jima flag raising and also a demonstration of the WWII flamethrower he used on Iwo Jima,” Alsbro says. “Williams is a Medal of Honor recipient as is Duane Dewey who will be here.” Some commemorative activities precede LFW, including the June 14 book signing for Lost in Shangri-la—A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II by Mitchell Zuckoff, about the survival of U.S. service and WACs whose plane crashed in the hostile jungles of New Guinea. Running from June 22 to 24 is the performance of Make it Home at Lake Michigan College’s Hanson Theatre, a WWII play written by Southwest Michigan resident Larry Nielsen. -JANE AMMESON‌

Lest We Forget

An exciting new public art installation is gracing Benton Harbor. • The “I Am the Greatest” Project will be in the spotlight in the Benton Harbor Arts District for the next two years. A kick-off celebration for the art installation, created by artist John Sauvé, was May 25.

shorelines >> motoring <<

In the Great Outdoors

or decades, the Jeep Wrangler has been one of the most entertaining vehicular methods of enjoying the sun on your skin and the wind in your hair. However, Wrangler motoring used to be a historically spartan affair. If the lack of amenities didn’t get to you, the harsh ride would. Indeed, for its cult following this was part of the Wrangler’s charm. Things have changed, as today’s Jeep Wrangler offers previously unheard of comfort and convenience features and a much more refined character. The Jeep Wrangler we see today debuted as an all-new 2007 model. After test-driving several examples, it became evident that build quality was significantly improved. The simultaneous introduction of the first four-door Wrangler Unlimited added practical room for five people and cargo. Such niceties as power windows, power mirrors, navigation, keyless entry, remote start, heated seats and leather seating surfaces were added to the options list for the first time. But there were still two areas where the Wrangler was lacking: the interior and the engine. In 2011, the utilitarian interior was replaced with a much more stylish one. Materials are improved with soft touch surfaces, as is functionality with more storage areas. It still retains a rugged look. Get too much sand or mud inside, and you can easily pull out the carpets, pop the drain plugs, and rinse it out with a garden hose. The key improvement to the Wrangler came for 2012 with the long-awaited Pentastar V-6 engine, which first launched in the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. It also picked up the Grand Cherokee’s five-speed automatic transmission, replacing a fourspeed unit. The German-built six-speed manual is carried over, and represents the only Pentastar application with a manual transmission. The outgoing V-6 was 3.8 liters while the Pentastar V-6

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Today’s Jeep Wrangler offers previously unheard-of comfort and convenience features and a much more refined character.

displaces 3.6 liters and produces 83 more horsepower. It features variable valve timing via independent cam phasing. Ray Durham, vehicle line executive for rear-wheel drive SUVs, says it also gains a 13 percent fuel economy increase, up to two miles per gallon in city and highway driving. Its aluminum block helps by saving 90 pounds. Durham adds that torque is increased by 10 percent and acceleration 26 percent. And it uses 87-octane regular gas. Additionally, Wrangler Unlimited properly equipped can tow a 3,500-pound trailer, perfect for hauling a small boat or personal watercraft down to the beach. The two-door Wrangler tops out at a 2,000-pound rating due to its shorter length. Trailer sway control is integrated into the electronic stability control, and will apply the brakes to individual wheels to stop a trailer from getting out of line. Durham details tweaks done to the engine specifically for the Wrangler. The alternator was moved higher on the engine to allow for 30 inches of water fording. The oil pan had to be modified for clearance, and was designed to prevent oil starvation when the vehicle is operated at steep angles. The intake manifold is different, which he says broadened the torque curve. Even a unique engine cover was fashioned to reduce noise. Since the overall improvement is most evident in on-road driving, Jeep planned a lengthy scenic highway route around Portland, Oregon. For someone familiar with the outgoing Wranglers, the difference is instantly noticeable. Jeep also had some 2011s on hand for back-to-back comparison drives. Yes, the added acceleration is nice, but the smoothness of the powertrain, along with extra measures to deaden sound and vibration, change the entire character of the vehicle. Calling the ride car-like might be a stretch, but it achieves levels of smoothness and comfort heretofore unknown to Wrangler owners. The milesper-gallon display on the automatic transmission Wrangler I was driving hovered around 20.6 for the highway stint.

photography [this page] by AJ Mueller, courtesy of CHRYSLER GROUP; [opposite page] courtesy of CHRYSLER GROUP

2012 Jeep Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited

PARTNERS INC. Retirement Strategies • Investment Planning • Portfolio Management

In 2011, the utilitarian interior of the Jeep Wrangler was replaced with a much more stylish one.

Wranglers still retain their rugged truck underpinnings and four-wheel drive capability, and just to make sure the new Wranglers would still deliver off road, Jeep selected a challenging trail in the Tillamook National Forest. The toughness that makes it excel where the pavement ends helps it take on any pothole the urban jungle can dish out. And, though I hate to bring it up this time of year, the Wrangler keys will be what you reach for first when the snow flies. As in the past, Wranglers can be had with a soft top, a hardtop, or both. Rubicon models join Sahara with the availability of a body-colored hardtop this year. The ultimate solution may be the Freedom Top, which is an optional hardtop with two removable panels, so you can switch from the security of a hardtop to open-air driving in seconds. Automatic transmission equipped models see the most obvious benefit, and have been comprising about 80 percent of sales, a trend that Becky Blanchard, head of Jeep Wrangler marketing, expects to continue. Wranglers were already known for retaining among the highest resale values of American-made vehicles, and the improvements for 2012 make them appeal to buyers who may not have considered a Wrangler before.

55 W 94th Place Crown Point , IN (219) 795-1000 100 E. Lincolnway, Ste 201 Valparaiso, IN (219) 850-1040 www.oakpartners.com Securities and Advisory Services offered through SII Investments Inc. Member FINRA - SIPC and a Registered Investment Advisor. Oak Partners and SII Investments are separate and unrelated companies.

be yourself. be beautiful.

an Aveda concept salon

JULY 2012

2013 MERCEDES-BENZ SL550 f your preference for a top-down drive along the lake tends toward the luxury end of the spectrum, the all-new 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL550 arrived in showrooms in May. This sixth generation of the SL has a longer wheelbase and a wider track and yet it still weighs some 300 pounds less than the previous model. Thank the extensive use of aluminum in the body structure for most of the savings. The two-seater is powered by a 4.6-liter, twin-turbo V-8 with direct injection. It produces 429 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque for a zero-to-60 time of 4.5 seconds. With standard automatic stop/start technology, it reduces fuel consumption by shutting off the engine while stopped. It can accommodate two golf bags with the retractable hardtop stowed, which takes only twenty seconds. New innovations include the FrontBass system, which improves sound quality and saves interior room by integrating the speakers into spaces in the body. Expect a level of amenities as standard equipment that were previously optional or not available. Pricing starts at $105,500. -ANDY MIKONIS‌

shorelines

A look at Paris cafe society life.

>> the good life <<

Five Lessons I Learned about the French Lifestyle JOIE DE VIVRE The French strive to live a very passionate life. They have a keen focus on what’s important to them and they manage to turn even the smallest things—such as where to get the best cup of espresso—into an event. In conversation, they are more interested in your personal interests, such as the books you’re reading or your lifelong passions, rather than your occupation and where you live. They find great gratification in the art of discovery in a big city. HONOR THY BAGUETTE AND CHEESE Each morning, my wife and I walked to the end of the street where my mother’s street intersects with rue Montorgueil, the culinary heart of the 2nd arrondissement. Our first ritual was to grab our cups of café crème at one of the several cafes we love on the street. We would join the line at Boulangerie Les Petits Carreaux for two crispy baguettes and several pain au chocolat for the kids, and then walk down the street to Le Fermette for our cheese and meat selections of the day. There were a couple of mornings when we ventured off to Bastille and Belleville markets for some fresh fruit to complement our breakfast. We’d set the table as soon as we got home and allowed the

photography by GEORGE AQUINO

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There is some truth to the saying that we Americans “Live to Work” and Europeans “Work to Live.” This became very evident during my family’s spring break trip to Paris this year when we all noticed significant differences between how we live in America and how the Parisians approach the joys of everyday living. • My family was fortunate enough to have my mother’s home in central Paris as a base during our nineday visit. This granted us a local perspective as we went about our days in the City of Light. • The French are by no means perfect. However, their approach to life seems more focused or, shall I say, less cluttered, than the lives we live in the States. It became my mission during this trip to identify some of the variances in our lifestyle, from the way the Parisians dress to the manner in which they enjoy their meals.

aromas of the breads and cheeses to wake up the kids. Waking up to a warm baguette and an array of French cheeses was the one ritual my family valued most. It signified that we had arrived in Paris and that every morning would be celebrated at the dining table (and not in a car or on the go). IT’S BETTER TO LOOK YOUR BEST DAILY In America, we save our best attire for the most special of occasions. The French, on the other hand, savor wearing their best for the “ordinary” days—whether it is to stroll along the banks of the Seine or take in the warmth of the sun on a bench in Place des Vosges in the Marais. It is all about quality over quantity. I was having breakfast at Café du Centre with my hair sculptor friend, Sin, when he pointed out that Parisian women “were packaged perfectly.” Sin added, “Their hairstyles [women] were done naturally without spending so much time on primping and styling.” The Parisians were not as consumed with spending as much time on “getting ready” as Americans.

-GEORGE AQUINO

16 S. Elm Street Three Oaks, MI www.bluegalleryart.com judyferrara@gmail.com

Friday-Sunday 12-5pm or by appointment 574-276-6001

JULY 2012

ENJOYING THE SIMPLE PLEASURES I couldn’t wait to spread creamy, salted French country butter on a baguette on my first morning in Paris. I can say that the French find true pleasure in simple things most of us take for granted. In Jardin du Luxembourg, Parisians took advantage of the spring weather to bathe in the warm sunshine during their lunch break. Elderly Parisians gathered on one end of the park for a game of boules. Lovers sneak a kiss beyond the shadows of the Medici Fountain. Parisians walk a lot, both out of necessity and the sheer enjoyment of discovering the best of everything—from macaroons at Ladurée to the hot chocolate at Fauchon. In the end, our family left Paris with a better sense of what is truly important in life. It is not about the amount of material things we own nor is it about what we do and how much money we make. What is important is to live a passionate life, especially with those who matter most. Life is too precious to waste by ignoring those in front of us. As we gathered for our last meal at L’Epicerie restaurant, my wife and I marveled at how our family managed to enjoy every dining occasion on our trip free of electronic distractions. Dinners took a lot longer as we enjoyed lengthy conversations about our daily adventures in Paris. We took countless strolls after each meal, past the intricate buildings, boutiques and cafes, only to realize that being together as a family is really what made each day in Paris so memorable.

frenchtwistinc@gmail.com

CONVERSE DURING MEALS Meals are considered sacred in France, whether it’s in a Michelin star restaurant or dinner at home. It’s an event where each bite is to be relished, and more importantly, time is to be focused on each other. Texting or talking on the phone during meals is considered rude and the lack of cell phone use in restaurants was noticeably observed. My wife and I made it a ritual to enjoy “happy hour” at one of the bars on rue Montorgueil before taking the family out to dinner. We observed that the younger workers, even during this post-workday practice, did not divulge in technology distractions, and mainly focused on the conversation at hand.

shorelines >> interview <<

MIKE FLANNERY Digging into Illinois politics

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n a long history of reporting on audacious behavior, is there an incident that really stands out? The only charge on which Rod Blagojevich was convicted at his first trial was a simple one: that he lied to the FBI when he told agents there was no connection between big campaign contributions and the awarding of government jobs and contracts. It’s a lie he told me at least a dozen times, in public and in private. He always said it with such earnestness that, in retrospect, I suspect

he might have been able to pass a lie detector test in the process. We got glimpses of that self-delusion at his second trial, where jurors convicted the former governor of more charges. There was something uniquely “off” about Blagojevich, bordering on the pathological. His earnest lies about things big and small set him apart from other felonious politicians I’ve known, including Blago’s predecessor and federal prison inmate, former governor George Ryan. Yes, Ryan would take thousands of dollars from a lobbyist-pal to bet at casinos. But Ryan really cared about governing. He

worked the General Assembly, met with key legislators and paid attention to the vital details of public policy. Blago, by contrast, seemed not to care. In two terms, he held one cabinet meeting. When a deputy governor came bearing bills to sign or to veto, Blago hid in the bathroom. He had a knack for the superficial sound bite. But he’ll be remembered as one of our worst chief executives ever. As Illinois careened toward financial disaster, he spent hundreds of millions of dollars without waiting for the General Assembly to appropriate it—actually one of the articles of impeachment on which the State Senate convicted him. Have you always been interested in politics? Some of my earliest memories involve political discussions and arguments around the dinner table. My father would go around the table, grilling his five children on the great issues of the day. We were all expected to have an opinion, and to be able to defend it. He was a Purple Heart veteran of World War II, who died five days after his 43rd

photography by TONY V. MARTIN

With more than three decades of reporting on Chicago politics—which many liken to a blood sport—Mike Flannery, the political editor at FOX Chicago News, probably has the most upfront and personal inside knowledge of city and state politics. Flannery, who grew up in Washington, D.C., and graduated from Georgetown University, spent seven years writing about politics and labor for the Chicago Sun-Times and then another 30 years as a political reporter and editor at CBS 2 Chicago before joining FOX Chicago a few years ago. He took the time with Shore magazine to answer a few questions.

birthday, when I was in high school. He loved America. He believed democracy demands—and works best when—we all participate.

-JANE AMMESON‌

JULY 2012

Do you think you’ll ever write a book? I don’t want to write a boring memoir. I’m not sure many would want to read my recollections of the referendum that created the Regional Transportation Authority. The challenge would be to weave the entertaining anecdotes into a larger, more significant narrative. Is there a larger lesson about provocative rhetoric in the tale of the suburban Democrat who took to the House floor during the great debate over the failed Equal Rights Amendment in Springfield? He declared that if it passed, cowboys would soon seek to marry their horses. He denounced ERA backers as “brainless, bra-less broads.” Springfield seems to have fewer colorful rogues these days.

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How has technology changed reporting? When I started at the Sun-Times, reporters still banged out stories on old-fashioned typewriters. We really had to hit those keys hard, because we were producing five copies. Counting the four pieces of carbon paper, there were actually nine sheets in every “copy book” we rolled through the typewriter. As a result, I still pound the keys on my computer keyboard harder than is really necessary. But I love the power of modern technology. For all the problems and uncertainties of 21st-century journalism, I wouldn’t want to go back. I still remember having to walk five or six blocks to find a phone booth in Oak Park while covering the Zahn kidnapping. Cell phones were a great invention. They make it much easier to talk to bosses back in the newsroom. Twitter is a social medium I’ve embraced. I don’t have time or energy for Facebook. But I like the simplicity and immediacy of Twitter. I use my BlackBerry to live-tweet debates in the General Assembly and City Council, and news conferences by Governor Quinn, Mayor Emanuel and other figures.

shorelines >> where to go <<

What’s Cooking BUILDING CULINARY SKILLS AT WORLD KITCHEN Soaking in the whirlpool after water workout class at my gym, a few of the ladies began talking about their favorite recipes. I did not join in because my favorite recipe was spaghetti and meat sauce (McCormick package). I hate to admit it, but I’m a terrible cook. I sometimes wonder if my cooking was partly the reason my second husband cheated on me. Probably the girlfriend made lasagna from scratch.

ater, I confided my shortcoming to Phyllis Faher, a fellow splasher. “Lois, what about cooking lessons?” she asked. “I’ve looked and looked, but just one lesson is usually about $100 and it’s for a dish like coq au vin,” I said. “When would I serve that?” “Aha!” she proclaimed. “Evidently you haven’t checked out World Kitchen. The classes are fabulous and varied and they are only $30 each.” Wow, they may be the answer to my culinary prayers. Imagine, I could invite my gourmet cooking friends to a dinner fit for Top Chef. Maybe a dish made with aioli oil (whatever that is). “There is a catch,” Phyllis warned. “The classes get sold out really fast, so when they announce the schedule, you better be at the Cultural Center or online to buy tickets that minute!” Duly warned, I went to the website, chicagoworldkitchen.org, and noted the date and time the Fall 2011 schedule would begin. Thus, on August 31, 2011, at 11:45 a.m., I was at the Cultural Center World Kitchen desk to buy tickets. At noon, I was fourth in line and managed to buy tickets to four classes (the maximum). Phyllis was already at her office, but so many registered online she missed out on the Fishing for Flavor class, which was sold out in nine minutes. The classes are all conducted under the guidance of Judith Dunbar Hines, director of culinary arts for the Chicago office of Tourism & Culture and known as Chicago’s culinary ambassador. After my first class, I cornered Judith to tell her how much I enjoyed the experience. I asked her about her reputation as the person to know for everything food-related in Chicago. She answered, “I’m actually the liaison between the City of Chicago and the vast culinary community. I do this by promoting chefs, farmers, restaurants and other food businesses through culinary classes like World Kitchen, tours of the city’s culinary historical ethnic neighborhoods, and speaking engagements.” I noted in the World Kitchen brochure that there were classes ranging from Canning and Party Potluck to Global Goodies and the Cookie Exchange. I was curious as to how the classes were selected. Judith explained, “Because of our name and our mission, we constantly include many ethnic themes. Also, we include visiting chefs and cooking teachers who have something interesting to discuss. And then we fill in with other ideas. Most of those have been suggested by our students. The post-class surveys are evaluated each season and I try very hard to include at least most of the top four or five requests. We also offer in each season a certain number of technique-driving classes (like Knife Skills or Pastry Skills) so that our students are receiving good basic culinary instruction.” She added, “Then, each recipe is evaluated for how much time will be needed to complete it and whether it can successfully be done in a class.” World Kitchen has three seasons of classes: Fall, Winter and Spring. Rick Delby, a full-time instructor of all culinary classes at Ivy Tech Community College in Gary, joined Judith to teach Make Mine Chicken and I was interested in how he came to teach at World Kitchen. “My students are preparing for a career as chefs,

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HOW TO DICE AN ONION Halve the onion

vertically. Place halved onion cut-side down. Make a series of horizontal cuts 80 percent of the way back. Rotate it back to its original position and cut vertical slices down through the onion. Beautiful dice will fall off onto your board.

-LOIS BERGER‌

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JULY 2012

took four cooking classes and have made recipes from all of them. I even had a small dinner party and made my favorite, Chicken and Mushrooms Scaloppini. I blushed when my girlfriend, an epicurean connoisseur, complimented me. Yes, I am now empowered and look forward to the Fall schedule. I even know now what aioli oil is. Do you?

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so teaching them requires basic skills on a more serious level. I enjoy teaching varied recipes to people who want to learn how to prepare and cook a delicious dish.” Rick confided another reason: “I believe creating a wonderful meal gives a person confidence and empowers them, not only in the kitchen, but in everyday life.” Well, I don’t know if I became empowered, but I did learn how to dice an onion without having big and little pieces and lots of raggedy bits left over. JoAnne Relf, another teaching assistant, showed me exactly how to use my knife to skillfully cut a perfect onion. (see box). I now dice onions at least twice a week, even though my Maltese puppy is my only onlooker. JoAnne also teaches soups, stocks and sauces part-time at Ivy Tech. She empowered me again when she stated during the Cookie Exchange class, “Small Because of our measuring cup for name and our dry . . . tall measuring mission, we cup for wet, and use constantly include parchment paper on the cookie pan so you many ethnic don’t have to clean off themes. Also, we dough.” Bet you didn’t include visiting know that. chefs and cooking There are twenty in teachers who each class but divided into four or five cooking have something one recipe. At the interesting to discuss. end of the class, all And then we fill in the food is laid out with other ideas. and everyone samples eight to ten delicious recipes featured in that particular session. I found that most of the participants were “foodies” who wanted to try exotic recipes, but there were a few like me who just wanted to learn hands-on cooking. The classes ranged in age from twenties to sixties and over. There were about 90 percent women; the men were mostly husbands. I did spy Jason Rapisand, a newlywed, who it turned out, does all the cooking for his busy wife, Lauren. In fact, Lauren told me, “He makes dishes for me when he travels and freezes them so I don’t have to cook at all.” Then there was Monica Donofrio from Dearborn, Michigan, who came up to Chicago to bond with Whitney Hardin, her son’s fiancée. “In fact, we plan to make the Pumpkin Pie/Croissant Pudding for our Thanksgiving dinner.” I met Joan Scott, a soon-to-be retiree with Counseling Services, Chicago Police Department in my Honing Your Skills class. Joan is a wonderful cook, but wanted to know more about how to choose the right knife and which ones are the best.

shorelines >> a fine mess <<

A FULL HOUSE IN THE GARAGE Every Independence Day my buddies and I supply the neighborhood with a slice of Americana. • We are the 21st-century version of the guys that made this country uniquely American. Every neighborhood had them when we were kids. Forty years ago you’d find them sitting on lawn chairs in the garage, rubbing their holiday stubble, wearing dark socks and sandals, smoking cigarettes and drinking warm beer, watching the ballgame on an old black and white television with rabbit ears, while playing a game of Pinochle. • That was the America that raised us.

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efore you say “Ewww,” or start thinking that we’ve just turned into our fathers, let’s get a few things straight. First of all, we don’t wear black socks with sandals—we wear white socks and sneakers. We also don’t watch an old television with rabbit ears—we listen to an iPod and get baseball scores on our smartphones. We don’t smoke cigarettes—we smoke cigars. We don’t drink warm beer—it’s always chilled in a cooler. But we do sit on lawn chairs in a garage and rub our holiday stubble. And we do play cards, although our game of choice is poker. Not just any game of poker, mind you. This is garage poker, baby, and it’s just about the most fun we have all year. The poker part is not what makes it so much fun. It’s not unusual at all for us to go thirty minutes without playing a single hand. And it’s not the cigars, either—we’re obviously not unaware of the fat stick’s noxious odors. It’s certainly not the location—the garage is a collage of oil stains, spider webs and garbage cans. It’s not even the beer—although you will never hear us utter a word against the world’s most delightful nectar. It’s the combination of all these things, and the company sharing it with us. It’s a chance for old friends to get together, talk in the unbelievably politically incorrect way men like to talk (with lots of inappropriate profanity and sexism), have a few drinks spread out over a long period of time (without paying the ridiculous per-beer prices you pay in a bar), smoke some stinky cigars to keep the curious women and children away, and listen to songs from our youth.

That may not sound good to you, but to us, it’s heaven. The six of us spend our garage time solving every problem in the world, from politics to baseball to our professions. We critique and explore the many vices and virtues this great country has to offer. But most of all, we enjoy being our real selves. Unrestrained. Unrefined. Uncouth. Every once in a while, every man needs to exercise his real-self muscles just to make sure they don’t atrophy and die. A night of garage poker is like a night of inner-truth calisthenics, and it’s a heck of a workout. To us, it’s just about the most appropriate way possible to celebrate “Independence” day. And like those garage dwellers of our youth, when it’s time for our night to end, we sigh, and return to being respectable members of society: salesmen, bankers, technicians, reporters and clerks. And we look forward to the next Independence Day, our most American holiday, when we can again congregate in our all-American meeting place, and indulge in the most all-American activity imaginable... Garage Poker. -RICK KAEMPFER‌

UNICEF MESSAGE OF HOPE GALA, CHICAGO • DANCING WITH OUR STARS MIRACLE AUCTION 2012, SOUTH BEND • “MICKEY MATSON AND THE COPPERHEAD CONSPIRACY” PREMIERE, GRAND RAPIDS • CLUBHOUSE OF HARBOR SHORES GRAND OPENING, BENTON HARBOR • 13TH ANNUAL WALK FOR SOJOURNER TRUTH HOUSE, GARY 1

saving children UNICEF gala chicago

photography by maureen donlon and lili calfee

More than 370 guests gathered at Union League Club for the fifth annual Message of Hope Gala to raise funds for UNICEF’s child survival and development programs. The evening included a cocktail reception, silent auction, dinner and an after party. The event raised more than $670,000 for the organization’s lifesaving work in more than 150 countries.

1 Desiree Rogers of Chicago 2 Alisa and Chad Kasprzak of Chicago 3 Wendy Serrino of Glencoe with Joe Silich of Chicago 4 Kathy and Todd Weegar of Libertyville 5 Pam and Chris Kallos of Chicago 6 Troy and Nichole Mooyoung of Chicago

7 Paul Harvey of Evanston, MaryLou Giustini of Chicago, Casey Marsh of Chicago, Caryl Stern of New York, Gary Beu of Elgin, and Joe Silich of Chicago

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ALL CLICKS COMPILED BY LAVETA HUGHES

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humanitarian movements

dancing with our stars | south bend photography by gregg rizzo

1 Emily Pritchard and Monica Ott, both of South Bend 2 Brian and Amy O’Day of Granger

3 Lauren Ringle of Mishawaka with Krysta Thompson of South Bend 4 Trina Haines and Marybeth Roncz, both of Granger

5 Armando Femia and Anna Thompson, both of South Bend 6 Amy Kintz, Stephanie Whittaker and Amy Everett, all of Granger

Over 500 guests enjoyed a silent and live auction, dinner, and dance performances featuring twelve sets of local celebrities, professional dancers from DanceSport, and two talented children who reside at the Center. The event raised a recordbreaking $400,000 to support the Center’s mission of breaking the cycle of homelessness.

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M. & Th. 8:30am-8pm • T. W. F. 8:30am-6pm • Sa. 8:30am-5pm • Closed Su.

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hollywood style 1

tasty tees

movie premiere | grand rapids

grand opening | benton harbor

photography by gregg rizzo

Some 850 viewers attended the premiere of the family-friendly adventure, Mickey Matson and the Copperhead Conspiracy, shown at Celebration! Cinema. Directors and producers Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future) and Benton Harbor native, Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters) walked the red carpet and greeted the public. 1 Christopher Lloyd

2 Diane Bradley of Jackson and Devan Bradley of Lansing

3 Senator John Proos and Jeff Wingard, both of St. Joseph

4 Chris and Kelly Bickley of Traverse City 5 Patrika Dorvo 6 Jan Peabody of Lapeer with Bob Doty of Branch

areas.

1 Jeannie Dieffenbaugher of Sterling Heights with Aaron Williams of St. Joseph 2 Kris Cornell of Benton Harbor, with Heather Kolesar and Susan White, both of St. Joseph

3 Elliot Plummer and Hannah Yankee, both of Ludington

The capacity-filled grand opening for the Clubhouse of Harbor Shores was sponsored by the golf course at Harbor Shores and Cornerstone Chamber of Commerce. The event included a traditional ribbon cutting ceremony and tours of the 7,500-square-foot clubhouse that houses â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Grille at Harbor Shoresâ&#x20AC;? and private dining.

4 U.S. Rep. Fred Upton of St. Joseph and Duane Nelson of Berrien Springs, with Greg and Kathy Weykamp of St. Joseph 5 Kari Stevens and Regina Ciaravino, both of St. Joseph

7 Tammy Zemaitis and Jen Betteridge, both of Grand Rapids

6 Dawn and Mamie Yarbrough of Benton Harbor

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help the homeless walk for sojourner truth house | gary photography by tony v. martin

1 Connie Kann of Dyer with Sally Van Bokkelen of Munster

2 Pat Kelly of Miller, Toni Mola of Crown Point, Sister Joan Fisher of Donaldson, and Lillian Beasley

5 4

3 Faye and Brittany Toliver of Gary 4 Pam Yttri of Michigan City and Susan Cohen of Gary 5 Sister Peg Spindler, Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson and Mary Cossey

While exercising and making a difference, approximately 300 advocates participated in the Sojourner Truth House Walk. The annual event raises funds to support homeless and at-risk women and children from the Northwest Indiana/Chicagoland area. This year’s fundraising goal was $75,000.

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JULY 2012

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essential events HAPPENINGS 40

EXHIBITIONS 40

PERFORMANCE 46

Jul 14-15 51ST ANNUAL KRASL ART FAIR

10am-6pm Sat, 10am-5pm Sun Lake Bluff Park, downtown St. Joseph 269.983.0271. krasl.org In addition to fine arts and crafts—including drawings/pastels, paintings, prints, jewelry, sculpture, pottery, photography and more— there will be food and music all weekend at this highly anticipated annual event. Jul 13: Friday Night Kick-Off Party.

CALENDAR COMPILED BY LAVETA HUGHES

happenings Indiana

Through Jun 24 GFWC Chesterton Woman’s Club Art Show, 11am-4pm weekdays, 1-4pm weekends, 115 S 4th St, Chesterton. 219.926.4711. chestertonart.com. This event will feature original fine arts in media including paintings (oil, acrylic, water color), drawings, pastels, freestanding sculpture, stained glass, and original hand pulled prints. Jul 7-8 Garden Walk, 9am-5pm, Gardens on the Prairie, 3242 W 169th Ave, Lowell. 219.696.8282. lowellgardenclub.com. This event brings together myriad garden designs provided by local residents, landscapers and businesses. Jul 14-15 Secret Gardens Walk, 10am-3pm, Aquatorium, 6918 Oak Ave, Gary. 219.938.8532. millergardenclub.org. This 13th annual event, themed Flower Beds, Bird Baths and Beyond, will feature seven Miller area gardens, a bike tour, vendors, plants for sale, and a raffle. Bus transportation will be provided from 10am-2:30pm. Jul 18-22 Festival of the Lakes, Wolf Lake, George Lake, Lake Michigan, Hammond. 219.853.6378. festivalofthelakes.com. Multiple venues throughout Hammond and Whiting will feature food, games, boat rides and free entrance to all concerts.

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Jul 27-29 Pierogi Fest, 11am-10pm Fri-Sat, 11am-5pm Sun, 119th St, Whiting. 877.659.0292. pierogifest.net. A truly one-of-a-kind festival, this tribute to Whiting’s ethnic heritage offers authentic Polish food, ethnic dancers, a beer garden and the Polka Parade.

Michigan

Jun 29-Jul 1 Lest We Forget WWII ReEnactment, various locations, St. Joseph and Benton Harbor. 269.925.7176. lestweforgetusa.org. Returning

by popular demand, this special event, created by Lest We Forget and performed by WWII re-enactors from all over the country, will include a military vehicle parade with landing craft, motorcycles, jeeps and trucks, humvees, classic cars of the ’30s and ’40s, aircraft flying cover through Benton Harbor and St Joseph, a parachute drop of the American flag followed by a B-17 fly-over simulating a bomb run and a reenactment of the European Beach Invasion. Jul 1 54th Annual Summer Art Fair, 10am-5pm, Stanley Johnson Park, Dyckman Ave, South Haven. 269.637.1041. southhaven.org. This popular event will showcase wonderful works of art from local artists from surrounding states.

Illinois

Jun 17-Aug 26 Concerts on the Green, 6:30pm every Sun, Breidert Green, Kansas and Ash Sts, Frankfort. 815.469.3356. frankfortchamber.com. This event offers live music with no admission charge. June 17: Peter Oprisko; June 24: R Gang; Jul 1: Frankfort Brass Band, Joliet American Legion Band; Jul 8: Denny Diamond; Jul 15: The Renditions; Jul 22: 1969 Classic Rock; Jul 29: Jin and Tonic; Aug 5: The Midway Ramblers Cajun Band; Aug 12: The Tom and Lisa Band; Aug 19: TBA; Aug 26: The Outcast Jazz Band. Jun 23 Fine Arts Fair, 10am-3pm, Breidert Green, downtown Frankfort. 815.469.2177. villageoffrankfort.com. This event features works of fine art and demos by premier local artists. Music will be played throughout the day, and there will be a wine tasting from 1-3pm. Jul 11-15 32nd Annual Taste of Chicago, 11am, Grant Park, Chicago. 312.744.3315. tasteofchicago. us. A highly anticipated Windy City tradition, this celebration of gastronomical delight feeds three million visitors each year, featuring cuisine from more than 70 Chicago restaurants, as well as a variety of activities and live entertainment for the whole family.

exhibitions Indiana

Through June 24 Sanctuary—Works by Union Street Gallery Studio Artists, Atrium Gallery, The Center for Visual and Performing Arts, 1040 Ridge Rd, Munster. 219.836.1839. unionstreetgallery.org. Union Street Gallery is an arts and culture resource for the south suburbs serving 3,000 people per year through diverse art exhibits, classes, workshops, and outreach programs. Currently, there are 16 studio artists, 20 guild artists, and 30 volunteers working to further the mission and vision of Union Street Gallery. Through Aug 26 Beaten & Bound, Hyndman Gallery, Lubeznik Center for the Arts, 101 W Second St, Michigan City. 219.874.4900. lubeznikcenter. org. This exhibit features American artists including Lesley Dill of New York; sculptor, book artist and art theorist, Buzz Spector; Brian Dettmer, and local artist Andrea Peterson exploring the cutting edge of contemporary book and paper works. Through Aug 26: Light & Flow—50 Year Anniversary of the Studio Glass Movement.

Michigan

Through Jul 22 2012 Biennial Sculpture Invitational, Dar Davis Gallery and Gallery II, Krasl Art Center, 707 Lake Blvd, St. Joseph. 269.983.0271. krasl.org. This exhibit showcases 20 outdoor sculptures by national and regional artists. Sites include Krasl Art Center grounds, city parks and collaborative locations with the New Territory Arts Association in Benton Harbor and the Box Factory for the Arts in St. Joseph. An indoor exhibition of preliminary materials reveals the artists’ processes for these works through drawings, photographs and sculptural maquettes. Also, Jul 27-Sept 2: Energy Reboot—The Art of Indira Johnson. Through Aug 18 A Conversation between Monet and Sochi, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, 314 S

photo courtesy of MIKE JAKEWAY

The information presented in Essential Events is accurate as of press time, but readers are encouraged to call ahead to verify the dates and times. Please note that Illinois and most Indiana events adhere to central time, and Michigan events are eastern time.

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St. Joseph …downtown shopping and cultural district recognized for its upscale retail mix: art galleries, fashion, exceptional dining, interior design stores, antiques and more.

Pirate ARRRT in St. Joseph

Remode led Gue st

Suites C oming S ummer 2012!

All ye landlubbers will fancy this crew o’ sculpted scallywags. Painted pirates, dolphins, seahorses and other creatures come ashore this summer. Come discover untold treasures downtown St. Joseph. Come smartly ’fore they set sail!

Relax • Dine • Play • Celebrate

Get yer free map! ST. JOSEPH TODAY WELCOME CENTER 421 State Street • St. Joseph, MI 49085 (269) 985-1111 • info@sjtoday.org

May 19 through Oct. 1, 2012 • www.StJosephPublicArt.com

521 Lake Boulevard, St. Joseph, MI• 800-875-6600• theboulevardinn.com

photography [opposite pate, top] JOSH NOWICKI, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS, KRASL ART CENTER

Come spend the day …. Sunrise to Sunset!

2011 Michigan

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Presented by the Krasl Art Center

51 yeArS

1962 – 2012

MIchAel BArneS

lArry SMIth

Kent KrAuS

PAt BolgAr

glen WooDS

greg DAvIS

ranked #24 Art Fair in the nation by Sunshine Artist Magazine

SAt., July 14m 10 am to 6 p 5 Sun., July 1m 10 am to 5 p Downtown St. Joseph, MI • www.krasl.org • twitter: @KraslArtFair

essential events Park St, Kalamazoo. 269.349.7775. kiarts. org. Drawing upon art historical images from Asia and the West, Korean artist Lee-nam Lee employs digital technology to offer new interpretations of iconic works of art. Also, through Jun 24: Birds of a Feather—John Costin and John James Audubon; 2012 High School Area Show; Through Jul 28: Birds in Art 2011. Through Aug 26 Cities in Transition, Grand Rapids Art Museum, 101 Monroe Center, Grand Rapids. 616.831.1000. artmuseumgr.org. This suite of interdisciplinary exhibitions and programs explores the many ways art, design, and history shapes our understanding and appreciation of the urban environment. A variety of vantage points provide insights into how the constant evolution of cities— responding to shifts in population, industry, and land use—brings both challenges and opportunities. Also, through Jun 14: ArtPrize 2012. Jun 22-Aug 5 Center States—Works of the Chicago Art Salon, South Haven Center for the Arts, 600 Phoenix St, South Haven. 269.637.1041. southhavenarts. org. The Chicago Art Salon began in 2002 as a group of artists who wanted to connect and engage as they created and pursued their individual artistic expressions. The featured artists for this exhibit include Craig Blietz, Brian Sindler, Gail Potocki, Shar Coulson, Kathy Honey, Amy Lloyd, and Meltem Aktas.

Illinois

Through Sept 3 Roy Lichtenstein—A Retrospective, The Art Institute of Chicago, 111 S Michigan Avenue, Chicago. 312.629.6635. artic.edu/aic. This exhibit is accompanied by nine essays by leading critics and scholars; an extensive timeline of Lichtenstein’s life and career, filled with archival images; and 172 color plates. Also, through Jul 15: The Outdoor Office—Jonathan Olivares Design Research; Through Sept 9: PARCOURS; Through Sept 9: Dawoud Bey—Harlem, U.S.A.; Through Sept 13: Fashioning the Object—Bless, Boudicca, Sandra Backlund; Through Oct 28: Katharina Fritsch; Through Oct 28: Recent Acquisitions of Contemporary Japanese Art; Through Oct 28: Told and Retold— Picture Book Artists from Studio Goodwin Sturges.

performance Indiana

Chicago Street Theater, 154 W Chicago St, Valparaiso. 219.464.1636. ctgonline. org. Now in its 56th season of bringing live theatrical entertainment to the greater Northwest Indiana region, the CST presents a variety of plays and musicals each season, in addition to regularly scheduled theatre classes for both adults and children. Jul 13-14: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, free public performances at Central Park Plaza; Jul 20-22, Jul 26-28: Regular performances at Chicago Street Theatre.

6 VISITSHOREMAGAZINE.COM 4

Dunes Summer Theatre, 288 Shady Oak Ln, Michigan City. 219.879.7509. dunessummertheatre.com. The Dunes Summer Theatre, which seats over 200 patrons, is located on the border of Indiana and Michigan. The Theatre features more than twenty acres of scenic woods in the Lake Michigan dunes. Jun 3: Celebrity Fashion; Jun 8-24: Avenue Q—The Musical; Jun 29-Jul 15: 1776; Jul 28-Aug 5: The Tempest. Horseshoe Casino, 777 Casino Center Dr, Hammond. 866.711.7463. horseshoehammond.com. World-class

gambling and top-name entertainment combine to create an unprecedented experience at this 350,000-squarefoot casino. The Venue, the casino’s 90,000-square-foot entertainment facility, hosts some of the hottest Chicagoland entertainment. Jul 6: Heart; Jul 8: Ringo Starr; Jul 27: Weezer. LaPorte County Symphony Orchestra, performances in LaPorte and Michigan City, 614 Lincolnway, LaPorte. 219.362.9020. lcso.net. This exciting orchestra offers a variety of concerts throughout the season— including classical, pops, chamber, children’s and family. Jul 15: Summer Concert. The Memorial Opera House, 104 E Indiana Ave, Valparaiso. 219.548.9137. mohlive.com. This renovated, 364-seat building—with red, white and blue stained-glass windows—was built as a living memorial to the Civil War veterans of Porter County. Built in 1893, the theater has a rich history as a venue for musical and dramatic performances. Jul 25: Reel to Real—The Women of the Silver Screen. The Morris Performing Arts Center, 211 N Michigan St, South Bend. 574.235.9190, 800.537.6415. morriscenter.org. The home of the Broadway Theatre League, the South Bend Symphony Orchestra and the Southold Dance Theater, the 2,560-seat Morris Performing Arts Center has enraptured audiences in the heart of downtown South Bend for more than 75 years. Jun 22: Dierks Bentley; Jun 23: Second Annual Blues & Ribs Fest at Coveleski Stadium; Jun 28: Steve Miller Band; Jul 18: Jeff Dunham— Controlled Chaos. Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra, various venues. 219.836.0525. nwisymphony.org. Conducted by the charismatic Kirk Muspratt, this professional orchestra performs concerts that range in atmosphere from the whimsical pops series to the edifying and inspirational maestro series, many of which offer pre-concert discussions with the conductor an hour before the concert. Jul 21: Summer concert—Cedar Lake; Jul 27: Summer concert—Griffith; Jul 28: Summer concert— Crown Point. Star Plaza Theatre, I-65 & US 30, Merrillville. 219.769.6600. starplazatheatre. com. With 3,400 seats arranged in two intimate seating levels, the theater consistently hosts premier performers year-round. With its convenient location in the heart of Northwest Indiana’s shopping and dining district and its proximity to the adjoining Radisson Hotel, the Star Plaza offers a total entertainment package to area theatergoers. Jun 22: The Jacksons Unity Tour; Jun 23: Loving Llanview; Jul 14: Under the Streetlamp; Jul 15: Zappa Plays Zappa. The Theatre at the Center, Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, 1040 Ridge Rd, Munster. 219.836.3255. theatreatthecenter. com. This theater, just 35 minutes from downtown Chicago, has the distinction of being the only professional equity theater in Northwest Indiana, and showcases the artistry of professional actors, musicians and designers from throughout the Midwest. Jul 12-Aug 19: Little Shop of Horrors. Towle Community Theater, 5205 Hohman Ave, Hammond. 219.937.8780. towletheater.org. To honor its mission of nurturing and celebrating local talent in the arts, the Towle Community Theater presents exhibitions, theatrical productions and musical performances in the heart of downtown Hammond. Jun 23: Improv Showcase; Jul 6-8, 13-15, 19-22: Next to Normal; Jul 27-28: Free Willy Shakespeare.

Michigan

The Acorn Theater, 6 N Elm St, Three Oaks. 269.756.3879. acorntheater. com. The 250-seat Acorn is home to a carefully reconstructed, rare Barton Theater Pipe Organ and boasts bistro tables and occasionally offbeat entertainment options. Jun 16: Tom and Beckie; Jun 17: Laura Freeman—You’ve Come a Long Way Baby—Girl Groups of the early ’60s w/ special guest Cheryl Szucsits; Jun 22-23: Nora Dunn—Mythical Proportions; Jun 28: Storytelling After Hours; Jun 29-30: The Sweat Girls; Jul 1: Over the Rhine; Jul 7: Opera at the Acorn—Not Just Another Tenor!; Jul 13: Callaghan and Michael McDermott; Jul 14: Bunny Fisher and David Lahm; Jul 20: Mississippi Heat; Jul 21: Ricky NYE; Jul 22: The Buckinghams; Jul 28: Emile Pandolfi; Jul 29: Goldmine Pickers. Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra, DeVos Performance Hall, 303 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids. 616.454.9451 ext 4. grsymphony.org. Recognized as one of America’s leading regional orchestras, this Grammy-nominated symphony provides the orchestra for Opera Grand Rapids and the Grand Rapids Ballet Company. The orchestra’s eight concert series with performances designed for young children through adults feature a wide range of repertoire. Jul 12-13: Classical Fireworks; Jul 19-20: The Music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons; Jul 24: Goldilocks and the Three Bears; Jul 26-27: A Tribute to John Denver. The Livery, 190 5th St, Benton Harbor. 269.925.8760. liverybrew.com. As its name suggests, the Livery is a former horse stable, residing in the Arts District of downtown Benton Harbor. Not content to just offer its twelve taps of microbrew, an outdoor beer garden, an appetizing soup and sandwich menu, and a coffee bar, the Livery is also a venue for an eclectic variety of musical performances. Jun 15: Fauxgrass Quartet; Jun 22: Ernie Hendrickson; Jun 23: Elaine Dame with Chris Greene; Jun 24: Town Mountain; Jun 30: Erin McDermott Band; Jul 28: Michigan Summer Beer Festival. Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, 1000 E Beltline Ave, NE, Grand Rapids. 616.975.3155. meijergardens.org. In its ninth season, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park announces its largest Outdoor Summer Concert Series lineup to date. The newly improved 1,900-seat amphitheater is one of the most unique and intimate venues in Michigan and will feature a variety of genres this summer. Jun 13: Jimmy Cliff; Jun 14: Foreigner; Jun 17: Steve Miller Band; Jun 18: Al Green; Jun 28: Gov’t Mule; Jun 29: Emmylou Harris; Jul 1: Rufus Wainwright; Jul 2: Huey Lewis & the News; Jul 8: Brandi Carlile; Jul 9: Fiona Apple; Jul 11: Creedence Clearwater Revisited; Jul 12: American Legacies—Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Del McCoury Band; Jul 15: Andrew Bird; Jul 22: O.A.R.; Jul 25: Lyle Lovett & His Large Band; Aug 2: The Head and the Heart; Gavin DeGraw and Colbie Caillat. Mason Street Warehouse, Saugatuck Center for the Arts, 400 Culver St, Saugatuck. 269.857.2399. masonstreetwarehouse.org. Located in the Saugatuck Center for the Arts, Mason Street Warehouse is dedicated to building relationships and connecting to the community through the creation and production of entertaining, diverse and stimulating plays and musicals. Jun 22-Jul 15: Avenue Q—The Musical; Jul 18: The Good Lovelies; Jul 19-20: Marcus Monroe; Jul 21: Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet; Jul 27-Aug 15: Our Sinatra. Silver Creek Event Center, 11111 Wilson Rd, New Buffalo. 866.494.6371.

fourwindscasino.com. The Silver Creek Event Center is a 1,500-seat, multi-use facility in Four Winds Casino. In addition to hosting concerts, the 70,000-square-foot event center can be reconfigured to host a variety of meetings, special events, conferences and banquets. Jul 7: Rod Stewart. Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra, various venues. 269.982.4030. smso.org. This versatile orchestra offers a traditional Mendel Mainstage Series, small ensemble works in the Around Town Series, and the Performing Artists series, which showcases a wide range of styles with guest artists. Jun 23: Summer in Paradise; Jul 3-4: Independence Day Celebrations; Jul 12: Duo Piacevole; Jul 15: The Music Man. Van Andel Arena, 130 W Fulton, Grand Rapids. 616.742.6600. vanandelarena.com. Ranked second on Billboard Magazine’s 2003 Top 10 Arena Venues for its size, this $75 million 12,000-plus capacity arena offers world-class family shows, concerts and sporting events to the increasingly popular Grand Rapids area. Jun 14: Barry Manilow; Jun 24: Cheap Trick with the Verve Pipe and Mid-Life Crisis; Jul 26: Van Halen.

Illinois

Broadway in Chicago, various venues, Chicago. 800.775.2000. broadwayinchicago.com. A joint venture between the two largest commercial theater producers and owner/operators in the U.S., Broadway in Chicago offers the finest of professional stage productions in multiple theaters, all residing in Chicago’s lively Loop. Through Aug 5: Pinkalicious; Rock of Ages, Broadway Playhouse, 175 E Chestnut; Jun 26-Jul 1: RAIN—A Tribute to the Beatles, Ford Center Oriental Theatre, 24 W Randolph; Jun 16: Kristin Chenoweth, Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W Randolph St; Jun 12-Jun 17: Stuffed and Unstrung, Bank of America Theatre, 18 W Monroe St. The Chicago Theatre, 175 N State St, Chicago. 312.462.6300. thechicagotheatre. com. The Chicago Theatre has been a prototype for area theaters since 1921. With its lavish architecture and an elegant stage, the Chicago Theatre seats 3,600 and stands seven stories high. Jun 11-14: Conan; Jun 14: An Evening with Kevin Smith; Jun 15: Aziz Ansari—Buried Alive!; Jun 16: Sarah Silverman; Jun 17: Vince Vaughn’s Comedy Showcase; Jun 23: Dream Theater; Jun 26: Explosions in the Sky; Jul 10: Fiona Apple; Jul 12-14: Barry Manilow; Jul 16: Nicki Minaj. The Goodman Theatre, 170 N Dearborn St, Chicago. 312.443.3800. goodmantheatre.org. Since 1925, the Goodman Theatre has provided entertainment to the Chicago area; however, a new, state-of-the-art two-theater complex was completed in 2000—75 years to the day after the dedication of the original—and resides in the vibrant North Loop Theater District within walking distance of fine hotels and restaurants. Through Jun 17: The Iceman Cometh; Jun 30-Aug 5: Crowns. Steppenwolf Theatre, 1650 N Halsted, Chicago. 312.335.1650. steppenwolf.org. The Chicago-based cast is an internationally renowned group of 43 artists, committed to the art of ensemble collaboration. Now in its 35th season, Steppenwolf continues to fulfill its mission by offering intriguing performances and taking artistic risks. Jun 28-Aug 26: Three Sisters.

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You push hard all week. Life becomes a numbing blur. It’s time for some rejuvenation — to enliven your senses again. So get away with your family, friends or on your own. Immerse yourself in fun from sunup to sundown in nearby Southwestern Michigan. Good times come naturally here. It starts at our Lake Michigan shoreline where you and your kids can sail kites on brisk lake breezes. Reel in a fighting salmon. Race up and down towering dunes. Walk out to our historic lighthouses. Dive for a volleyball in the soft sand. Kayak on mistblanketed waters. Or hold the one you love as the sun dips below a crimson-andlavender horizon.

FIND MORE GOOD TIMES BEYOND LAKE MICHIGAN’S SUN-DAPPLED WATERS

NOTHING COMPARES TO THE JUST-PICKED SWEETNESS OF LOCALLY GROWN FRUITS

The fun definitely doesn’t stop at our water’s edge. You can play golf at dozens of courses. Our area offers a wide range of challenge levels as well as tee times that fit your schedule. And several courses team up with area hotels to offer special packages that will entice you to play over several days. Our great outdoors calls you to bike our scenic country roads. Picnic in a meadow flooded with wildflowers. Go birding in our nature preserves. Hike our trails. Feel your heart pound at motocross races. You can easily fill your day shopping at boutiques and galleries in our quaint Victorian-era towns. Hunting for antiques. Playing arcade and laser tag games. Winning at our gaming resort, too. Or fill weekend after weekend with our festivals and fairs. Have a great time looking for colorful pirates in St. Joseph’s annual outdoor art exhibit. Whirl around and around on our magnificent carousel. Jam with the live music performers in our parks. Retrace history in our museums. Stir your soul with our plays. And make memories in ways only you can create.

Hungry? Fill baskets with plump, juicy berries, sun-sweet peaches and freshtoday vegetables. Many of our farms welcome you to pick your own food from their orchards and fields. Others have markets brimming with baskets of goodness. You can also let our renowned chefs’ recipes tantalize your taste buds in our eclectic selection of restaurants. Sip free tastes of our award-winning wines — then bring home bottles of your favorite vintages from more than a dozen wineries. Satiate your sweet tooth with hand-dipped chocolates, mountain-high ice cream cones and buttery European-style pastries. At day’s end, you’ll find a wide range of places to spend the night from lakeside cottages to quaint bed & breakfast inns to campgrounds to amenity-filled hotels. We’ll make you feel so at home … it’ll be hard to leave. So, come get away to where the fun starts … and never stops. Visit swmichigan.org, facebook.com/swmtc or call 269-925-6301 for lots more ideas and great places to stay.

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Rejuvenate from sunrise to sunset. Savor Lake Michiganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fresh breezes. Build castles on soft sandy beaches. Reel in a fighting salmon. Run down sky-high dunes. Kayak through sun-dappled waters. Uncork the bouquet of our wineriesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; vintages. Ride a carousel under 1,000 glittering lights. Meander through art fairs and classic car shows. Play golf on lush greens. Delight in the tantalizing aromas of our festivals. Linger evening after evening to watch the sun paint the sky.

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BUNNY F ISHER HOW

LEARNED ABOUT HERSELF FROM HER FATHER’S STORY AS TOLD TO ISABEL WILKERSON

2 VISITSHOREMAGAZINE.COM 5

uch of what Bunny Fisher now knows about her father’s life as a child and a young man she learned more than a decade after his death. By reading it in a book. While sitting on the beach, in St. Martin, around the time of what would have been her father’s birthday—Christmas Day—in 2010. Bunny was nervous about reading the book for a number of reasons; most importantly, she had been the secondary source of her father’s story. The author had asked her to give her best recollections, to confirm and verify what he said, after he died August 6, 1997, at the age of 78. Even though the interviews had taken place years before the book’s publication, they still rattled her. Bunny remembers the conversations as grueling and draining. Even today Bunny carefully recalls “how stressful it became drawing my insights about factual information” the author had already established and digested. “So my anxiety was really real. It

was my dirty laundry and I worried how it would be in context and if it might be embellished in any kind of way. So I was very anxious for a couple of weeks,” when

Robert Joseph Pershing Foster

she knew it was finally going to come out. The book was a historical blockbuster, game-changer and a sensation: The Warmth of Other Suns—The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration, by Isabel Wilkerson, won the National Book Critics’ Circle Award for Nonfiction and numerous other prizes. It was on dozens of best-book-of-the-year lists across the country and became a national bestseller. The book was praised by literary luminaries like Nobel-winner Toni Morrison and star journalist and author Gay Talese. Though The Warmth of Other Suns was Wilkerson’s first book, her work had been winning awards for years. She was the first black woman in the history of American journalism to win the Pulitzer Prize (in 1994 for Feature Writing in the New York Times) and the first African-American person to win the Pulitzer for individual reporting. She won a George Polk Award for Midwest coverage and received a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship for research on the Great Migration. When you examine the book, you can easily understand why it took so many years to

photography [this page] courtesy of BUNNY FISHER; [opposite page, right] by TONY V. MARTIN

WORDS BY PAT COLANDER

Bunny Fisher [right] holding The Warmth of Other Suns. [Inset] Isabel Wilkerson, author.

Bunny Fisher’s father went from being known as “Pershing to Robert to Bob,” as Isabel Wilkerson explains in the book. The name changed as part of his transformation from his childhood in the rural South to a young professional and surgeon and later when he adopted a new lifestyle in California as a physician and surgeon in private practice. Bunny says that during the period when her father migrated from Louisiana to Los Angeles she and her sisters called him Daddy Robert. As small children Bunny and her

sisters lived with their grandparents for such a long time that in many ways “our grandfather fulfilled the father role,” she says. And, of course, a child would not have been able to comprehend what her father was up against during that time. The outline of the sweeping story begins at the time of the First World War when northern factories began actively recruiting young men—the labor force in the rural South—offering a living wage and a better life in the cities. Suddenly the owners of the plantations and orange groves, whose mistreatment of sharecroppers was a form of enslavement

THE STORY OF ROBERT JOSEPH PERSHING FOSTER

JULY 2012

complete. The statistics: The Warmth of Other Suns is 622 pages long and after the epilogue, there is a 4-page explanation of the author’s methodology, 7 pages of acknowledgments (including Bunny Fisher in the Illinois group), 32 pages with 543 explanatory notes, an index that is another 32 pages long, permissions acknowledgments and an afterword about the death of Ida Mae Gladney, one of the book’s main characters, in Chicago in 2004. The book is lavish in its attentiveness to detail. As a reader, the notes are as riveting and fascinating as the intertwined stories that move through several generations of the actual history. Obviously the publication and the creation of the book transformed Isabel Wilkerson’s life, but the story she tells of the migration had a profound effect on its subjects and their descendants—the author chose the stories of the families of three principal characters from more than a hundred possible characters interviewed for the narratives. Bunny Fisher met Isabel Wilkerson at her father Robert Joseph Pershing Foster’s funeral. “Isabel came back to the house for the repast after the memorial service. I remember her saying that she wanted to interview me and how she thought my dad was a really wonderful person. You could tell the affection that she had for him. Eventually I came to the conclusion that she had been his best daughter after all. She saw him as this really heroic person who had done this extraordinary thing.” The first meeting was pretty formal, as Bunny describes it, at the Ritz-Carlton in Chicago, and Isabel was trying to make her feel at ease by describing her intentions about the book. Bunny and her sisters were leery when they originally heard from their father that someone was writing a book about him. Isabel impressed Bunny with her carefulness. “She kept saying that one of the critical things is documenting every source and every comment. She sent me some of the clippings of the article she wrote for the Pulitzer Prize and I was impressed with her.” Bunny invited Isabel to her home, where she interviewed her on more than one occasion. “Then there were many years that I never heard anything. Her life changed; my life changed. She would try to keep me informed. So we were very surprised when we heard in September 2010 that this book was coming out.”

practice and was eager for Pershing to join him. But Pershing set his sights higher. He made no secret of his idea that after he saved enough money, he would join the half million people who had already fled Texas, Louisiana and the South for California. Bunny stayed behind with her mother and sisters in waiting for her father to send for them.

RAISED AS AN ARISTOCRAT

Bunny Fisher’s mother was the beloved only daughter of Rufus Early Clement, the president of Atlanta University, graduate school to Morehouse (for men) and Spelman (for women) colleges, and a powerful and prominent pillar of black society in the South in the late ’30s. As the incarnation of the elite academic AfricanAmerican aristocracy, her grandfather met regularly with celebrities and government

Alice Clement Foster and Dr. Robert Foster, Bunny Fisher’s parents.

leaders including Paul Robeson and Eleanor Roosevelt. “My life in Atlanta as a child was just a fairy tale,” Bunny explains. “We had a dressmaker who made our clothes and doll clothes to match. My sister Robin and I would play with our Patty Jo dolls, among the first dolls for AfricanAmericans that were ever manufactured.” Bunny remembers taking a trip to New York with her grandparents and staying at the Waldorf Astoria. There were so many “special things when we were living that life.” When Bunny turned 6, there was a birthday party. “It was in the newspaper,” she says. Her grandmother was a shopper, always “buying china and things,” she says. So Bunny and her sister learned that they could not try on clothes or shoes in the store and they could not drink from the drinking fountain. “But we were so sheltered by the university that we didn’t experience prejudice in the same way” that her contemporaries did. “When we moved to California, I was in fifth or sixth grade and it was an integrated school,” she says. “We also lived in Europe for two years when my dad was in the Army and the school was integrated. But even in the school experience in California, she says, “You were still aware of who you were and what your color was and there was some tension and separateness.” “It wasn’t until I read the book that I realized that our family had not lived together for the first 8 years of my life and that I really hadn’t experienced my father as a parent. It was this realization that made me think back to issues I had as a child, about risky behavior, the chance children take all the time. I didn’t really know this person, yet he was setting limits.

photography courtesy of BUNNY FISHER

4 VISITSHOREMAGAZINE.COM 5

that frequently extended to lynching, found themselves without the cheapest and most desperate workers. This confounded them, not because they couldn’t see it: As Isabel Wilkerson quotes a white reader writing in the Montgomery, Alabama Advertiser, “Why hunt for the cause when it’s as plain as the noonday sun? He doesn’t want to leave but he knows if he stays here he will starve. They have nothing to eat, no clothes, no shoes . . .” But the plantation owners didn’t know how to stop it. Coercion, blockades and arrests only intensified the efforts of the fugitives. Trainloads of workers crowded station platforms, men hoboed their way north in grain bins and women walked away from cotton fields. In Georgia, a granite quarry had to shut down because all the workers left. Some of the migrants plotted their exit, others didn’t have time. During her research, Isabel Wilkerson came across a group of migrants from Monroe, Louisiana, who settled in Oakland and Los Angeles, California. Drawing from that group, the author recounted the story of a young man who was on his way to shine shoes in West Monroe, Louisiana, when he “passed a tree with a colored man hanging from it.” He left that day for California. Eventually he became a character actor in Hollywood. Bunny’s father, Robert Joseph Pershing Foster, was one of the best educated and intelligent young men growing up in Monroe. He was born on Christmas Day 1918 and named for General Pershing, a World War I hero. His father was a principal of a high school and both he and his brother Madison would become doctors. Pershing got his medical degree in Georgia, got married and served internships and trained as a surgeon in St. Louis and all over the South. During World War II his military service was deferred and though he entered with the rank of captain and was posted to Austria, he could not be chief of surgery because he was colored. And even though he suffered humiliation at the hands of bigoted white physicians, his charm, good looks and skills did not go unnoticed. Inevitably he got recognition from his patients. For the first time in eight years of marriage, Bunny, her parents and her sister could live together as a family for more than a two-week stretch. “I still remember those days in Austria with my younger sister as a happy time,” Bunny says. But when his military service was done, Robert—then known as Pershing—found himself starting all over again in the Jim Crow South, in his hometown. He got a job at Fort Polk, an hour’s drive from Monroe, where his brother had a medical

Dr. Robert Foster with medical degrees.

Clearly I was looking for his love and approval.” Even when living together as a family in Los Angeles, Bunny doesn’t remember seeing him much except on weekends. “We would be in the car with him driving from patient to patient and the only way for us to be together was to go.” “My mother was the daughter of President Clement and the wife of Dr. Foster; she struggled with that. My mother, who was a very talented woman on her own—a brilliant pianist who had studied at the Juilliard School of Music in New York—may have lost some of her identity being the daughter of a well-known university president and the wife of a successful surgeon. My mother had tried to cope with issues related to my father’s struggles, but one summer after 14 years of marriage they separated and she returned to Atlanta taking us with her. By the end of that summer they had reunited.” “My father could be difficult. He was a perfectionist,” Bunny explains. “But Isabel got to what I wasn’t really privy to, in spite of being a brilliant surgeon and physician—he was terribly insecure. I remember case after case where he did some incredible surgery on someone who was expected to die and that person lived. The book taught me things I didn’t know about my own life,” Bunny says. “When I go back and think about the struggles my father had, it saddens me. He made so many hard choices and I had no clue.”

LIVING IN L.A.

“Toni Morrison’s parents migrated from Alabama to Lorraine, Ohio. Diana Ross’s mother migrated from Bessemer, Alabama, to Detroit, her father from Bluefield, West Virginia. Aretha Franklin’s father migrated from Mississippi to Detroit. Jesse Owens’s parents migrated from Oakville, Alabama, to Cleveland when he was nine. Joe Louis’s mother migrated with him from Lafayette, Alabama, to Cleveland when he was nine. Joe Louis’s mother migrated from Cairo, Georgia, to Pasadena, California. Bill Cosby’s father migrated from Schuyler, Virginia, to Philadelphia, where Cosby was born. Nat King Cole, as a young boy, migrated with his family from Montgomery, Alabama, to Chicago. Condoleezza Rice’s family migrated from Birmingham, Alabama, to Denver, Colorado, when she was twelve. Thelonious Monk’s parents brought him from Rocky Mount, North Carolina, to Harlem when he was five. Berry Gordy’s parents migrated from rural Georgia to Detroit, where Gordy was born. Oprah Winfrey’s mother migrated from Kosciusko, Mississippi, to Milwaukee, where Winfrey went to live as a young girl. Mae Jemison’s parents migrated from Decatur, Alabama, to Chicago when she was three years old. Romare Bearden’s parents carried him from Charlotte, North Carolina, to New York City. Jimi Hendrix’s maternal grandparents migrated from Virginia to Seattle. Michael Jackson’s mother was taken as a toddler from Barbour County, Alabama, by her parents to East Chicago, Indiana; his father migrated as a young man from Fountain Hill, Arkansas, to Chicago, just west of Gary, Indiana, where all the Jackson children were born. Prince’s father migrated from Louisiana to Minneapolis. Sean “P. Diddy” Combs’s grandmother migrated from Holyhill, South Carolina, to Harlem. Whitney Houston’s grandparents migrated from Georgia to Newark, New Jersey. The family of Mary J. Blige migrated from Savannah, Georgia, to Yonkers, New York. Queen Latifah’s grandfather migrated from Birmingham, Alabama, to Yonkers, New York. Latifah’s grandfather migrated from Birmingham, Alabama, to Newark. Spike Lee’s family migrated from Atlanta to Brooklyn. August Wilson’s mother migrated from North Carolina to Pittsburgh, following her own mother, who, as the playwright told it, had walked most of the way.” –Isabel Wilkerson, The Warmth of Other Suns—The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration.

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Bunny Fisher experienced living in a diverse society in Los Angeles. “When we got there, there was a mix of people.

There were people from New Orleans and Monroe, Louisiana. There was a Spelman College group. And these organizations acted as support for each other.” So Bunny and her family suffered no shock from discrimination or being migrants; the difference, she explains, was “the economics of our life living there. We went from living in the president’s mansion to living in a small two-bedroom apartment.” Bunny went to public schools once she moved to L.A. But by the time Bunny was 16 years old, her relationship with her father had morphed into that of a typical teenager. Her parents saw her as oppositional enough that they sent her to a shrink because she was talking back. “He was very hard on me and I never thought I was very attractive,” she says. “I went to Spelman to go to college. My father wanted all his daughters to go away to school. I was anxious—as any teenager would be—to be independent, and going to Spelman was a positive choice.” By 1961, her grandparents had long since become world-famous and nationally important. The Rockefellers and other barons of Wall Street were familiar figures at the university and had been on the board of trustees for many years. Now it had been decades since her grandfather started the United Negro College Fund and spoke with Bobby Kennedy on the phone. “Mrs. [Martin Luther] King and my grandmother were members of the same bridge club,” she says. Of course, Bunny was not allowed to be part of the Civil Rights movement, but she enjoyed Spelman, living on campus her first year and with her grandparents during her sophomore year. As an undergraduate she majored in sociology

MY FAVORITE NOTE 535

Bunny Fisher and her sister Joy with their grandfather Rufus Early Clement, president of Atlanta University and founder of the United Negro College Fund.

THE FAMILY MUSIC

unny’s father Robert Joseph Pershing Foster was 34 years old when he left his hometown. He drove out of Monroe early in the morning the Monday after Easter in 1953 in a Buick Roadmaster, with more than two thousand miles between him and his destination. During the first leg of his journey, as Isabel described it, he made the decision that he would take back his given name back when he got to California—“there he would be Robert, or better yet, Bob,” Isabel wrote. His first stop was in Houston, where he stayed with his friend from medical school Dr. Anthony Beale. After a short visit, he was craving a little adventure and crossed the Rio Grande into Mexico. Getting through customs turned out to be more of an ordeal than he had planned on, but he was back on the road by nightfall. He would have to drive halfway across Texas before he could rest, because there were no hotels for colored people in the state. Robert knew he could not even think about stopping until he was a safe distance from El Paso. Four hours past the New Mexico border he found a place

to sleep in Lordsburg. He slept in the rundown rooming house, had a proper shave, put on a well-pressed shirt and got back on the road later than he wanted to. But he assured himself, it was okay, he was crossing over from the South into the land of the free. Houston and South Monroe were a world away. He drove into the desert in the late afternoon and as night moved in he thought about Phoenix, the next big city on his path. Bunny’s father saw the outlines of the city, but as he drove the road curved away from the metropolis and signs for motels started to pop up in the distance. He had been driving since noon; he straightened his clothes and dusted himself off. He was surprised when the proprietors turned him away the first time, less surprised when the second motel owner turned him down and desperate by the third attempt. He explained that he was a medical doctor and a captain in the Army. The woman spoke with her husband privately for a moment. The husband came back and said, “We’re from Illinois and we don’t share the opinion of the people in this area. But if we take you in, the rest of the motel owners will ostracize us. We just can’t do it. I’m sorry.”

Bunny Fisher was a speech therapist at Kansas University Medical Center.

THE FLIGHT THROUGH THE DESERT 6 VISITSHOREMAGAZINE.COM 5

I felt I was trying to please both worlds. I learned a lot of medical terminology and developed diagnostic skills which allowed me to communicate with my father as he discussed his cases.” And so from 1971 to 1986 Bunny worked in Chicago as a professional clinician. She left her full-time job at the hospital to go into acting and later became a photographer’s representative. She lived in Hyde Park at first and then the River North area. She got married and had a son, Woodie, who, in a kind of irony, is now in marketing, heavily connected with the music industry and living in Los Angeles.

Bunny’s father was a passionate man, she says, especially when it came to his patients, his family and his children. He also had a love of music and the arts and an ambition that was only partially realized by living in Los Angeles and frequenting Las Vegas in the ’70s and ’80s. Her father met a number of musicians and made friends throughout his life with jazz greats, before he met Ray Charles and did surgery on his hand. “But the friendship that resulted with Ray,” Bunny says, “brought even more people into our lives from that world.” Her father’s life became more involved with jazz and entertainers on the West Coast. “I was really lucky, having them in our home and experiencing them,” she says. When Isabel Wilkerson met Robert Foster in the 1990s, he had been in the orbit of West Coast celebrity for 30 years. And they discussed how he once thought of being an entertainer. Of course, the allure of show business was trumped by the more secure future of surgical training, even discounting the effect of racism in most professions at the time. Bunny may have been in the chorus in high school, but there was no way she could even audition for a leading role in her high school musical. The best her music teacher could do was

Among the most moving and affecting passages in the book is the story of Bunny’s father’s decision to go and the means of escape that followed. And it was an escape.

photography courtesy of BUNNY FISHER

and minored in speech and drama, and French. “My father had hoped one of us would be a doctor,” she says. Bunny chose to go into speech and language pathology instead. She earned her graduate degree (M.A.) at the University of Iowa and then got a fellowship and internship at Kansas University Medical Center, where she worked teaching deaf preschoolers. “I didn’t have a social life at all. I had women friends, but there was no dating at all during those years. Then I moved to Kansas City on the Missouri side,” she says. She was popular enough with doctors and medical technicians, she explains, but she was “living in a white world,” and didn’t see a real future for herself there. So she moved to where her sister was living (and getting her M.A. in psychiatric social work) in Chicago. “I never considered moving back to L.A.” Bunny’s first job in Chicago in 1971 was working for the city department of mental health. Then she was hired at Children’s Memorial Hospital where she soon was appointed interim head of the department for communicative disorders. “I can’t say any of my decisions or choices were on account of my race. “I never really wanted to be a doctor, but I chose a profession that was somewhere between being a doctor (medical knowledge required) and being an educator like my grandfather.

Bunny Fisher and her son Woodie.

black. He could see the black shape of saguaro cactus standing helpless as he passed. He drove into the cave of night, more alone now than ever.” (To hear Bunny Fisher reading Isabel Wilkerson’s words describing the last 345 miles of her father’s journey that night, go to VisitShoreMagazine.com.) Though Bunny Fisher has read this chapter multiple times, it never fails to stir her emotions. She has grown to appreciate the nature and depth of her father’s suffering as he came of age and eventually triumphed in spite of the racially polarized society around him. Isabel Wilkerson, who reenacted all or part of each subject’s migration route, spent the most time on Robert Foster’s driving trip from Monroe, Louisiana, to Oakland, California. Dr. Foster had described his trip alone “in bitter detail,” as Isabel recounts in her notes on methodology. With her parents as “generational tour guides for most of the journey,” she set up to drive the entire distance through the desert night. “‘You know he must have been ready to cry right about here,’ my mother said as the car I had rented, a new Buick as was his when he made the crossing,

“Right away he positioned himself where he met many of the major hip-hop artists. He embodies so much of me and so much of my father. He moved out to L.A. and ended up in business with one of the fastest-growing companies in the country at the time.” Everybody in her family is so welleducated, it does seem awkward to Bunny that her son became a successful entrepreneur without college. Woodie has been quiet about the book and though his fiancée has read it, he hasn’t. “He will someday, I’m sure,” Bunny says. “I had no clue that he wanted to be a performer, as he told Isabel,” Bunny says, in reference to her father. “We would always sing around the piano at home.” Bunny learned through the author that she was living her father’s dream. “I loved performance as much as he did, but I wrapped an academic and professional life around that. “I was accepted at NYU and received a monetary scholarship to study music, which I could have done in New York. But I chose a more academic career because of my fear of failure and not being good enough to succeed as a performer in New York,” she explains. “He and I made the same sacrifice in choosing a more stable career.”

hurtled into hairpin curves in total darkness with hundreds of miles left to go. As it turned out,” Isabel wrote, “I was not able to reenact to the letter one of the most painful aspects of the drive. I was nearly ready to fall asleep at the wheel by the time we reached Yuma, Arizona. My parents insisted that we stop. We got a hotel room with, of course, no trouble at all, the one thing he had been so desperate for all those decades ago but that was denied him over and over again that long night in 1953.” Robert Foster had seen Yuma in the distance but kept going, knowing relief was impossible there. He stopped two or three times to catch an hour of half sleep by the side of the road, at enormous risk. And then, at last, a small miracle. “Orion stretched over the highway and made an arc across the sky,” Wilkerson wrote. “It filled the windshield and stayed with him until the sun came back. “Near the Tecate Divide, the pink light of morning came in from behind. He was in San Diego County. Another fifty miles to the coast. The sun was on his back as he pulled away for good from the South and the center of gravity.”

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Tired and almost delirious, Robert got back on the road. He needed gas and a cup of coffee if he was going to try to make it through the desert that night without sleeping. He pulled into a gas station where he met a sympathetic, middle-aged white owner. He had trouble speaking. When he tried to get his story out, he broke down. As Isabel wrote, “The exhaustion, the rejection, the unwinding of his dreams in a matter of minutes, it all caught up with him at once. He had driven more than fifteen hundred miles, and things were no different.” The kind man reassured him that he wasn’t crazy, that he was going to encounter more prejudice and bigotry even in California. The man brought him a cup of coffee, filled his gas tank and Robert drove back into the black hole of night. He saw a sign saying that Los Angeles was 380 miles away. San Diego was 35 miles closer. He would stop and rest in San Diego. The last leg of the journey was treacherous, dark and physically and mentally demanding. “The mountains closed in on him,” Isabel wrote. “He couldn’t make out the earth from the sky. The sky was black, the road was

Though she confesses to having performance anxiety for years, she got over it enough to work and sings professionally on an intermittent basis, usually at the Acorn in Three Oaks. (Bunny’s next appearance at the theater is set for July 14th at 7 p.m. Chicago time, 8 p.m. in Michigan. She will be performing with pianist David Lahm, Rich Schneider on bass and drummer David Hilliker. Tickets are $30. For reservations call 269.756.3879 or visit acorntheater.com.) And Woodie? Well, he started promoting music while he was still in high school and had his own company by the time he was 19. “Soon he was flying all over, promoting Kool Mix parties for marketing agencies in Chicago,” she says.

acknowledge that she had a strong alto voice. She got better roles in theater at Spelman, of course, but after that, Bunny says, “I put singing in my back pocket.” That changed one night in the spring of 1994. Bunny had moved to Michiana, Indiana, by then. It had not dawned on her that music had been in the back of her mind and she had never done anything with it. “Life happens, and there was no music,” she explains. “When I moved in Michigan City, I went to dinner at what was then Basil’s restaurant with some friends. And someone was playing the piano in the back of the room, ‘Some Enchanted Evening.’ I played the lead in that musical when I was at Spelman. So I said ‘excuse me’ to my friends and I walked over to the man singing, Basil Cross, my beloved dear friend, and I ended up singing until about two o’clock in the morning. I told my friends that I would take a cab, but I was dropped off by Basil Cross. And he dropped me off and we were friends until the day he died. “People would urge me to get up and sing,” she says. And then one night the person who urged her to sing was the piano player in a jazz trio. “Why don’t you take this seriously?” he asked, and so she did. She first sang professionally in 2001.

INN SEASON BY MEGAN SWOYER‌

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Visitors to South Haven, Michigan, enjoy a great selection of accommodations, but some of the most inviting are a trio of notable inns about a block apart from each other near Stanley Johnston Park. • Here, the virtual triangle of inns—Yelton Manor Bed and Breakfast and the Manor Guest House, the Carriage House at the Harbor, and Inn at the Park—roll out the welcome mat with exquisite hospitality and treats aplenty (for body and soul).• The award-winning inns are near dozens of diversions, including South Haven’s quaint downtown (about a 15-minute stroll from the inns), art fairs and festivals (the annual Blueberry Festival in August—August 9th to the 12th this year— is tops), and the wooded Kal-Haven Trail that runs from South Haven to Kalamazoo. And don’t forget the Museum of Maritime History. “Everything is pretty much nearby,” says Suzanne Schloss, owner of the Carriage House at the Harbor. “You could park your car here and never use it again during your vacation.” • And of course, beachy bliss is just around the corner. “Here in South Haven, it’s always about the beach; you don’t need much more than beach and sand,” says Carol Ann Hall, owner of Inn at the Park. “At the end of the day, people fill the pier, waiting for the gorgeous sunsets and applauding them.”

CARRIAGE HOUSE

AT THE HARBOR THE LOWDOWN: After selling her catalog business in Cincinnati, Ohio, Suzanne Schloss took a year off to think about life’s next chapter. “I became very bored,” she says with a laugh. “I’m not good at retirement.” Not much later, the astute Suzanne purchased Carriage House at the Harbor, a lovely inn that overlooks Black River harbor, which flows into Lake Michigan. “I’d never been to Michigan before purchasing it,” she recalls. She and partner David Zeff looked for inns in Utah, Montana, Colorado, you name it, but nothing thrilled them. “David said, ‘What about Michigan?’ So we toured the entire state and knocked on doors of inns we liked, even if they weren’t for sale,” she says. One of those was the Carriage House. “We headed back to Ohio, depressed. All we could talk about was the Carriage House.” On a whim, Suzanne called the owners from the car and asked if they would be interested in selling. “They were!” The rest is B&B history, as Suzanne and David enjoy inspired days at the harbor-side beauty, which was built in 1886 for Henry and Ellen Avery as their primary residence. ABOUT YOUR HOST: “I love to entertain,” Suzanne says. “I’ll sit down in the evening and have a glass of wine with guests, hearing about their days.” ON THE MENU: Devonshire scones, fruit, a savory dish, potatoes and a sweet roll or pound cake make up a typical

photography by TONY V. MARTIN

A South Haven neighborhood overflows with hospitality, thanks to a trio of bed-and-breakfasts

YELTON MANOR

BED AND BREAKFAST

AND THE MANOR GUEST HOUSE

breakfast. Some days one might enjoy orange pancakes or an eggs Florentine omelet. “People beg us to start selling our scones,” Suzanne says. Her seven flavors range from lemon and raisin to pecan and blueberry. HOUSE-TURNED-INN: In 1920, the home became an inn (the Lam Wah Inn) with “running water in every room,” an advertisement claimed. Hints of the 1800s are still around, including some of the floors, Suzanne explains. VARIETY IS THE SPICE: Each of twelve guest rooms has a fireplace, comfy bathrobes and private bathrooms (many with Jacuzzis and balconies overlooking a harbor abuzz with sailboats and yachts). Guest rooms range from the white chapel room with a king-size bed, wingback chairs and French doors, to smaller accommodations. “We’ve got different price levels for those who don’t want to spend a lot.” ON REQUEST: Champagne and strawberries; cheese platters with meats, cheeses and wines; and more. RESIDENT PAL: Everyone loves Khaki, a Golden Retriever/Border Collie mix. “A group that recently checked in said, ‘Where’s Khaki? Do we get a discount if he’s not here?’” laughs the innkeeper. (Note: For those who are allergic to dogs, Suzanne can make other arrangements for Khaki.)

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FOR YOUR INFORMATION: 118 Woodman St. 269.639.2161. carriagehouseharbor.com

The Carriage House at the Harbor features the Whitehall Suite [above].

THE LOWDOWN: Elaine Herbert, who grew up in the Grand Rapids area, and Robert Kripaitis, originally from New Jersey, call themselves “corporate escapees.” The couple met and worked in Chicago for several years before opening their 25-year-old Victorian-inspired Yelton Manor Bed and Breakfast and the Manor Guest House, which features two mansions—the Manor (eleven guest rooms), a more traditional B&B hospitality experience; and the Manor Guest House (six guest rooms), an exclusively private accommodation. Both buildings are “big painted ladies, very Victorian,” Elaine says. “The inside style is varied—everything was carefully chosen to be artistic and beautiful,” she says. Antiques mingle with stylish accents in both facilities, which can sleep up to twenty-two (main house) and twelve (guest house). “It’s comfortable, not stiff or formal.” The first thing guests notice when they enter the getaway haven is hundreds upon hundreds of books. “Books are a big highlight and we have a lot of great reading areas and nooks and crannies among the floors,” Elaine says. Herbert is an avid gardener, so naturally, blooms galore beckon from walkways, pots and flowerbeds. On any given day, one might see brilliant scarlet monarda and charming hollyhocks in black, crimson and salmon hues. “The entire inn—even the parking lot—is abloom,” says the innkeeper with a laugh. “We have some three hundred pots of flowers.” She and her staff also pluck herbs and edible flowers from the yard that turn up in breakfast entrées and daily hors d’oeuvres offerings. “Serving hors d’oeuvres gives us a chance to offer culinary adventures,” she notes, adding that their repertoire includes sixty recipes. “All good B&Bs, certainly those around the corner from me, share the same qualities that always make us a better choice than a hotel or motel,” Elaine says. “We all have warm, personal hospitality, good food, cleanliness and a true connection with the spirit of our guest’s visit. We serve in a high-touch manner; customers are guests in our home.”

INN AT THE PARK

THYME TO EAT: Guests might enjoy fare that features basil, sage, thyme, lavender, mint, coriander, rosemary or lemon balm, all from the inn’s gardens and pots. RIGHT AT HOME: “We know our guests have beautiful homes,” Elaine says, “so we have always set a goal to make our inn just as beautiful, and more. Our hospitality ministry is to provide an ambience of calm and rejuvenation, and the gardens, as well as the beautiful beach along Lake Michigan, are key to that goal.” FALLING FOR FUN: Beyond summer, fall is a great time to visit because it’s a quieter season, Elaine says. “And this is grape country . . . we have lots of vineyards and September wine festivals to explore.” Come October, guests like to head out to the apple and pumpkin orchards and take fall color tours along the shorelines and wooded areas. 0 VISITSHOREMAGAZINE.COM 6

COZY UP: Thousands of books, movies and music CDs can be found tucked around the inn. FOR YOUR INFORMATION: 140 North Shore Dr. 269.637.5220. yeltonmanor.com

FINE APPOINTMENTS: The house was built in 1996 and features thirteen fireplaces (one in each guest room). Stained glass doors and windows that have been harvested from other homes create touches of elegance. ABOUT THE HOST: “We’re the fourth owners, but the first who’ve made innkeeping their life, as in full-time,” Carol Ann says. “We are face to face with guests on a daily basis. I have a family of 3,000; that’s how I look at it.” ON THE MENU: A variety of breakfast dishes including a special French toast, edible flowers as garnish and more. “The nasturtiums create conversation in the dining room like you can’t believe. People say, ‘Can we eat these?’ Yes!” Be sure to check out the inn’s new breakfast patio bistro.

PICNIC PLEASURES: Consider requesting a picnic basket with such items as fresh-baked cookies, chicken salad, macaroni salad, fruit and more. “We’ll often send guests out to the trail or beach with picnic in hand,” Carol Ann says. SOCIAL HOUR: The inn’s little “pub” comes to life later in the day. Carol Ann serves her homemade crostini crackers and smoked whitefish and salmon dips. “We run out of the dip—it’s that popular,” says Carol Ann, who likes to catch the fish herself to make the dip. “My husband doesn’t fish, but I do,” she adds with a laugh. DUTCH TREAT: Come the holiday season, try the Dutch oliekoeken, made with Carol Ann’s great grandmother’s recipe. Oliekoeken, an ancestor to the American doughnut, get rave reviews. DON’T MISS: A manicure or pedicure. Especially intriguing are the various Gemstone options, which can be performed with lavender and a moonstone to calm and balance. EVENING INDULGENCE: On any given evening, you might find a plate of homemade pizzelles (those yummy wafer-like waffle cookies). FOR YOUR INFORMATION: 233 Dyckman Ave. 269.639.1776. innpark.com

photography [top left] by TONY V. MARTIN, [right] MATTHEW LOVETTE

IN THE GARDEN: Don’t miss the 12-by-100-foot perennial flower garden. Guests enjoy just walking through and taking in the flowers, while touching and smelling the many herbs. “A garden is not just a feast for the eyes, it’s a feast for the body and spirit as well,” Elaine notes.

THE LOWDOWN: Going into their sixth year as owners of Inn at the Park, Carol Ann and Jerry Hall are consummate promoters of South Haven. “We encourage businesses to recognize that we’re a beach town, a resort town, and that gets people excited,” says Carol Ann, who’s slowly but surely transforming her inn’s interior from a more traditional vibe to a more coastal-casual and relaxed atmosphere. “When I go to Florida or the Caribbean, I get excited about being there because of the colors and the feeling you get from them,” she says. Carol Ann’s penchant for a punched-up palette is noticeable the second you set eyes on the inn, thanks to pretty turquoise trim that pops against a Lake Michigan sand-hued backdrop. “It used to be all beige,” she notes. The entrepreneur says she never expected as an innkeeper to meet and make friends with so many people. “We’ve done everything from shed tears to celebrate with guests,” she enthuses.

t a e G r The ors

o o d t u O

G IN P M A C D N A G IN IK H R O F E YOUR GO-TO GUID A E R A N A IG H IC M E K A L E H T IN

TONY V. MARTIN ‌• PHOTOGRAPHY BY KI WS KO UL ZI LE EL WORDS BY DANI n can be one or summer excursio ing your ay taw ge d en ek we tdoor you’re brainstorm Venturing into an ou periences. Whether ex le ab or ing a little research em m t os m of the ng your itinerary, do ique, enjoyable and ni an pl y ad re al or e un options make your trip mor s beforehand can help sider tidbits and expert advice, Shore ha ke in La th e wi th d camping in safe. • Packed r all things hiking an d prepared a guide fo created a comprehensive list of dos an of e ’ve m We so . ea ed ar er n ov ga sc Michi ils and di tra en dd hi t os ers. m e gg th don’ts, mapped out ever yone from amateurs to avid tree-hu ht d ai rig , to es s the best-kept secret mmer the many wonders nature provid su is th e or pl ex d an Get out e road. a shor t drive down th outside your door or

• Water • Sunscreen • Insect repellent

m • Hat (keeps ticks fro r) dropping down into hai the for s • Variety of clothe changing weather • Cooler to store food safely

• Matches or lighter to start a fire ment • Family fun entertain • Flashlight

• Rain fly for tent (in case it rains) • Extension cords and r 50- to 30-amp adapte (if electric hook-ups are available) • First-aid kit with Band-aids, Benadryl (for bites, stings and swelling) and EpiPen if allergic to bees

JULY 2012

Before you pack up the car or hitch up that camper, don’t forget these hiking and camping essentials outdoor ke experts say will ma or break your trip:

ell phone in case •C of emergencies • Trail map • Comfy shoes with ankle support

k c a P o t t a Wh

HERE’S OUR

Top 20

(IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)

IT’S NOT PEER PRESSURE, BUT EVERYONE’S DOING IT. Some 1.6 to 2 million people visit the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore throughout each year, mostly in the summer. So don’t be one of the unfortunate few not taking part in all the fun. Widely hailed as one of the finest examples of freshwater sand dunes in the country, there’s also a wide variety of habitats and activities offered throughout the 15,000-plus acres stretched along the southern shores of Lake Michigan from Gary to Michigan City. Don’t forget—holiday weekends are always in high demand. Most hiking trails will be heavily populated and campsites fully booked. Make sure to plan ahead to not miss out, or choose another weekend if you want to skip the crowds.

WETLANDS, WOODLANDS AND DUNES, OH MY! “Sand dunes are what most people come to know,” says park ranger Bruce Rowe. “But there are those other areas once you get inland that you start to discover.” The West Beach Trail’s 2.5 miles may be challenging in parts due to the loose sand of the dunes, but boardwalks and stairs throughout the woods offer respite with views of ponds and prairies. Bird watchers should take note of the Tolleston Dunes Trail, which takes hikers through 3 miles of marsh and oak savanna.

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EVERYWHERE THERE’S A STORY. Wandering throughout the trails of the Chain O’Lakes State Park, hikers and campers experience the layout of land carved out by glaciers long ago. Located on the Illinois/Wisconsin border, the wateroriented park borders three natural lakes, and the Fox River connects to seven other lakes. And if that’s not enough H20 for you, there’s also a 44-acre lake within the 6,000-plus acres of park and conservation area. Rising up to 200 feet from the lower water areas, the sloping moraines are the remnants of one of the area’s last glaciers. Superintendent Kurt Zacharias says, “The Wisconsin glacier that came down and made Chain O’Lakes gives us a different terrain. That’s one of the unique things about our area.” The Bailly Homestead and Chellberg Farm Trail of the Indiana Dunes is a prime example of nature’s architecture and preservation of yesteryear. Some 15,000 to 25,000 years ago, the Great Lakes were formed by melting glaciers carrying along a combination of ice,

soil, dirt, rock and sand as they receded. The trail weaves through a ravine under a “tree canopy” of maple and beach woods, which provide a bit of shade during the summer months. While you’re at it, be sure to stop by the two historic sites along the way—the home of Joseph Bailly, one of the first nonnative settlers to the area and fur trader in the 1800s; and Chellberg Farm, complete with windmill and original dwellings where three generations of Swedish-Americans lived.

BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THE BEST-KEPT SECRETS. Even the most experienced hikers and campers may be unaware of one of the best-kept secrets of the Indiana Dunes. The Pinhook Bog Trail offers a unique relic—Indiana’s only “true” bog. Available by ranger-guided tour only, the short trail begins in the hills before sloping down over a boardwalk that rests on a giant waterbed adorned with pine trees, blueberry plants and shrubs. “Pinhook Bog is certainly the most hidden, special spot in the park,” Rowe says. “When I go there, I feel like I’m in a different world, very far away from Northwest Indiana.” Open houses are offered every Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. between June 17 and August 12 (except July 1).

BE SAFE WHEN HIKING. If hiking in a remote area, be sure to get to know the trails’ conditions. Obviously, beginners shouldn’t venture up to the summit of Mount Baldy—a 126-foot sand dune. Rowe suggests telling others where and when you are leaving or, even better, inviting them along. “It’s always better to hike with someone else for safety’s sake.” And don’t forget to bring a cell phone.

You won’t need your smartphone for texting and updating your Facebook status when in the depths of nature’s beauty. Keep it along for emergencies only, but do note that some remote areas, such as the lakefront, can have spotty cell coverage. To avoid injuries, bring comfortable, supportive shoes. Don’t make it a fashion show; open-toed shoes or flip-flops are not recommended.

REMEMBER, RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE. If you are unfamiliar or looking for a particular interest, simply call ahead. Most sites have a visitor’s or nature center with knowledgeable rangers and guides to answer all of your questions or burning curiosities. Don’t forget to pick up a map.

SPECIAL INTEREST CAMPS ACCOMMODATE ANY AND ALL CAMPERS. Located in Saugatuck, Michigan, Campit Outdoor Resort grew from a basic camping site near a woman’s tomato patch into a thriving retreat for the GLBT community. Campit operates as a membersonly resort, but is not entirely exclusive. Campers may bring along guests, and new members are constantly being accepted. Campit wannabes can become members after a short interview process or member referral. “The lines are blurring now finally so gays and lesbians can share the place with mainstream friends and family,” says Campit Owner and Northwest Indiana resident Michael O’Connor. “We offer a community of fun-loving, like-minded people.” Campit Outdoor Resort in Saugatuck

Just a short drive from Northwest Indiana, Campit Outdoor Resort is an easily accessible one-tank trip.

THE OUTDOORS ARE AFFORDABLE. “We are seeing a lot of people under a lot of financial pressure,” O’Connor says. “We make sure we give people the getaway they still need.” Just a short drive from Northwest Indiana and the Chicagoland area, Campit is an easily accessible one-tank trip. In general, lodging costs are significantly lower than traditional vacations as campsites charge minimal fees. Save even more costs by bringing food from home or buying cost-effective, seasonal items from local farmers’ markets.

DON’T VEER OFF THE BEATEN PATH. STAYING ON THE TRAIL IS IMPORTANT. This not only protects hikers from poison ivy, but also protects plants. Particularly for the dunes, it’s important to not harm the beach grass or marrem, which makes up 90 percent of grass grown on sand dunes. While also aesthetically pleasing, marrem helps build up the dunes and hold them in place.

DON’T PACK THE CAR JUST YET. SOME THINGS SHOULD BE LEFT AT HOME, LIKE THE FIREWOOD. All camping experts agree. Due to a widespread quarantine, firewood should be locally bought from each location and not brought in from a distance. Some wood may be infected with emerald ash borer—an insect that gets under the bark and kills off ash trees. Using only certified firewood at campsites helps stop the harmful insects from spreading. After camping, don’t leave with extra wood. Instead, burn it or leave it for the next camper. “If the emerald ash borer got into our woods, it would kill off all of our trees,” Zacharias warns. “We’ve lost millions of trees already, and we need to try to keep it from spreading.”

CAMPING CAN BE RUGGED IF YOU MAKE IT. Chain O’Lakes offers hundreds of campsites, both electric and non-electric options, as well as three log cabins with sleeping quarters only. The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore offers roughly 78 drive- or walk-in sites with no electricity and on-site bathrooms/showers.

NATURE ENTHUSIASTS BEWARE. CAMPING CAN BE A LITTLE CUSHY, TOO. According to O’Connor, the vast majority of Campit members don’t consider themselves campers at all. Campit’s 33 acres boasts approximately 100 tent sites, 100 RV sites, 17 log cabin rentals and a 5 room B&B complete with air conditioning and double beds. Site amenities also include hotel-quality bathrooms.

MAKE A FRIEND WHILE YOU’RE AT IT. Outdoor recreation creates the perfect relaxed, low-pressure social atmosphere. As O’Connor explains, the fellow camper you meet over a cup of coffee in the morning is the same person you run into playing volleyball in the afternoon or sitting by the fire at night. “Throw off all your city defensiveness and get friendly,” he suggests. Campit takes the atmosphere one step further by creating a large variety of social activities and events. Themed weekends attract a large group of campers with similar interests like the “Let’s get physical” weekend, which brings together runners and athletic types.

DON’T FORGET YOUR SURROUNDINGS. VISIT AREA ATTRACTIONS. Located just one mile from the harbor and beaches of Lake Michigan, Campit visitors benefit from nearby sunbathing, boating, canoeing, kayaking,

YOU CAN COOK MORE THAN JUST S’MORES BY THE FIRE. O’Connor encourages Campit visitors to think outside the box for grill and campfire meals by taking advantage of farmers’ markets and local church bake sales. Zacharias witnessed campers deep frying a turkey, grilling pot roasts in aluminum foil and boiling fresh cod with onions and potatoes. “Boy, what people make out there—some of the meals that they make are unbelievable,” he says. The final verdict—the possibilities are endless with a little imagination.

BEWARE OF RACCOONS. “Campers have to remember we have a lot of natural predators,” Zacharias says of a camper’s favorite companions—raccoons. He suggests putting all food in a cooler, locking it in the car and rolling up all windows to prevent any vermin mishaps.

CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELVES. This one’s pretty obvious. Don’t spoil nature’s splendor by leaving behind your trash. Enough said.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

CAMPIT OUTDOOR RESORT 877.CAMPIT.1 (226.7841) campitresort.com Email reservations@campitresort.com for online reservation and information. CHAIN O’LAKES STATE PARK 8916 Wilmot Rd // Spring Grove, Ill. 847.587.5512 Visit reserveamerica.com to schedule camping reservations. INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL LAKESHORE Visitor’s Center 1215 North Ind. 49 // Porter, Ind. 219.395.1882 // nps.gov/indu

JULY 2012

AND DID WE MENTION PETS? Pets can make the best companions. But remember, pets require extra responsibility. O’Connor reminds hikers and campers they can’t really get away from their pets during an entire outdoor stay. Just be sure to be prepared for the extra one-on-one time, he says, before bringing the little pooch along.

USE NATURE AS YOUR SPA. Unlike traditional vacations that can be a little “go, go, go,” outdoor vacations offer a little more much-needed peace and quiet. Between the scenery and wildlife, take a little time to stop and smell the roses. “We need some time to refresh, re-excite and re-energize,” O’Connor says. “That’s the kind of things we can do in a weekend. Saugatuck is a real getaway. It’s a change of pace and change of environment.”

phenomenal sunsets, beach picnics and biking trails, to just name a few. After a long day enjoying the outdoors, switch gears by visiting local breweries, art galleries, live music venues or wineries for tours and tastings in downtown Saugatuck—only a 10-minute drive or 30-minute bike ride away. The abundance of water around Chain O’Lakes gives visitors plenty of boating options (don’t forget a boating sticker), and golfing is also nearby.

KIDS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN. When there is downtime, keep the kiddies occupied. And that doesn’t mean with video games. Come prepared with stories to tell or songs to sing by the campfire. “A lot of those little things help make the experience special,” Rowe says.

immigrant WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY GINA J. GRILLO‌

HONORING THE

SPIRIT ‘BETWEEN CULTURES’ PHOTO PROJECT SHOWCASES THE DIVERSITY OF OUR COUNTRY

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he immigrant longing for a better life, a better place, is a part of most of our histories as Americans. Among the things I’ve learned from my immigrant ancestry is that often, what a person longs for turns out to be the most important thing—it’s the start of every journey and sometimes can be more important than what we achieve. Mexican B e t w e e n C u l t u re s — C h i l d re n o f Independence Immigrants in America is a project Celebration, inspired by my grandparents, who downtown Chicago risked everything to come to America long before I was born, and based on my own longing to honor the immigrant spirit. As a teenager growing up in the ’70s, in a Chicago suburb on the north shore of Lake Michigan, I longed for my Italian heritage. Two generations removed from my grandparents’ entry through Ellis Island in the early 1900s, the palette of suburbia we called home seemed to be lacking in any real ethnic flavor or diversity. Our friends had surnames like Foster, Smith and Higgenbotham, and the environment was characterized by well-manicured lawns, prefab ranch houses, and a station wagon parked in every driveway. Lake Bluff, Illinois, was the place my parents had chosen to pursue their version of the American dream, raising my sister, brother and me in the house my father, an architect, had designed. Even Lake Forest High School, where I attended, was chosen as the site for the filming of Robert Redford’s Ordinary People. To the naked eye we may have exemplified

Immigration Rally, Federal Building

the best of generational assimilation, but I couldn’t help feeling that something was missing. Even then, I longed for my Italian-ness, and attached mythic status to the stories of those that came before our American life. My great-grandmother, Elisa, who crossed an ocean, holding her newborn baby, to meet her husband in America, only to learn that he died of pneumonia months before her arrival. Or my grandfather Diamonte (Diamond), who herded sheep on a hillside in Umbria, and came to America with his brother when he was 16 years old, eventually making his way to Chicago, and the corner of Grand and Cicero. At this intersection, where there now sits a gas station, he opened a Sweet & Cigar shop and then later built a thriving restaurant business. At that same corner, he met my grandmother, Olga, then a young girl walking with her sister to work at a factory, where she dipped Oh Henry candy bars into chocolate.

Wentworth Avenue, Chicago

Family from Nigeria, New Immigrant Arrivals, O’Hare International Airport

O’Hare Airport in Chicago and many more, and that the images have almost taken on a life of their own, with plans to travel next to museums in Ireland and Italy. From the beginning, with this photographic work, my hope has been to reveal something about the profusion of diversity that exists today, depicting difference as something that lives uniquely in each individual man, woman and child, rather than something that need divide us. In the words of President Kennedy (in his June 10, 1963, address at the American University in Washington, D.C.), “Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s future. And we are all mortal.” I only know that creating this work has seemed as unquestionable to me as my grandparents coming to America.

JULY 2012

religious organizations that helped new immigrants, and spent all my free time photographing Chicago neighborhoods. I had an interest in capturing the fleeting façade of an ethnic neighborhood and how it describes the community within. I photographed ethnic celebrations around the city, in Pilsen, Chinatown and in the Loop, trying to show the diversity of these public cultural celebrations, and what it reveals about our changing American society. I was meeting many immigrant families, and some invited me to photograph them in their homes. I chose to concentrate on children of immigrants, which I view as a natural starting point for the study of visual assimilation in its purest form. I felt a special connection to the children in the families I was photographing. Their coming to America was not based on their own action or

decision, but on that of their parents. So their reality felt more akin to my own. I started creating images of children of immigrants at school, working closely in the inner-city school environments of Chicago, New York City and Brooklyn, and as an extension of my image making, began to collect artifacts of the child’s immigrant experience, i.e. essays and drawings describing their journey to America. Then I was given sole access by the U.S. Department of Immigration and Naturalization to photograph new immigrant arrivals entering through Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. Working in the tradition of Lewis Hine, I photographed new immigrant families on their first day in the United States during the first few hours of their arrival, and in doing this I began to see the fuller potential for historic significance in the work. The Between Cultures monograph was published in 2004 by the Center for American Places, to coincide with the opening of the major traveling exhibition at the Ellis Island Immigration History Museum. It’s hard for me to imagine now, that the Between Cultures photographs have reached thousands through celebrated exhibitions at Ellis Island FOR YOUR in New York to the New INFORMATION Americans Museum in San Diego, to the For further information regarding the Between Immigration Law Center Cultures project, contact in Washington, D.C., to Gina Grillo at ginagrillo.com. the Field Museum and

My first job out of college, working for the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations, gave me exposure to experts on international relations and cultural affairs, as well as an opportunity for extensive overseas travel. It was during this time that I began a formal study of Italian language and culture. From there, I would eventually return to school to pursue a master’s of fine arts in photography, and later as a photographic artist, devote my first major creative work to a study of ethnic immigrant life in the United States. Since I had a passion for the subject of immigration before I had taken one photograph, creating Between Cultures was my way of finding a path back towards my immigrant ancestors. Part of me wanted to relive their journey, their arrival, their becoming American. And since the immigrants in my own family were gone, I reached out to new immigrant families, hoping their experiences could teach me something of what all American Immigrants share. The project would take nine years (1995-2004) to shoot, and I started by photographing the immigration lines outside of the Office of Immigration and Naturalization on Jackson Boulevard. The lines formed at 7 a.m. on a November morning in Chicago, the sun barely up at that hour, so based on lighting alone, the results were poor. Then I heard Mayor Daley was hosting a swearing-in ceremony for new citizens in Grant Park and realized that this would be an important focus. I was able to gain access to photograph a series of smaller ceremonies, and in doing so realized that I had never laid eyes on the Oath of U.S. Citizenship. I was born a citizen, so I had never had a reason to recite the oath in order to prove my patriotism. As the project evolved, I connected with community and

n o i t a r e n e G

green YOUNG STARS ARE EMERGING IN AN ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT AROUND THE LAKE

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These aren’t your mama’s or your grandma’s activists. • The days of wealthy 1950s housewives serving tea and finger sandwiches at their kitchen tables while lobbying legislators to protect Lake Michigan and the land that surrounds it are over. • The sit-ins and marches against big industry that followed in the ’60s and ’70s and led to the “tree hugger” moniker are ancient history. • Today’s young environmental leaders are using their advanced, diverse degrees to work in partnership with industry and government in an effort to make the third coast a better place to live, work and play. • “For the problems facing us in society, you need to have a little legal, financial, business background,” says Nicole Barker, executive director of Save the Dunes. “The science helps us as well. We need a richer background. It just makes for a stronger team.”

WORDS BY Lauri Harvey Keagle PHOTOGRAPHY BY Tony V. Martin

Jonah Smith

DIRECTOR OF SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS FOR THE ALLIANCE FOR THE GREAT LAKES AND SMITH PIERCE SUSTAINABLE ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC CEO

JULY 2012

onah Smith recalls telling a University of Michigan professor why he wanted to go back for his master’s degree in environmental studies. “I said I wanted to fight the big corporate bad guys,” Smith recalls from his virtual office in the Willis Tower overlooking Lake Michigan. “He said, ‘All of that is great, but there might be a better way to do it. Don’t fight against them, work with them.’” The professor suggested Smith not only get an MS but also an MBA. “It gave me an appreciation of how business can be a significant change agent in the world, more so than government,” he says. “When you educate businesses, they see how there is another way to do business, in an environmental way.” After graduation, his wife got a job in Chicago and the couple moved to Evanston—one block from Lake Michigan. They were taking a walk toward the lake one night and passed the home of President Obama’s Great Lakes czar Cameron Davis. Davis was serving as president and CEO of the Alliance for the Great Lakes at the time and his wife was having a yard sale. One of the books she was selling for a quarter was Paul Hawken’s Ecology of Commerce. She and Smith started talking and Smith told her of a project he worked on while at the University of Michigan on watershed sustainability in Brazil. “She said, ‘Wow, you should really talk to my husband,’” Smith says. “He said, ‘Jonah, I might have a job opportunity for you.’” He interviewed and within weeks, was hired as the Alliance’s director of sustainable development. Seeking an environmental career was a no-brainer for the 39-year-old Detroit native. “I think that’s where my love and my passion was initially formed,” Smith says of his childhood in Michigan. “I spent many, many summers in Northern Michigan on the shores of Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Superior.” Smith created a business plan for a sustainable investment firm at the same time he started work at the Alliance. He soon began advising clients, incorporated and formed Smith Pierce Sustainable Assets Management. He now manages $35 million in sustainable investments for Keel Asset Management in Chicago. “One of every $8 invested in the U.S. is in some sort of socially responsible investment vehicle, almost $3 trillion now,” he says. “That has more than quadrupled since 1995.” “When the economy was doing better, we saw a lot of investments in clean technology, unprecedented investments. Every year, it was doubling. Now that there is a little more hope, you’re starting to see this renewed interest, not because it’s clean technology, but because it will save money. It’s smarter now.”

Nicole Barker EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SAVE THE DUNES

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icole Barker’s love of nature began as a child growing up in Flossmoor in Chicago’s south suburbs. “I really think I got excited about nature as a little kid. I was forced to play outside all day. There was a prairie outside our house and we were monkeys in the trees.” She went on to attend the University of Wisconsin Madison where she majored in journalism and earned a certificate in environmental studies. She later earned her master’s degree in geography and environmental studies at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. Barker worked in marketing and for the Chicago Department of the Environment on the Calumet project before being hired in 2010 as executive director of Save the Dunes. With the 60th anniversary of Save the Dunes this year, Barker says the group is “re-centering our focus on the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and state park.” “How do we protect the park as a natural resource?” Barker asks. “...We need to help the park with perception issues. This is a crown jewel of the Chicago region.” Water quality remains a core area of concern for the group. In February, Barker attended Great Lakes Day in Washington, D.C., where she pushed legislators to increase funding for water projects. “We have a long way to go in ways we use land so water isn’t running off into the lake.” She is also pressuring the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to complete its study on keeping Asian carp out of the lake. “It’s too long to wait until 2015.” The 41-year-old Barker says leaders who came before her made great strides in environmental improvements, but there is still plenty of work to be done. “The dunes are never saved. There’s always a risk of deauthorization, contamination. We can reduce the risk but also we need to help enable people of all kinds and ages to better cherish the natural resources that are identified. It can’t just be me and [Shirley Heinze Land Trust executive director Kris Krause] and a few others doing the heavy lifting.”

e s u a r K Kr i s

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SHIRLEY HEINZE LAND TRUST

JULY 2012

ris Krause found his love of environmental science as a student at Bishop Luers Catholic High School in Fort Wayne. “I did a water project in high school. I would test the river and city water, looking at whether there were hydrocarbons in the water supply.” The project got him interested in chemistry, “but I didn’t want to be in the lab.” He majored in biology and geology and minored in chemistry at St. Joseph’s College, then got a job at Environmental Consulting Group. “I did a lot of monitoring and remediation at gas stations on the South Side of Chicago and Northwest Indiana.” While working there, he earned his MBA from Indiana University Northwest. The business degree, he says, serves him well in his current role. “I think having a business background and legal experience or private/ public sector experience, it raises the bar for the level of professionalism that nonprofits may have had previously. It allows them to be more valuable resources not only to the organization but to government or the business community. It’s a matter of striking a balance between passion and professionalism.” Krause, 33, was hired as executive director of the Shirley Heinze Land Trust in 2004. Shirley Heinze now holds 1,200 acres of land in trust, 35 percent of which has been acquired since Krause joined the group. “There are more opportunities now [for land conservation], I think, than what there has been in the past for the simple fact that you have people in corporations, the community, municipalities, regional planning organizations that see the value of protecting natural areas and open space and that being a resource for the community,” Krause says. “There’s definitely been a culture shift. Now the trick is to get all those individuals or entities to think more about putting resources toward those efforts.” Krause says partnerships are easing some of the challenges to protecting land. “There’s an over-influx of collaboration. That’s great and inspiring. When you do have partnerships in differing issues, it makes it easier to resolve or come up with solutions.”

Words by Pat Colander

RYAN PAVLOVI C H \\\\ 0 VISITSHOREMAGAZINE.COM 7

Here’s Ryan Pavlovich on the magic moment watching a print come up in the darkroom for the first time. “I knew this is it,” he says. At the time he was a design major taking a photography course at Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, but he already knew insider information on photos from his dad, a teacher by day and underwater scuba photographer nights and weekends. “He put slideshows together with music and after a while he was hired to document dives.” Taking the idea up a notch, Ryan was a designer in his day job and music was the sideline, at least at first. He was designing snowboards in Kalamazoo while touring on and off with a band he and his friends formed in college. (Ryan is a drummer.) “I started shooting musicians, live shows and doing photographs of bands we were playing with,” he explains. Bored with designing boards, he said to himself, “I have this degree in photography,” and started calling “every single photographer in West Michigan” to get assisting jobs. After 4 years, he had enough work to go out on his own, originally in Kalamazoo, and eventually moved to Grand Rapids. Ryan’s client base varies: he is very much in the commercial world shooting furniture ads and stuff for Kellogg’s. He gets hired for magazine work. The digital age of photography was a revolution even for Ryan’s fledgling business, just because of the vast number of photographers, or “people calling themselves photographers,” as Ryan says. The bright side of digital, though, is that if you are going to call yourself a professional photographer, “You actually have to be better. You are fighting against 8 million competitors, so it’s a little more of a struggle,” Ryan explains. “But it’s kind of fun.” As was the case with the Shore cover shot, Ryan typically has his camera set to black and white— he likes dark and moody as well as gritty and real—because that way he knows more of what he’s seeing. “I’m going to get distracted looking at color palettes. “I did the motorcycle shots last year when I decided I’m going to learn how to ride a motorcycle so I got to know these guys while we were hanging around the shop. In the riding shot, this guy just went ripping up his own street; he had a great smirk and smile and he was just so excited about riding the bike.” “I’m like any photographer; I’m either thinking holy crap, this is awesome, or holy cow, I don’t have any work right now.” Ryan, whose wife is a psychologist in Grand Rapids, has a secondary project going right now. He will be publishing his first book to go along with a gallery show, entitled Keep Living, Die Trying. “It’s all black and white in-your-face imagery.” Ryan, who is 30, admits to caring about being cool and, of course, he is.

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LIVING THE

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ulinary degrees are not always achieved from well renowned cooking schools such as the Chicago Culinary Institute or studied abroad at the well renowned Cordon Bleu of France. No, in this “Cocina” cooking skills are taught by “Master” Chefs known as Mama, Papa, Ti-Ti (Auntie), Primo (Uncle), Abuela (Grandma) and Abuelo (Grandpa), both Great and Grand. As far as an Executive Chef, it takes a “Familia” to run this engine. Chef Miguel Padilla arrives every morning like clockwork to get started on a labor-intensive prep sheet, maintaining a menu offering daily scratch-made Soups, Moles, Salsas, Pico and hand-shredded cheeses. He methodically calculates cook times on several pots of chicken, pork and beef while filleting fresh Ahi Tuna, Mahi, Salmon and Sea Bass as well as butchering several pounds of carne asada from the slab—all of this in order to have his kitchen prepared to open, only to repeat his very respected routine the very next day. This well articulated kitchen also requires the team work of Chefs Victor Aarago and Luis Hernandez to create the restaurant’s seasonings and marinades that separate it from any other Mexican offering establishment. Chef Amondo Anrove (Mando) prepares pastry recipes learned as a young boy such as “Mandarin Rum Creme Flan,” hand-rolled TEQUILA RESTAURANTE Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Flautas, 110 S Main St and both Chocolate and Vanilla Crown Point, Ind. Tres Leches Cake. He then turns 219.661.8226 his passion to expediting his tequilarestaurante.com kitchen, pushing out several hundred hearty plates nightly. A professional front-of-the-house staff contributes traditional family recipes as well. Bartender Javier Trejo donated his mother’s Carnitas preparation to the menu, a ten-hour slow-braised seasoned pork tenderloin. This hand-pulled mouthwatering offering is available on Tacos, Fajitas, in Burritos and Flautas or on his signature plate, “The Javi Chili Verde,” pork tenderloin drizzled in a house-made tomatillo sauce served with Rojo Rice, Refried Beans and warmed Corn Tortillas for wrapping. All of this propels an irresistible essence of Cumino, Salsas and bubbling stock pots into downtown Crown Point daily, leaving its neighbors and shoppers craving the opportunity to dine on what is in store. “What are Americans doing owning a Mexican restaurant?” is the most frequently asked question of owners Ron and Michele Burget. Ron was previously involved in the corporate food sales industry, and he and his family owned Ronnie B’s Prime Rib and Seafood House for over twelve years, closing after his parents retired. He and his wife also owned and operated a successful local night club, until the birth of their first child Jett. Michele has been involved in the restaurant business for over 25 years as staff, bar tending, management and consulting. Today, melding their years of business experiences allows them to successfully implement this Mexican restaurant opportunity. They by no means take full credit for their customers’ “Mexperience” at this establishment. In response to the above question they reply, “We are here to orchestrate this masterpiece, from stocking shelves with fresh produce, food and libations, advertising decisions and ambiance, to paying the bills. It is not just ‘Americans’ who own this business; we believe wholeheartedly that it is the entire staff that contributes to keeping this ship afloat.”

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he reasons why one falls in love with a car are many—the look, the smell, the sounds all play into the equation. And during the summer months, this feeling is amplified, as Corvettes find their way out of their garages and onto the highways of this great country of ours. “There is nothing like getting behind the steering wheel of a Corvette during the summer time,” explains Mickey’s Car Barn owner Tim Mickey, whose love affair with cars began at the tender age of six years old. “It’s an amazing feeling to put the top down, feel the wind and drive to wherever one’s heart desires.” And it’s no wonder that when something goes wrong or their beloved Corvette needs a tune-up they call Mickey’s. “We can do everything from a simple brake job to a full body restoration,” he explains. “The Corvette is truly America’s sports car. If you think about it, it’s truly the sole sports car that America was able to create. In short, the Corvette is a true icon. And for Corvette owners, these cars quickly become their babies. They eat, sleep and think Corvette.” “I have three, but I usually only MICKEY’S CAR BARN drive it on the weekends,” Tim 1300 Erie Ct says. “It’s like the painter who Crown Point, Ind. never paints his own house. But I 219.663.2300 love the Corvette and everything it mickeyscarbarn.com represents.”

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TRYON FARM

Get muddy at Tryon Farm!

o you remember the good times of your childhood? Did they include the freedom to roam woods and dunes, explore a prairie, climb a tree or just hang out in a special hiding place? Was it so long ago that you could walk to your friend’s house by yourself, get muddy in the creek, catch a fish or look for tadpoles? Remember how much fun it was to make a fort in the snow, slide down a hill, spot a bird’s nest, or discover the Big Dipper in the night sky? Did you pitch a tent near your house for a sleepover? These things still happen at Tryon Farm near the beach in Michigan City, Indiana. City and suburban kids (when not indoors with electronic gadgets!) are pretty much limited to back yards and supervised trips to the park. Not here. At Tryon, 170 acres of dunes and ponds, woods and meadows pull you outdoors. The houses are smart, modern, light, specially designed architecture that combines city comfort and convenience with country landscapes and views. You can bike on narrow lanes, putter around in the vegetable gardens, and meet friends at the playground near the old barn with chickens and goats. People are joining us to build now in the Meadow and the Grove and planning to spend every weekend exploring Tryon’s uncomplicated world with family and friends. By the way, weekends are longer at Tryon; they begin Friday afternoon and end Monday morning, an hour’s drive from Chicago. TRYON FARM Right now it’s dragonfly-hatching season— tryonfarm.com do you know where your kids are?!

Mickey’s Car Barn specializes in Classic Corvette restorations and is widely recognized as being a top leader in the industry. ServiceS include: Full Body-Off restorations • Minor repairs completion of disassembled & Partially restored corvettes

JULY 2012

1300 Erie Court • Crown Point, IN 219-663-2300 • www.mickeyscarbarn.com

BEACH LIFE

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PET PALS, INC.

Pampering pets for over 20 years

n 1990, the doors opened to a business that was unlike any other—an upscale pet hotel and grooming salon. All-suite runs, ample exercise, high quality meals; modern grooming equipment, flea treatments, hair bows and nail polish. Pet Pals, Inc., broke the mold, and has continued their top-of-the-line service ever since. “Pet Pals has always been about making pets feel at home while their owners are away, whether it’s for a few hours of grooming or a few weeks of vacation,” says Julie Getz, the owner of Pet Pals. “We know how much our clients care about their pets, because we feel the same way about ours. Our goal is to have pets and owners be excited when they walk through our doors.” Pet Pals offers its guests a number of amenities to make their stay in one of the 65 boarding suites even more luxurious. Pets are fed a premium diet of Nutro Ultra® food for their meals, or can be fed their own from home. Owners can choose from additional playtimes, “Yappy Hour,” “Midnight Snack” and more. Want to know how your pet is doing while you’re away? Pet Pals now has “Animail,” a text-messaging service to send you updates and pictures so you know your pet

is enjoying its pampering! Pet Pals’ grooming facility is equipped with the tools necessary to send your pet home looking its best, and experienced, professional groomers who take pride in what they do. Massaging, HydroSurge® tubs provide a warm, relaxing bath. Fleas and other skin conditions can be treated with flea baths and medicated baths. Pet Pals also provides FURminator® de-shedding treatments to help get rid of pesky pet hair. In addition to providing stellar boarding and grooming services, Pet Pals has a retail area filled with items for both pets and their owners. Organic, allergen-free dog treats, toys, shampoos, leashes and collars are just a sampling of items for your pet. For pet owners there are T-shirts, unique boutique pet products, and their own “Whine Snob” line of matching T-shirts, bling shirts, and wine glasses. For over 20 years, Pet Pals has taken pride in the service they provide customers and their pets. Whether your pet is there for grooming PET PALS, INC. or boarding, Pet Pals 10388 W 400 N truly is the place where Michigan City, Ind. your friends stay with 219.879.2898 friends. petpals90.com

Pampering Pets for Over 20 Years!

Luxurious Boarding

Cage-free suites in a variety of sizes Secluded multi-level kitty condos Individual exercise areas A la carte amenities New ‘Animail’ text message updates!

Spa-Quality Grooming

Voted #1 Grooming Salon Experienced, professional groomers Massaging HydroSurge® tubs FURminator® de-shedding treatments

Retail for Pets and Pet Lovers!

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Gourmet, allergen-free treats Collars, leashes, shampoos, Frontline® Unique boutique items T-shirts, “Whine Snob” collection shirts and wine glasses

Where your friends stay with friends... (219) 879-2898 10388 W. 400 N., Michigan City, IN

Www.petpals90.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

BEACH LIFE

LIKE NEW HOME FURNISHINGS & MORE

WATERFRONT HOME

Serving all of your interior design needs under one roof

Beautiful Lake Michigan beachfront home for sale by owner

t’s rare to find all of your upscale, quality furnishing needs under one roof. Yet, Northwest Indiana is home to one of the Midwest’s most interesting and unique places for all things beautiful. Tucked neatly under one roof, Like New Home Furnishings, the Wicker Gallery and the Beach House all bring something unique to the Northwest Indiana area in the way of home interior options. Walking through the doors, customers first experience the Beach House, which transports customers to the vacation home of their dreams, and one which they never have to leave. “The Beach House is all about color and fun and takes you away to somewhere entirely new,” explains Jan Rains, owner of the shopping Mecca that also includes Like New Home Furnishings and the Wicker Gallery. The shopping experience continues as customers check out Like New Home Furnishings, an upscale consignment store specializing in brand name and current furniture and accessories. “These are pieces that anyone would be proud to showcase in their own home,” adds Rains, who owns the businesses alongside husband Jon. Of course, a visit here is not complete without a trip downstairs to the Wicker Gallery, one of the largest selections of all-wicker furniture and accessories in NWI. “We specialize in sunrooms, but wicker also can work perfectly anywhere from the bedroom to the dining room,” Rains explains. “Being in business for over 18 years certainly speaks greatly of the products LIKE NEW HOME and customer service we offer our FURNISHINGS & MORE customers, who know firsthand the 619 E 3rd St advantage of getting all of their interior Hobart, Ind. shopping done all in one place.” 219.942.0783

Features: 3 bedrooms; 3 baths; 2,250 square feet; 60 feet of exclusive beach ownership to the water’s edge

his Lake Michigan waterfront home has an organic architectural design that exudes warmth and relaxation, with windows in every room that emphasize a connection to nature. There is an easy 150-foot walk through the dunegrass that travels to a 60-foot wide private beach (property ownership goes to the water’s edge). From this property, Lake Michigan can be viewed from four different levels. The view from the living room gives the experience of sitting on a ship. The lake view from the roof deck creates the experience of being on a mountain. Meanwhile, sitting on the patio provides the experience of paradise. This beautiful property is for sale by owner at $1,700,000. For anyone considering buying a vacation or year-round home on Lake Michigan, this is a great opportunity. For a virtual tour go to this website: Lakefront49106.com To contact the owners send an WEBSITE email to: Lakefront49106@comcast.net Lakefront49106.com

e Three Uniqruies in e ll Furniture Gacation o L One

Gently Used Furniture & Accessories

Wicker Gallery New FurNiture!

Largest Wicker Gallery in Northwest Indiana Sunrooms are our specialty! Bedroom • Dining • Outdoor

Beach Style Home Furnishings & More

New FurNiture!

Fresh & Fun • Coastal & Cottage Furnishings • Accessories

3 Bedrooms • 3 Bath • 2,250 Sq. Ft. 60 ft. of exclusive beach ownership to the water's edge. For Sale by Owner. Offered at $1,700,000. www.Lakefront49106.com Lakefront49106@comcast.net

JULY 2012

Hwy 51 • Downtown Hobart • 619 E. 3rD St. • 219-942-0783

HoUrS: tUES-Fri noon to 5PM • Sat 10 aM to 2 PM • in bUSinESS For 18 yEarS

LAKE MICHIGAN BEACHFRONT HOME

Beach House

BEACH LIFE

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

DEAN’S LAWN & LANDSCAPING

and countertops, according to Savarino. “Oftentimes the biggest challenge for homeowners is the ability to actually picture how various elements will come together in their yard,” said Savarino, who provides customers with detailed 3-D computergenerated images of their personalized design concepts. “It can be intimidating when you have so many choices—from a simple built-in grill to the more elaborate grill island or a complete kitchen. We’re also finding people who currently enjoy outdoor fire pits are choosing built-in fireplaces given the option.” When it comes to designing outdoor rooms that instantly become everyone’s favorite place to be, right in their own backyard, Savarino and his professional staff are all certified installers exclusively using industryleading Belgard® Hardscape pavers. “Belgard products come in a diverse range of shapes, textures and colors that have been strategically designed to accommodate a variety of uses and provide solutions for challenging landscape issues,” explained Savarino, who recently earned a Belgard World-Class Award for superior use of angular shapes and circle pattern to highlight the living area (in an) outdoor space (that) fosters comfort and warmth. “Every project we undertake—regardless of size or budget— incorporates its own unique elements of design making it a oneof-a-kind work of art. However, it’s the unmatched precision of our installation that will ultimately stand the test of time for our customers. You just don’t find other installers offering a 5-year written warranty on all brick patios, walkways and driveways like we do.” Discover how Dean’s Lawn & Landscaping can enhance your property with a beautiful and functional outdoor living area this summer. Schedule a free, no obligation, design consultation today by calling 219.864.9078 or visit the Garden Center at 238 Kennedy Avenue in Schererville, where you’ll find a wide variety of trees, shrubs, perennial and annual flowers DEAN’S LAWN as well as other lawn and landscape & LANDSCAPING supplies to meet your needs. 238 Kennedy Ave You can also look for project ideas Schererville, Ind. and the latest gardening hints from 219.864.9078 Dean Savarino at deanslandscaping.com. deanslandscaping.com

From Ordinary to Extraordinary: Maximize summertime fun with a beautiful, functional outdoor living space

hether your plans include soaking up some sunshine or relaxing under the stars, your backyard can easily be transformed into the extraordinary outdoor getaway you’ve been dreaming of this summer. “Living in the Midwest, we know our customers relish every possible opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors,” said Dean Savarino, who has been the owner/operator of Dean’s Lawn & Landscaping for over 20 years. “Our passion and excitement for outdoor living means we are driven to use our expertise in specialty landscape design to help you create a master plan that brings your backyard vision to life.” Start with the patio, which is truly the epicenter of any outdoor living area and typically an extension of your home, where you can create a personal outdoor oasis featuring a relaxing living space complete with a dining area and other features like your grill and a fire pit. From there, the possibilities are virtually limitless. For example, many people today want more than just a place to grill. To meet their needs, Dean’s Lawn & Landscape custom designs entire outdoor kitchen areas, complete with sinks, refrigerators, storage areas

$250 OFF

ANY LANDSCAPING PROJECT $2500 & UP

Dean’s Landscaping and Belgard are the perfect combination of style, quality and master craftsmanship.

AQUA STONE

45Th St.

HIGHLAND

KENNEDY AVE.

INDIANAPOLIS BLVD.

WHITE OAK AVE.

CALUMET AVE.

HIGLAND GROVE SHOPPING CENTER

MAIN ST.

MAIN ST. KENNEDY AVE.

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MUNSTER

45Th St.

2 blocks south of Main Street on Kennedy Avenue.

No job is too big or small. We are committed to quality and strive to give you the backyard of your dreams. Whether it’s a grill, island, fireplace, fire pit, hearth or a garden nook, we can create the ideal living space for you.

365 SAME AS

CASH!

Loans provided by EnerBank USA (1245 E. Brickyard Rd. Suite 640, Salt Lake City, UT 84106) on approved credit, for a limited time. Repayment terms vary from 24 to 132 months. Interest waived if repaid in 365 days. 17.33% fixed APR, effective as of 04/01/2012, subject to change.

REVERIE SPA + RETREAT

Dennis Schramm of Studio One Salon on the Way They Work

Elegant Accommodations - World Class Spa Services

Hours by Appointment

REVERIE SPA + RETREAT 3634 N 700 County Rd West . LaPorte, Ind. 219.861.0814 . spareverie.com

219-861-0814

wellness lifestyle spa

Gift Certificates Available! Massages | Overnight Retreats | Facials Aveda Products | Couples Weekends Girlfriend Getaways | Wellness Retreats

3634 N. 700 County Road West ~ LaPorte, Indiana JULY 2012

9228 Indianapolis Blvd. | Highland, IN | 219-923-1915

Located in LaPorte, Indiana 15 minutes from Lake Michigan 15 minutes from New Buffalo A world away from stress

Cut • Color • Style • Manicure Pedicure • Massage Therapy

Studio One Salon

•

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

hen I graduated high school in the ’70s, I didn’t have enough money for college. Beauty school was a perfect choice for me. I figured that I could learn how to cut hair and then work my way through college. I stumbled upon a great career in the beauty industry. It’s been 33 years, and I’m still not tired of it. I meet new people all the time. I get to help them feel better about themselves and more beautiful. I’m able to tap into my creative side continuously. I still feel challenged. And I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up! This journey was not a straight line: I owned another salon for more than ten years in the space next door and it closed. I didn’t know it then, but it ended up being the best possible thing that I could have done. I now have seven stylists and most of them are former salon owners. They just “get it,” are serious about their work and want to succeed. Everyone is here to promote our industry and hopefully to have fun along the way. When you walk into our salon, I want you to feel like you have been welcomed into our home. Our staff genuinely likes each other. To me, my crew is my second family. I don’t just like my staff; STUDIO ONE SALON I love each of them, individually. I gave 9228 Indianapolis Blvd them the opportunity to work here, and Highland, Ind. they have given me my dream. I go to 219.923.1915 work at an amazing place, every day! Hours by appointment

NEW YOU

STUDIO ONE SALON

bite & sip FOOD FEATURE

A SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN CHEF SHARES HER GLOBAL COOKING SKILLS

TRAVEL THE

through food

WORLD BY JANE AMMESON

bite & sip

Growing up in a provincial village north of Hanoi located on the Chinese border, Mylien Tran-Verboom recalls almost every occasion as centered on food. • “Whenever there was a wedding,” Tran-Verboom says, “the people would always request for both my parents to help cater the wedding banquets, which would involve more than twenty courses.” ran-Verboom’s mother ran a successful food business, importing and exporting goods between China and Vietnam, often bringing back myriad exotic fruits, snacks, preserved meats and seafood from her travels. “She would spend hours in the kitchen and come up with the most delicious dishes,” says TranVerboom, who sat right next to the stove watching her mother’s every move. “I got to taste the food as she cooked and asked lots of questions on how to cook. I bugged her so much she finally started me with cooking rice using the absorption method on a wood burning stove when I was 8 years old. What a mistake; my rice turned out to be badly burnt at the bottom and raw at the top.” It took many attempts before Tran-Verboom finally prepared edible rice and that success was important, for her parents believed their four daughters would never find

husbands if they didn’t know how to cook. But Tran-Verboom’s focus was on the happiness that preparing great, freshly cooked meals for friends and family gave her. And even after the family left their village and moved to England, cooking still remained a focus. “When we were in London,” Tran-Verboom says, “to escape from the highly stressful financial world that I was working in, almost every weekend we would entertain.” After marrying Robin Verboom and moving to Italy for his job, Verboom decided to stay home with their two young children. “It was wonderful for a year or so until the children started nursery school,” she says. “Then, I found it hard to occupy my mind, so I started a cooking school, wrote a cookbook, Viet-Chung Infusion—Vietnamese & Chinese Cuisines, and began catering for friends’ parties and special events. Towards the end of our stay in Italy, I started to make and market my own sauces.” When her husband was transferred to Southwest Michigan, where he works in human resources for Whirlpool Corporation, Verboom planned to once again enter the business world. “But now that we are here, I am enjoying the freedom too much to go back to the nine-to-five routine,” says Verboom, who teaches cooking at such venues as Martin’s School of Cooking in Stevensville, Perennial Accents in downtown St. Joseph, and Sawyer Garden Center in Sawyer, Michigan, all places that also sell her cookbook. “I am very busy establishing my own catering business offering food that is not readily available in this area. I will continue to create and market my specialty sauces like the satay, sweet chili and black bean. Finally, I am looking into the possibility of making healthy and delicious ready-made meals.”

photography [this page, top] by TONY V. MARTIN; [opposite page, bottom] TONY V. MARTIN

FOOD FEATURE

GRILLED PORK BUN

SPICY BEEF

(Makes 4 servings)

12½ ounces lean beef 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons cornstarch, divided Salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup 1 teaspoon sugar 1 tablespoon oyster sauce 4½ cups sunflower oil for deep-frying 3 large carrots, cut into 1-inch sticks 1 clove of garlic, crushed 1 onion, thinly sliced 1 red chili, deseeded and thinly sliced 2 green onions, diagonally sliced 2 tablespoons roasted sesame seeds MARINADE: Freshly ground black peppercorns 1 teaspoon garlic granules ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1 tablespoon tom yum soup paste (curry paste can be substituted)

Mix marinade ingredients. Place beef on one end of a long strip of greaseproof paper, then fold the other side over to cover the beef. Using a rolling pin, beat until flattened to half of original size. Cut into 1-inch strips and add to the marinade. Mix the flour and 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 ounce water to make a smooth batter; add salt and pepper to taste. Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1-1/2 ounces water, tomato ketchup, sugar and oyster sauce into a paste and set aside. Put wok on high heat and add oil. Test a drop of batter into the oil and if it comes back up immediately then oil is ready for deep-frying. Deep-fry the carrots for 3-5 minutes until cooked; remove and strain on kitchen paper towels. Dip beef strips into the batter and deep-fry beef until crispy (2-3 minutes); drain on kitchen paper towels. Put a wok or large frying pan on high heat. When the wok is very hot add 2 tablespoons oil follow by the garlic, onion and chili. Stir-fry for 1 minute; add carrots and beef and stir well. Add cornstarch paste and green onion, mix well until sauce is thickened. Pour onto serving dish, garnish with sesame seeds, and serve immediately with white rice.

16 skewers 17.6 ounces belly pork 14.1 ounces rice vermicelli noodles 1 head lettuce 1 large cucumber, peeled and cut into matchsticks 2.6 ounces bean sprouts 5.3 ounces roasted peanuts, crushed Small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped Small bunch mint, finely chopped 4 stalks Thai basil leaves 2 limes, quartered 4 red chilies, deseeded and sliced 7 ounces sweet chili sauce

SUGAR SNAP PEAS AND ASPARAGUS WITH GARLIC & GINGER (Makes 4 servings)

1 tablespoon peanut oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 inch fresh ginger root, minced 8.8 ounces snap peas, tops and tails removed, cut in half diagonally 3½ ounces asparagus, cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces 1.8 ounces young corn, halved (optional) 3½ ounces chestnut mushrooms, thickly sliced 3 stalks green onion, cut diagonally Pinch salt ½ teaspoon sugar (optional) 3½ ounces chicken or vegetable stock 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce Pinch black pepper 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Heat peanut oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and fry for 30 seconds. Add the vegetables, salt and sugar, and cook for an additional 1 minute. Pour in the chicken or vegetable stock and turn down heat to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add soy sauce, black pepper and sesame oil. Toss well and bring to a boil. Serve hot with white rice.

MARINADE: ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sesame oil Pinch black pepper 2 tablespoons fish sauce 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce 2 tablespoons lime juice

Soak skewers in warm water for at least 30 minutes. Cut pork into 1-inch cubes. Mix marinade ingredients together, add pork and place in the refrigerator. Cook noodles according to the instructions on the packet. Drain and rinse under cold water, and arrange in a large serving bowl. Wash and slice lettuce thinly. Arrange lettuce, cucumber and bean sprouts on a large serving platter. Place peanuts into a bowl. Arrange herbs on another serving plate together with the lime and chilies. Thread approximately 4 cubes of pork on each skewer. Put grill on medium heat and grill the pork for 10-15 minutes, turning over frequently ensuring all four sides are thoroughly cooked. Remove from the grill and place pork on a large serving platter. Let people serve themselves, adding the chili sauce and peanuts.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

JULY 2012

To read more about Tran-Verboom’s products, cooking classes and catering menus, email her at enjoycooking@rocketmail.com

bite & sip LIGHTHOUSE RESTAURANT

7501 Constitution Ave, Cedar Lake 219.374.9283. cedarlakelighthouse.com Stunning water views through floor-to-ceiling windows are perfect for sunset aficionados and just one more reason to stop at this restaurant nestled on the eastern shoreline of Cedar Lake. Executive chef Ken McRae draws upon his 25 years of culinary experience in creating a menu with such signature dishes as steaks—offered blackened or Cajun style upon request and served at a sizzling 500 degrees for the ultimate in flavor—plus lake perch and Chilean sea bass. For more casual fare, offerings include burgers, salads and pastas. There’s an emphasis on local products from nearby farms and ice cream from Fair Oaks Dairy Farm. Bottles of wine are half price on No Whine Wednesdays.

Indiana

BARTLETT’S GOURMET GRILL & TAVERN 131 E Dunes Hwy 12, Beverly Shores. 219.879.3081. eatatbartletts.com. Bartlett’s is a gourmet grill by husband-and-wife team Gary Sanders and Nicole Bissonnette-Sanders. Located in the heart of the National Lakeshore, Bartlett’s has a cozy but very modern ambience. The menu is an exceptionally creative take on upscale roadhouse-type food. Starting off the meal are appetizers such as andouille sausage corndogs and surf & turf potstickers, as well as familystyle offerings like Low Country spiced boiled peanuts and smoked venison sticks. Entrées include 5-hour pot roast, whitefish fillet and linguine Bolognese, ranging in price from $10 to $20. The wine list is modest but well-crafted. BISTRO 157 157 W Lincolnway, Valparaiso. 219.462.0992. bistro157.net. Trained in Paris at Le Cordon Bleu, chef and owner Nicole Bissonnette-Sanders has created a menu of classics—like a decadent sautéed veal and gulf shrimp, a pork rib chop with apple horseradish ham, and an herb-rubbed roasted half chicken—combined with her own creative takes on nouvelle cuisine with a number of fresh fish selections. Desserts include black chocolate-infused confections that have become standard for fine dining, and also sorbets and ice cream made from fresh fruit. There are some treasures on the extensive list of bottle wines, and many solid choices by the glass.

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BON FEMME CAFE 66 W Lincolnway, Valparaiso. 219.531.0612. bonfemme.com. The word “cafe” may be misleading for this full-service restaurant. While the emphasis is on daily fresh seafood and pasta selections, Chef Eddie Luick has created an extensive menu he calls “American food with a fresh accent.” Set in a turn-ofthe-century storefront in downtown historic Valparaiso, Bon Femme has an elegant but comfortable interior with a warm, inviting bar that’s stocked with a variety of Scotches and other fine spirits. The musts on the menu include crab cakes and oyster Rockefeller, and

the pork chop is in the running for the best in the area. Vegetarian items are found throughout the menu, and seafood specials make Bon Femme Café—which was voted Best Small Fine Dining Restaurant in Northwest Indiana—a destination. BUTTERFINGERS 2552 45th St, Highland. 219.924.6464. 921 Ridge Rd #D, Munster. 219.836.4202. Every day, Butterfingers prepares a selection of ready-to-heat-and-eat entrées, along with freshly baked breads and salads, all without preservatives. The chicken almond salad has long been a crowd favorite, but the rest of the lunch menu is equally gratifying. What Butterfingers is best known for, however, is their famous desserts. The restaurant’s two pastry chefs—whose training hails from the Culinary Institute of America in New York, and Johnson and Wales in Rhode Island—create an array of gourmet desserts, which includes beautifully decorated and delicious cakes (the double chocolate mousse cake is a must), and an assortment of cookies and brownies, all of which have been satisfying dessert lovers for more than twenty-five years. And to every party planner’s delight, Butterfingers does offer catering. CIAO BELLA 1514 US 41, Schererville. 219.322.6800. ciaobellaonline.com. The cuisines of three different regions of Italy are featured at Ciao Bella, a ristorante, pizzeria and wine bar. Patrons can sample a 12-inch gourmet pizza with a creative array of toppings like the Pizza Quattro Stagioni—tomatoes, artichokes, prosciutto and black olives—or the sauceless Pizza Al Fichi topped with goat cheese, figs and onions and drizzled with a balsamic glaze. For those who like more traditional pies, there are thin-crust options with toppings such as sausage, fresh garlic, salami and jalapeños. Or try such entries as Ciao Bella’s signature dishes, Rigatoni Boscaiola—spicy Italian sausage and rigatoni noodles topped with a tomato cream sauce—and the Chicken Pollo Ala Romana, a chicken breast sautéed in a white wine sauce with roasted tri-color peppers and then sauced in a tomato cream. There’s also a great selection of seafood, pork and

beef. Desserts change frequently, but the tiramisu is always on the menu. The extensive wine list focuses on European and Californian wines. Delivery and take-out available. DON QUIJOTE 119 E Lincolnway, Valparaiso. 219.462.7976. donquijoterestaurantandimports.com. Proprietor Carlos Rivero’s authentic Spanish cuisine, lively and friendly atmosphere, and conviviality with his return customers make this downtown Valparaiso restaurant a destination for Chicagoans and Michigan residents alike. The exciting menu features dozens of small courses, including a well-known classic paella with saffron rice and fresh-grilled seafood chunks. Grilled steaks and lamb and veal chops are abundant and cooked according to family recipes handed down for generations. The house specialty is a flan-textured vanilla cake. Lunch entrées average $15, dinner $25. DUNELAND BEACH INN 3311 Pottawattamie Tr, Stop 33, Michigan City. 800.423.7729. dunelandbeachinn.com. Duneland Beach Inn is nestled in a quiet residential neighborhood just outside of New Buffalo, Michigan. The newly remodeled circa-1924 Inn houses eight guest rooms as well as the superb restaurant, catering to loyal locals and Chicagoans. Begin your Duneland Beach evening by unwinding in the cozy bar with one of their signature ice-layered martinis, or select from an extensive wine list like none other in the region (prices range from $26-$336), or simply relax with a cold craft beer after a day at the beach. For dinner, choose the tranquil outdoor patio or the comfortable dining room. The dinner menu includes special chef’s features such as prime steaks, fresh fish and seafood, and seasonal cuisine. Culinary staff uses the freshest ingredients available for dishes like seared ahi tuna with soba noodle salad, veal chop Wellington, Maryland-style jumbo lump crab cakes, wasabi-coconut-encrusted Florida grouper, seafood risotto with black truffle oil, grass-fed filet of tenderloin, or a small plate designed for those with a lighter appetite. Looking for a casual dinner? Choose the best fresh burger in the area,

photo by TONY V. MARTIN

The information presented in Bite & Sip is accurate as of press time, but readers are encouraged to call ahead to verify listing information.

GAMBA RISTORANTE 455 E 84th Ave, Merrillville. 219.736.5000. gambaristorante.com. The former owners of the Venezia Bar & Grill and Venezia Café, Benito and Hilda Gamba, have combined their efforts into the grand Gamba Ristorante. Located in Merrillville, this restaurant is housed in an architectural masterpiece, which is hard to miss with its circular design and copper roof. Modeled after upscale restaurants in exotic European locations, the menu offers classic Italian cuisine. The risotto alla Milanese features Arborio rice with saffron, “just like in Milan,” and the wine room boasts storage space for 1,000 bottles. A banquet hall holds up to 200 people and looks out onto an open courtyard. GAUCHO’S 5 9 7 U S H w y 3 0 , Va l p a r a i s o . 219.759.1100. gauchosvalpo.com. At Gaucho’s, diners enjoy delicious and unique cuisine invented by the Gaucho cowboys of southern Brazil, who provided meats for the people of Brazil with their famous “Churrasco” barbecue. At Gaucho’s, this centuries-old traditional feast is created tableside as servers bring such offerings as filet mignon wrapped in bacon, chicken parmesan, pork sausage, garlic-roasted turkey breast, merlot-marinated leg of lamb, and a variety of other meats, during Gaucho’s traditional Brazilian-style dinner experience for $39.95. Seafood selections on Wednesday and Friday—just $29.95— include crab legs, shrimp, tilapia, perch, tuna, mahi-mahi, salmon and clam strips, or add the meat selections for $45.95. All dinners include a 35-item salad bar, Brazilian mashed potatoes, and fried bananas. The lunch menu offers a large selection of sandwiches and salads. Start or finish dinner in the Twisted Martini Lounge upstairs for cocktails, cigars and live entertainment in a modern, intimate setting. GINO’S STEAK HOUSE 1259 W Joliet St, Dyer. 219.865.3854. 600 E 81st Ave, Merrillville. 219.769.4466. ginossteakhouse.com. The chefs at Gino’s, who have more than thirty years of combined experience, use only the freshest ingredients in their homestyle cuisine. Starters include traditional minestrone soup from a family recipe, salads with fresh, locally grown produce, and crusty bread with crocks of butter. The nine-ounce prime steak tops the menu and is itself topped with Roquefort cheese in its most popular rendition. All main dishes are served with the restaurant’s signature marinated peppers, and entrées include fish and lobster delivered daily. The dessert menu features créme brûlée and various cheesecakes, but the housemade tiramisu is the highlight—a rich blend of coffee, chocolate and cream cheese flavors. A premium selection of wine, beer and cocktails is available at the full-service bar, and there is a special children’s menu so the entire family can enjoy the dining experience.

GOOD TO GO BY LUCREZIA 420 S Calumet Rd, Chesterton. 219.926.3866. goodtogobylucrezia.com. Shop the specials, such as a cheese selection of the month like Pecorino Romano, a grating cheese made from sheep’s milk, so classic it was on the menu for legions of Ancient Rome; pick from two featured wines of exceptional value; taste specialty olive oils and aged vinegars; or pick up a boxed lunch or a signature sandwich to go. Featured on the deli menu: Tipperary Irish Cheddar Cheese, Boar’s Head “Salsalito” Turkey and Marieke Foenegreek Gouda from Holland’s Family Farm. Daily special sandwich $3.99.

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JACK BINION’S STEAK HOUSE AT HORSESHOE CASINO 777 Casino Center Dr, Hammond. 219.473.7000. horseshoehammond.com. The Horseshoe facility, a slice of Las Vegas on Lake Michigan, prides itself on customer service and consistently ranks first in every category, including fine dining. The tiered tables and luxurious booths at Jack Binion’s overlook an expansive, panoramic lake view, where the impeccably attired waitstaff helps you choose between the Australian lobster, pan-seared sea scallops and rich thick filets that just make you wonder if Dr. Atkins would really be all right with this. Pick the decadent cheesecake for dessert if you want the best of everything. It is more fun, though, to opt for a postdinner cocktail and go play. Entrées are $35 on average. KELLY’S TABLE 5 7 2 7 N 6 0 0 W, M i c h i g a n C i t y. 219.872.5624. kellyscreekwood.com. Tucked away amidst 30 acres of woodland, the Creekwood Inn, built in the 1930s as a second home, is a delightful spot for those wanting to get away. But you don’t have to spend the night to enjoy a great repast at Kelly’s Table, located inside the inn. It’s here that chef/proprietor Patricia Kelly Molden creates a seasonal menu using the local bounty of the neighboring farms and orchards. Recent appetizer offerings include a rich Onion Soup Savoyarde with egg yolks and cream, topped with Gruyère toast as well as crabmeat and artichoke-stuffed mushrooms. Entrées range from the simple but delicious chicken tetrazzini to grilled cumincrusted tuna with a mango habanero salsa, and rabbit braised in wine and served with summer vegetables. Fresh pumpkin custard—topped with whipped cream and flavored with Grand Marnier and crystallized ginger—and chocolate mousse served in chocolate tulip cups accompanied by a berry sauce are among Molden’s to-die-for desserts. For cocktails, consider Kelly’s Table Cosmopolitan: a delightful concoction of Absolut Citron, Triple Sec, Chambord, lime and cranberry or a capirinha made with Brazilian cachaça, fresh limes and turbinado sugar.

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JULY 2012

GIOVANNI’S 603 Ridge Rd, Munster. 219.836.6220. giosmunster.com. This classic upscale Italian bistro is a local favorite, with charm, gracious service and an extensive menu. Innovative selections include a variety of appetizers, and specials are

paired with recommended wine by the glass. A crab cake salad with fresh mozzarella and Bibb lettuce is a staple for lunch, and all entrées are accompanied by hot and crusty garlic Parmesan cheese rolls. You can indulge in a traditional multi-course Italian dinner or order by the item. For lighter fare, soups, salads and pizzas are served with cheerful dispatch. Sumptuous dinners include a renowned Veal Scallopine Piccata, served in a white wine sauce, and scampi sautéed in garlic, lemon, thyme and butter. The wine list is extensive but educational, and the desserts range from classic tiramisu to real Italian gelato. Lunch entrées average about $12, while dinners cost $18 to $25.

tender smoky baby-back ribs, or the best fried chicken. For the total experience conclude the evening by reserving one of the restful, reinvigorating Jacuzzi suites with private bath and peek-a-boo shower in the inn.

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Lucrezia

Chef, Chesterton

Chesterton, IN 428 S. Calumet Rd. #1 Voted (219) 926-LUCY Best Italian

Crown Point, IN 302 S. Main Street (219) 661-LUCY

Restaurant

www.lucreziacafe.com | heylucy@lucreziacafe.com

Chesterton, IN

Crown Point, IN

428 South Calumet Road 219.926.5829 (LUCY)

302 South Main Street 219.661.5829 (LUCY)

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LUCREZIA 428 Calumet Rd, Chesterton. 219.926.5829. 302 S Main St, Crown Point. 219.661.5829. lucreziacafe.com. Lucrezia has been a Northern Italian favorite since owners Michael and Nada Karas first opened it in the mid-nineties, in a historic downtown Chesterton building. Several years later, the couple renovated the William Barringer Brown Mansion just off the downtown square in Crown Point, continuing their fine dining tradition. (In fact, Lucrezia won a 2006 and 2008 ROSE Award for “Putting Porter County on the Map.”) Signature dishes include chicken Vesuvio—slow cooked chicken served in a rosemary garlic sauce with roasted potatoes and fresh vegetables—and roasted lamb shank braised in its own juices accompanied by roasted potatoes and braised red cabbage. Specials include veal medallions with mustard and mushrooms topped with a roasted brandy cream sauce. Not to be missed is the zuccotto, a sinful domed-shaped chocolate sponge cake filled with white chocolate mousse and pistachios and sauced with both chocolate and raspberry. Lunch entrées average $20, dinner $30. STOP 50 WOOD FIRED PIZZERIA 500 S El Portal, Michiania Shores. 219.879.8777. stop50woodfiredpizzeria. com. Just north of US Hwy 12 and west of New Buffalo, this café enjoys a well-deserved reputation—including being named one of the top four pizzerias in the Midwest by Rachael Ray magazine—for authentic Italian pizza baked “Naples-style” in wood-fired hearth ovens. Customers return again and again—it’s only difficult to find the first time. The recipes are traditional, and the ingredients are fresh daily. In addition to the Napoletana pizza, sandwiches and salads are available to eat at Stop 50, or you can get your snack or meal to go. Try the banana peppers stuffed with house-made sausage or a fiery tomato and goat cheese dip with handcut fried chips. Owners Chris and Kristy Bardol, who rehabbed the 50-year-old beach community grocery store into a restaurant, stick to strictly locally grown food. Average entrée cost is $15, but you can make a satisfying light meal out of the generously proportioned starters at $8-12. The Bardols also own SodaDog, the menu of which includes authentic hot dogs and sausages and micro-crafted soda, all served via carhop service. SodaDog is located at 171 Hwy 212 in Michigan City. STRONGBOW INN 2405 E US 30, Valparaiso. 800.462.5121. strongbowinn.com. The menu at this classic institution still includes a wide variety of turkey selections, but with daily specials that include barbecued pork ribs, seafood choices, prime rib and other comfort foods, one would never guess that the bakery and restaurant started as a sandwich stand during the Depression. Many families have had Thanksgiving catered by Strongbow—the meticulously prepared traditional meal that can be ordered as take-out is virtually indistinguishable from that produced by a family team working in the kitchen for ten hours. Also, the bakery has exploded with a range of treats created daily, including cinnamon rolls, cakes, pies, brownies, fruit tarts, truffles, crème brûlée and strawberry napoleons. Lunch entrées average $8, and dinner is $18. TEQUILA RESTAURANTE 110 S Main St, Crown Point. 219.661.8226. tequilarestaurante.com. Striving to exceed any and all expectations of a typical Mexican restaurant, Tequila

Restaurante offers a revolving menu that pairs fresh, seasonal offerings with the staff’s longtime traditional family recipes prepared in a scratch producing, labor-intensive kitchen. Hearty plates are delivered to white linen-, flowerand candle-adorned tables by devoted professionals. There’s something for everyone, starting with tableside guacamole, hand-cut carne asada, a build-your-own-plate of tacos, tostadas, sopes, enchiladas, tamales and flautas, as well as fresh ahi, mahi-mahi, and sea bass tacos, to 21-day aged fil ets, one-pound pork chops and bone-in rib eyes. The seasonal cocktail selection boasts scratchmade 21-ounce margaritas and house drinks as well as a boutique of perfectly paired wines. Established in 2009, Tequila Restaurante takes great pride in its current “on the square” location, offering a oneof-a-kind “Mexperience” in its eclectic social dining room (children’s menu available), tequila cantina (21 and over) or outdoor seating (weather permitting). Reservations strongly suggested. WILLIAM B’S STEAKHOUSE at BLUE CHIP CASINO 777 Blue Chip Drive, Michigan City. 888.879.7711, ext 2118. bluechipcasino.com. Named after Boyd Gaming Corporation’s chairman and CEO William S. Boyd, William B’s is a world-class steakhouse in the tradition of the Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas. Executive Chef Rudy Paniuagua advises that you should not over-grill a great steak: “The flavor of the meat and the marbling should speak for themselves.” Rib eyes, T-bones, filet and porterhouse are the centerpiece of the menu—and all the little extras are available, including creamy horseradish, sautéed onions and mushrooms, and au poivre sauce with shallots, butter, cracked peppercorns and cognac—but you will also find fresh seafood, occasional exotic selections like ostrich, and exquisite pasta dishes, prepared in-house. There is a complete cocktail menu (the traditional martinis are excellent), as well as a fivestar wine list and complete appetizer and dessert selections. The average cost of dinner is $25, and reservations are highly recommended.

Michigan

BISTRO ON THE BOULEVARD 521 Lake Blvd, St. Joseph. 269.983.6600. theboulevardinn.com/bistro. This American Bistro on Lake Michigan has a well-deserved and unrivaled reputation in Southwest Michigan. The view through the French doors overlooking the bluff is spectacular no matter what season, though dining outside on the porch has its own special charm, particularly at sunset or on a starry summer night. The interior of the dining room and cozy adjacent bar is impeccable. The menu changes frequently to accommodate seasonal, fresh and available fruits and vegetables, much of which are grown locally, but the basic entrée list—created by executive chef Ryan Thornburg, who worked as the restaurant’s sous chef for three years when it first opened—is extensive. Thornburg’s menu items include horseradish crusted salmon accompanied by sautéed spinach in a Michigan cherry vinaigrette, steak frites—a tallgrass 8-ounce top sirloin with pomme frites and herb butter—and crispy duck confit with sweet potato perogies, micro greens, and walnut vinaigrette. Prices are reasonable, starting at $14 for the All American Burger with bacon, smoked gouda, lettuce, and tomato, to steaks for around $30. Be sure to check out the last Wednesday of the month sushi menu for such delights as seaweed salad with

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here was a time when Venice Italian Steakhouse was a hidden jewel of Northwest Indiana’s thriving restaurant scene. Yet these days, more and more food lovers are beginning to discover this culinary gem. Transporting their loyal customers to Italy via their authentic Italian and continental cuisine is a lineup of some of the most talented culinary staff assembled in the Midwest. “We are very proud of our restaurant and the cuisine we offer,” explains restaurant partner Sam Zivanovic, who works alongside fellow partner and restaurant founder Sief ElSharif. “Our chefs are the finest in the Chicagoland area for their culinary knowledge.” Located at 275 Joliet Street in Dyer, Venice Italian Steakhouse features a succulent menu of steaks, chops and fresh seafood along with a range of classic Northern Italian infused specialties. Served in elegant yet comfortable Sief ElSharif surroundings, dinner can become a truly memorable experience by enjoying one of the Steakhouse’s tableside dishes such as Steak Diane or Banana Foster Flambé, cooked to perfection right before your very eyes. “I’m proud to be an Executive Chef at Venice Steakhouse, which I believe is the most prestigious restaurant in Northwest Sam Zivanovic Indiana,” says Villa, a graduate of Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago. “I never let my guard down.” “(Executive chef) Villa often tells our customers that if they had enjoyed a dish in Venice, Rome or Tuscany and they can’t find it on the menu, just provide him the basic ingredients and he will gladly prepare it for them,” chuckles Zivanovic. Looking for something a bit lighter? The restaurant also offers a delightful lunch menu of classic and seasonal dishes, along with a popular Express Lunch Buffet that is now served Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. No matter the meal, make sure to try one of Venice Italian Steakhouse’s selections of fine wines by the glass, with over 60 wines from all over the world available. Make the meal even more special by enjoying it within the restaurant’s beautiful glass enclosed patio that extends into their outdoor patio, perfect for summertime dining. As the restaurant’s popularity continues to grow, Zivanovic and ElSharif continue to point to their talented staff as the reason for their success. “Among all of the beauty of Venice Italian Steakhouse is a devoted staff that we are incredibly proud of,” says ElSharif. “From the bussers to the dish washers to the management, everyone is properly trained and knowledgeable of their surroundings and shares the same mission of providing our customers with exemplary service. I have always believed VENICE ITALIAN STEAKHOUSE that you are only as good as 275 Joliet St . Dyer, Ind. your last service, no matter 219.322.8565 veniceitaliansteakhouse.com what business you are in.”

bite & sip sesame dressing, shrimp tempura, avocado and cucumber with wasabi topikiko—as well as the choice of sakes. Reservations are always helpful, especially on the weekends. THE GRILLE AT HARBOR SHORES 4 0 0 K l o c k R d , B e n t o n H a r b o r. 269.932.4653. harborshoreslife.com/grill. The 18-hole Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course is the picturesque back-drop for the Grille at Harbor Shores. The new clubhouse restaurant will be open seven days a week during golf season (April-October) and will schedule selected open days of the week in the off-season. Executive chef Mark Smith’s menu plans for breakfast, lunch and dinner will be focused on locally grown and sustainable food including a range of daily and weekly specials. While the lunch menu will have a variety of sandwiches, burgers and entrée salads, dinner will feature steaks, poultry, chicken and signature dishes, in addition to a complete wine list. SALT OF THE EARTH 114 E Main St, Fennville. 269.561.7258. saltoftheearthfennville.com. Rustic American cooking—using local produce and meat from the farmlands dotting Western Michigan—reflects the food philosophy of Salt of the Earth located in Fennville, a small farm town with a serious food presence. “We cook from scratch,” says executive chef Matthew Pietsch, who has created a full menu of entrées, sandwiches, wood oven fired pizzas, creative soups, fresh salads, desserts and artisan breads. Their full service bar proudly serves Michigan craft beers, hard ciders, spirits and wines, alongside other domestic and international products. A “Specialty Sips” menu includes a scratch margarita,

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185 Mt. Tabor Rd., Buchanan, MI 49017

800-283-3363 www.taborhill.com

fresh mojitos and other seasonal cocktails. They are also an entertainment destination presenting the finest roots musicians on the scene at weekly house concerts. Says proprietor Mark Schrock, “We are proud to offer a high-quality experience in a relaxed and casual atmosphere and hope to serve you soon.” Open for dinner only; call or visit the website for menus, current hours of operation, house concert, and event schedules. SIX ONE SIX at JW MARRIOTT HOTEL 235 Louis Campau Promenade NW, Grand Rapids. 616.242.1500. ilovethejw.com/ dining.html. Bringing the best through the door on the front end is the hallmark of this brand-new luxury hotel, located in this Michigan town on a growth trajectory. The menu is simple, and executive chef Justin Dalenberg satisfies the most discerning palate. Size, freshness and outstanding taste characterize the seafood. The mussels, oysters, salmon, tuna and scallops are cooked flawlessly and served in a variety of ways, including raw, grilled and poached in herb and broth combinations that coax out and mix perfect flavors. Locally produced poultry, particularly the duck breast, gets an excellent treatment with specially designed, hand-cut vegetable sides. Steaks, chops and filets are held to a high standard, and the wine pairings exceed expectations. But the extras make the entire experience so memorable: the perfect martini with a choice of olives; spiced butter and cheese selections served with a variety of freshbaked crackers and breads; a cheese plate presented with separate garnishes for each type and slice; and housemade desserts, including a thick, rich and dense crème

brûlée in multiple flavors. Even the coffee is a treat, especially when complemented by an aged Porto. The architecture, spacious interior design, orchestrated and technically perfect lighting, and impeccable service combine to create an atmosphere that enhances the experience. Entrées average $25-$35. The specialty drink (the bar features a wall of blue Skyy Vodka bottles) and the wine list, like the menu, are highquality and carefully chosen. Reservations are a very good idea; while the restaurant, Mixology bar and the atrium lounge fill the vast expanse of the first floor, at certain times on the weekends every seat is taken, and there may be a short wait. TABOR HILL WINERY & RESTAURANT 185 Mt Tabor Rd, Buchanan. 800.283.3363. taborhill.com. Tabor Hill Winery’s restaurant is all at once elegant, urbane and semicasual. Its windows afford ample, rolling vineyard views; the menu is sophisticated. Chef John Paul Verhage, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, gives a modified California-cuisine touch to signature dishes like raspberry chicken and the salmon wrapped in grape leaves. The extensive appetizer menu includes items like mini Morel Mushroom Pizzas and Kobe Beef Carpaccio. Though the restaurant is easy to find—just a half hour north of South Bend and 20 minutes east of New Buffalo—it’s not always easy to get in. Reservations are suggested—but those who wander in unannounced can sip at the complimentary wine bar or purchase a glass and enjoy it on the stone terrace overlooking the vines. Tabor Hill produces a wonderful variety of award-winning wines, but for those who desire a harder libation, a full bar awaits.

TIM’S TOO ASIAN GRILL 511 Pleasant St, St. Joseph. 269.985.0094. timstoo.com. Tim Sizer’s new restaurant is a definite departure from Timothy’s in Union Pier, his legendary, swank seafood emporium along the beach at the Gordon Inn, though the collection of Asian-inspired selections have plenty of fresh fish that the chef proprietor is already so famous for in Harbor Country. The basic program to order stir-fry: you pick the vegetables, meat and noodles and the chef fries them together. The main course is creatively priced at $8.99 for lunch, and a second trip will only cost you $3 more. Dinner is $13.99 and $4 for a second trip. The house-prepared appetizers are where the buzz is right now, with favorites like sugarcane shrimp, wonton shrimp, and vegetable spring rolls. You can choose from 21 sauces to go with your meal, which are easily combined. (The menu suggests complementary pairings.) Also available are vegetarian and glutenfree foods and sauces. Must-have desserts include warm chocolate lava cake and assorted cheesecakes. Your choice for $7. Tim’s Too now has a full liquor license, and proclaims the largest Asian beer collection in St. Joseph. WILD DOG GRILLE 24 Center St, Douglas. 269.857.2519. thewilddoggrille.com. Sam Kendall, coowner of the Wild Dog Grille, says their Italian-inspired cuisine, with a new-age twist, has been delighting the public ever since they opened their doors in June 2007. Start out with fresh spring rolls stuffed with crab meat and wrapped in a thin rice paper, or try the crab cake served with three dollops of Creole rémoulade for a flavor enhancement. Another tasty option is the

pesto spinach cheese dip served with flat breads fired fresh in the stone oven. Their trademark stone oven pizzas are fired in the best stone oven on the market for an old-world, thin-crust flavor. Fresh-cut steaks, such as the popular filet mignon and New York strip, are exceptional. Finish the meal with a vanilla panna cotta made from scratch from the chef’s family recipe, the Oregon berry cobbler or a key lime tart. The restaurant has a liquor license, and the owners pride themselves on offering a laid-back atmosphere with the quality of high-end restaurants. Prices go up to $25.95 for the filet mignon, with most selections under $20.

BALAGIO RISTORANTE 1 7 5 0 1 D i x i e H w y, H o m e w o o d . 708.957.1650. balagio-restaurant.com. Now in a new location, this popular Italian restaurant has changed its menu offerings, with many entrée prices now under $12.95. Some of the specialties created by chef/owner Mike Galderio include chicken scaloppini—thin breast cutlets quickly sautéed with white wine—Italian sausage and roasted red peppers served with braised escarole, and a salmon club sandwich with broiled salmon, crisp bacon, avocado, lettuce and tomato. There are also Galderio traditional family recipes like the chopped salad with chicken, salami and hearts of palm, housemade marinara sauce and spaghetti and meatballs. There’s an extensive wine list as well as live entertainment on Friday and Saturday evenings. Private dining is available for any group from 10 to 200, either family style or custom designed.

SIAM MARINA THAI CUISINE 80 River Oaks Center, Calumet City. 708.862.3438. 1669 Sibley Blvd, Calumet City. 708.868.0560. Chef-proprietor Tammy Pham has evolved into a legend for her mastery of a full menu with dozens of vegetarian options as well as traditionally spiced and marinated poultry dishes. The spring rolls and peanut sauce are prepared in-house daily, along with special soups. The authentic pad Thai has a loyal following, and fresh coconut works in many of the dishes, including dessert. A multi-course lunch averages $12, dinner $15.

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GLENWOOD OAKS RIB & CHOP HOUSE 106 N Main St, Glenwood. 708.758.4400. glenwoodoaks.com. The Jarosky family has been serving a solid menu of steaks, chops, fresh seafood and vegetables for a generation, with specials that reflect newly popular items or vegetables in season. But the clientele returns again and again for the staples, which include Angus steaks and chops, sautéed fresh lake perch, oysters Rockefeller done à la Isabelle, and salads of crunchy iceberg lettuce with house dressing. Armadillo eggs—fresh jalapeño peppers stuffed with cheddar, fried and served with salsa and sour cream—are the ultimate in comfort food. Dinner entrées average $20; lunch entrées run in the $12 range.

house&

GROUNDS

mansion or beach cotta WORDS BY JULIE DEAN KESSLER‌ PHOTOGRAPHY BY GREGG RIZZO

ge A DESIGN PUZZLE

JULY 2012

A deck with Adirondack chairs has a close-up view of the golf course, with a pergola typical of cottages; the deck is cut to follow the curved brick pavers on sand with a fire pit. [Right] A secondfloor deck accessed through French doors in the master bedroom; Jim and Judy Bibbings added two peaked roofs to enhance the cottage-beach feel.

f the architectural and interior design pieces of Jim and Judy Bibbings’ house were puzzle pieces, fitting them together might be perplexing. But at their Benton Harbor, Michigan, home, the pieces do fit together, and beautifully. The Bibbings’ 2,450-square-foot home is an easy blend of upscale mansion and by-the-beach cottage, a combination that works thanks to Judy Bibbings’ flair for interior design. Coming here from Stevensville, Michigan, “I’ve lived near Lake Michigan for thirty years; it’s always been an important aspect of my life. Here, the lake is right over the dune, just 300 yards to the beach,” and it’s clear Judy is thrilled. The property held additional appeal with a golf course just 200 yards from the back door. Jim plays, Judy doesn’t, but she enjoys the beauty of the Jack Nicklaus-designed course, with its rolling terrain, trees and smooth greens.

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house&

GROUNDS

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“One side of the house faces the golf course, the other the lake. Both views are wonderful,” Judy says. The view indoors is just as pleasing. The flooring is of Brazilian cherry wood, with a natural, satiny finish and a rich color that deepens over time. The trim above the kitchen cabinetry, the staircase and railing, and upstairs are of the same wood, to tie the look together, Judy says. Granite countertops in the kitchen were hand-picked in Chicago, “because from a small sample, you may not see other color variations that you might not want. Ours is brownish-red, so it goes with the cherry wood.” Judy adds with a cheerful smile, “It also has flecks of gold—I’m kind of a bling-y person.” Any bling is restrained, though, with many elements of décor created by Judy in materials collected shore-side. Small stones are hand-painted and displayed in a large bowl on the dining table in an area just off the kitchen, where the couple has meals when not at the elevated kitchen bar. Two squared columns with Greek fluting anchor the kitchen space, which is open to the great room. There, the rocks in the fireplace wall are all from the region, many of them collected by Judy. She chose a soft pastel color palette for the walls, except for a brighter blue in the master bedroom that suggests Lake Michigan’s deeper waters. Bead wood here and there, a cabinet and small beach chair of distressed wood, and a large collection of Indian beads reference a beach cottage. More sophisticated elements are the coffered ceilings and recessed lighting throughout the house. “Light makes me so happy—we have lots of lighting and lots of windows,” she says. Judy loves the 9-foot-tall doors—even the closet doors—and the vaulted ceilings

in the upstairs family room and bedrooms. In the master bedroom, there is Brazilian wood on the headboard and collections of flow glass on the walls. Similar to Willow ware, flow glass is created by allowing the paint to flow outside the patterns—the more flowed paint, the better the piece. Several small bowls are on a wall inside a 1-by-3-foot white frame. Saucers in different sizes are lined up on the wall above the headboard. Judy makes two such diverse elements—the elegant, heavy wood and lovely flow glass—work well together. “I love to design,” she says, when not busy as a Realtor. A treasured family hutch would only fit well in the downstairs office, so she repurposed it as a bookcase. The large glass master bath shower has a 6-inch-wide inlay of stones that Judy collected and installed. French doors in the master bedroom lead to a deck that extends the length of the house and has peaked roofs at either end, something Jim and Judy Bibbings saw in a magazine and added to the plan, like the metal roof on the two-car garage. “It adds architectural interest, it’s different [from the other homes here], and it adds to the feel of a cottage house.”

The deck overlooks the seventh green of the golf course. “It’s so cool to have the golf course there, and fun to watch the golfers; from here, they look like bees on their golf carts.” The lots here are narrow, “so we found a house plan that fit the size and added our own architectural elements to the plan.” A curved deck below follows the shape of the patio, made of brick pavers on sand with a fire pit. A pergola adds to the beach cottage theme. Only dune grasses are grown, keeping yard maintenance to a minimum. “It’s the best of everything— lake, golfing, the 15-mile walking trail. And it’s near the St. Joe and Paw Paw rivers, so we can kayak.” Judy’s blue eyes are bright and happy. “We couldn’t pass up this place.”

JULY 2012

[Counterclockwise from top] Coffered ceilings in the great room add height and interest. Judy Bibbings collected some of the fireplace stones—the wood-burning fireplace has a gas starter for convenience; The Brazilian cherry wood flooring and trim above the columns and cabinet and the stairs, as well as the granite-topped bar, add elegance; The master bedroom in cheerful blue is the perfect backdrop for a row of flow glass above the headboard.

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AT LEFT: Michael Simon flag tee, $72 Elizabeth’s Fashions Denim flared skirt, $35.50 Loft Outlet Lighthouse Place Premium Outlets 417 Lighthouse Pl, Michigan City, Ind. 219.879.2957 loft.com Necklace Designer’s own FAR LEFT: ‌Double D Ranch flag dress, $162 Elizabeth’s Fashions Cline Commons 748 E. Lincoln Hwy, Schererville, Ind. 219.322.8772 elizabethfashions.com Necklace and belt, Designer’s own

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SHOES FROM LEFT: Toms Lina Ballet red flat, $79 Jerusalem Sandals brown leather wide strap menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sandal, $69 UGG Australia Tasmina lipstick 5 leather flip-flop, $55 Urban Soles, Inc. 624 Franklin St, Michigan City, Ind. 219.221.6508 urbansolesinc.com

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JULY 2012

shore things SAWYER HOME & GARDEN CENTER 5865 Sawyer Rd, Sawyer 269.426.8810 sawyergardencenter.com

The Sawyer Garden Center offers a large inventory of items for the garden, including annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees, plus a variety of high-quality lawn accessories. A large gift shop and gourmet shop—featuring produce, breads, sauces and cheeses—are also on site.

build Indiana

AMISH STRUCTURES, LLC 9626 W 400 N, Michigan City. 219.872.6474. amishsurroundings.com. This company specializes in sheds, but gazebos, lighthouses and other outdoor structures—all built with solid Amish craftsmanship— are available as well. Structures are available in a variety of styles and colors. The wood storage structures are delivered pre-built for the customer’s convenience.

renovating and creating new housing, amphitheaters, day care centers, and special community development projects designed to create flexible environments.

largest sofa to the smallest accessory. Fenker’s carries reputable lines such as La-Z-Boy, Kincaid, Howard Miller, Lane and many others.

WATER PLACE 18853 W US 12, Ste 3, New Buffalo. 269.231.5153. The Water Place is a decorative plumbing and hardware products superstore. With whirlpools, faucets and cabinets, this facility has “everything you need for plumbing services.”

INDIANA FURNITURE 1807 E Lincolnway, Valparaiso. 219.465.0545. athomeatlast.com. Since 1980, this family-owned and operated company has offered quality home furnishings and customer service. A wide range of home furnishing providers are represented here, including Ashley, Lane and La-Z-Boy.

Illinois

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DEAN’S LANDSCAPING 238 Kennedy Ave, Schererville. 219.864.9078. deanslandscaping.com. Dean Savarino and his team at Dean’s Landscaping specialize in designing outdoor rooms for the home. Using a variety of hardscape structures such as patios, walkways and retaining walls, combined with other materials and patterns, Dean’s can create the custom backyard for each customer. Call to schedule a consultation.

BLINK APPLIANCES & KITCHENS 2 7 1 7 G l e n w o o d - L a n s i n g R d , Ly n w o o d . 708.889.1860. blinkappliancesandkitchens.com. Specializing in sales, service, installation and parts for forty-nine years, Blink Appliances is affiliated with Brand Source, one of the largest buying groups in the nation. The knowledgeable sales staff has won national awards for its service and installation of quality appliances and cabinetry.

MARUSZCZAK APPLIANCE 7809 W Lincoln Hwy, Schererville. 219.865.0555. maruszczak.com. For decades, this award-winning, family-owned company has been selling and servicing major home appliances in the Munster area. Its broad inventory includes refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers, washer/dryers and more, made by virtually every brand in the market. The company is factory-authorized to service everything it sells, and professional in-house delivery and installation services are also available.

design Indiana

Michigan

MC COLLUM ARCHITECTS 16109 Red Arrow Hwy, Union Pier. 269.469.9211. mccollumarchitects.com. This full-service architectural firm has spanned 40 years and 100 miles, and has built everything from urban to second home communities, low to upscale housing, single family to multi-family homes, tiny boutique restaurants and even upscale urban eateries. The firm is involved with

CARTRONIX, INC Locations in Merrillville, Portage, Schererville and Valparaiso. 219.548.2571. cartronix.com. Cartronix is best known throughout Northwest Indiana for being an AT&T dealer, but the company also specializes in home and mobile electronics. The custom audio/video home theater department designs, engineers and installs electronic systems, including home theaters, distributed audio/video, communications and home networks, for both residential and commercial clients. FENKER’S HOME FURNISHINGS AND GIFTS 1 1 1 4 L i n c o l n w a y, L a P o r t e . 2 1 9 . 3 6 2 . 3 5 3 8 . fenkersfurniture.com. For more than 100 years, Fenker’s has been a regular fixture in downtown LaPorte. Among the large inventory is quality home furnishings for every room of the home—from the

LIKE NEW HOME FURNISHINGS, BEACH HOUSE & WICKER GALLERY 619 E 3rd St, Hobart. 219.942.0783. This home décor store offers gently used high-quality furniture in their retail space. The store also offers a selection of new furniture in their Beach House and Wicker Gallery. MC INTERIORS 1102 Franklin St, Michigan City. 219.872.7236. mcinteriorsin.com. MC Interiors offers a variety of home décor products including window treatments, floor coverings, draperies and upholstery. Services include free in-home consultation and estimates, plus installation of drapery, blinds, carpet, hardwood and ceramic flooring. RENAISSANCE GALLERY 19 Lincolnway, Valparaiso. 219.465.3222. Renaissance Gallery is an art and gift gallery featuring unique gifts. They offer artwork, jewelry, blown glass and copper work. They primarily feature artists that reside and work in the U.S.

Michigan

ART VAN Va r i o u s l o c a t i o n s t h r o u g h o u t M i c h i g a n , 888.427.8826. artvan.com. Celebrating more than 52 years in business, Art Van Furniture is Michigan’s largest furniture retailer, with 34 stores throughout the state and five stand-alone PureSleep stores.

photo by TONY V. MARTIN

The information presented in Shore Things is accurate as of press time, but readers are encouraged to call ahead to verify the listing information.

BRACKETT & COMPANY HOME ACCENTS 34 Center St, Douglas. 269.857.2060. brackettandcompany.biz. Since 2006, this Douglas shop has been earning a reputable name for its beautiful home furnishings and accents. Owner Lincoln Brackett also offers interior decorating services to residential and commercial clients, incorporating designs from the store’s existing selection and also offering access to more design options.

Illinois

CUSTOMS IMPORTS 430 S Whittaker St, New Buffalo. 269.469.9180. customsimports. com. This exotic gallery hosts a large, distinguished inventory of global art, furniture and antiques from India, Indonesia, China, Morocco and Vietnam. Dee Dee Duhn’s new showroom features teak root benches, textiles, Indonesian pottery, unique new furniture and an extensive mirror gallery. Claudia Lobao’s Global Dreams jewelry can also be found here.

ART 4 SOUL 18135 Harwood Ave, Homewood. 708.206.1026. art4soul.com. Patrons love the one-stop-shop factor of this place, which offers jewelry, hand-crafted home décor items and personalized gifts, plus a paint-your-own ceramic studio and bead shop where customers can make their own jewelry.

RED ARROW GALLERY 13648 Red Arrow Hwy, Harbert. 269.469.1950. redarrowgallery.com. Red Arrow Gallery is the largest gallery in southwestern Michigan dedicated to bringing art lovers a vast selection of art from the most talented and unique artists in the area. The collection includes oils, acrylics, sculptures, jewelry, art lamps and sculptural furniture. The gallery offers a varied collection of fine art by established well-known artists as well as talented emerging artists. Furniture artists are available to design and construct one-of-a-kind pieces that could be the centerpiece of a home. SANCTUARY at CUSTOMS IMPORTS 430 S Whittaker St, New Buffalo. 269.469.9180. customsimports.com. Born out of a desire for inner peace amidst the nation’s current economic turmoil is Sanctuary, the new storewithin-a-store at Customs Imports. Owner Dee Dee Duhn has dedicated this space to feature items promoting quiet and tranquility, including art, music, candles fountains and incense. Patrons will receive a CD of the Maha Mrityunjaya mantra, chanted by the Dalai Lama, with any purchase. SEA GLASS COTTAGE 402 Eagle St, South Haven. 866.639.1201. seaglasscottage.com. As its name suggests, this specialty shop features hundreds of collected sea glass items, along with a tasteful collection of beach-inspired home furniture and décor. Purses, jewelry, sunglasses and other accessories are also available here.

drive Indiana

ARNELL CHEVROLET 2 3 9 M e l t o n R d , B u r n s H a r b o r. 219.787.9200. arnellmotors.com. One of Northwest Indiana’s largest auto dealers features an impressive inventory of new and used Chevrolets, Hummers and Corvettes. Parts, servicing and financing are also available. B&E MARINE 31 Lake Shore Dr, Michigan City. 888.603.2628. bemarine.com. This family-owned and operated boat storeslash-marina features a large inventory of new Sea Ray and Boston Whaler models, along with an ever-changing selection of used and brokerage boats. Its waterfront location allows B&E Marine to provide on-the-water services, including boat slip rental, storage, hoists and fuel dock. DORMAN GARAGE, INC 1317 Lake St, LaPorte. 219.324.7646. d o r m a n g a r a g e . c o m . W i t h m o re than twenty years of experience, Dorman Garage specializes in classic car restoration. Aside from offering restoration services, there is also a large inventory of restored classic automobiles for sale. HARBOR AUTOMOTIVE GROUP 9 9 1 1 W 3 0 0 N , M i c h i g a n C i t y. 219.879.6789. harborcars.com. This auto dynamo features new and preowned vehicles by Buick, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, GMC, Honda, Jeep and Pontiac. On-site parts, servicing and financing are also available. THE HARLEY-DAVIDSON SHOP OF MICHIGAN CITY 2968 N Hwy 421, Michigan City. 219.878.8885. hdmichigancity.com. While the Harley-Davidson brand needs no introduction, the Michigan City store stands out in the crowd, being a member of the largest Harley dealer in the state. A large selection of new and pre-owned motorcycles is available for

5865 Sawyer Road Sawyer, MI | 269.426.8810 Open 7 Days / 8am - 8pm

www.sawyergardencenter.com

JULY 2012

THINK DESIGN STUDIO 560 5th St NW, Ste 301, Grand Rapids. 616.458.8370. thinkdesignstudio.com. This innovative firm specializes in the interior design of residential and commercial properties, focusing on adjacency planning, design layout, material selections, color coordination and more. Designers Melanie Rogers and David Weston proclaim a devotion to harmony within the space and also are committed to using green building and decor materials where possible.

BELLA VITA HOME ACCENTS 1 8 1 1 1 D i x i e H w y , Homewood. 708.798.2355. bellavitahomeaccents.com. This boutique, whose name means “beautiful life” in Italian, features high-quality home décor items (lamps, furniture and accessories are the main highlight), a bath and body line, gift items, candles and items for every holiday and season. Bella Vita, which opened in June 2007, won Homewood’s annual “Beautification Award.”

HARBOR TOWN INTERIORS 613 Broad St, St. Joseph. 269.983.7774. harbortowninteriors.com. Harbor Town Interiors offers home décor items such as furniture, mattresses, bed coverings, rugs and home accessories. Gift items and full service design consultation is available.

ANTIQUE TIN EXPRESSIONS RR 1, Mapleton. 309.565.4876. antiquetinexpressions.net. Artist Lori Daniels reclaims tins and turns them into works of art, adding paint and glaze to create tin relief sculptures, as well as tiles and collages. Her work can be found in her Mapleton gallery but is also available locally at Thistle Gallery in Holland, Mich., and the Vale Craft Gallery and Lotton Gallery in Chicago.

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shore things purchase or for rent. The store also offers accessories, repair services and periodic events. LEXUS OF MERRILLVILLE 3957 US Hwy 30, Merrillville. 219.769.4545. lexusofmerrillville. com. Lexus vehicles and customerservice focused sales teams can be found at this dealership, which features new and pre-owned vehicles—including luxury and sport sedans, SUVs and convertibles. Financing, vehicle services and parts and accessories are also available. MICKEY’S CAR BARN 1300 Erie Ct, Crown Point. 219.663.2300. mickeyscarbarn.com. Owner Tim Mickey and his staff specialize in classic Corvette restoration, and the team is widely recognized as being a top leader in the industry. Their services range from brake jobs to full body restoration on models ranging from 1953-1973. Mickey is a member of the National Corvette Restorers Society and helped write the NCRS judging manual. SCHEPEL AUTO GROUP 2929 Lincoln Hwy, Merrillville. 866.724.3735. schepel.com. This renowned auto dealer in Northwest Indiana offers new and pre-owned vehicles by Cadillac, Hummer, Saab, Buick and Pontiac. The experienced sales staff, plus the extensive online inventory, helps consumers find the car most suited for their needs. Repair services are also available.

Michigan

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RUSSELL’S FOREIGN CAR REPAIR 8754 US Hwy 31, Berrien Springs. 269.473.3088. This dealer a l t e r n a t i v e p ro v i d e s s e r v i c e , repairs and maintenance during the vehicle’s factory warranty and beyond. Russell’s Foreign Car Repair services all imported car makes, but specializes in upscale European and Asian vehicles.

eat Indiana

GREAT LAKES CATERING 701 Washington St, Michigan City. 219.898.1502. greatlakescatering.com. With a combined 150 years of experience, Ed Kis and family have formed one of the area’s leading catering companies. A full range of services is available for all kinds of events, including catered foods and beverages, bands, tents, tables and more. For 10 years in a row, Great Lakes Catering has been voted Northern Indiana’s premier caterer and special event planner.

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MOLLY BEA’S INGREDIENTS. 61 Indian Boundary Rd, Chesterton. 219.983.9401. mollybeas.com. This specialty grocer is a “haven for people who cook, bake and eat.” Pretty much any baking and

cooking ingredient can be found here, including flours, pastas, seeds, nuts, sprinkles, chips and more. A selection of fair trade and organic products are available, including coffees, and loose and packaged teas. Molly Bea’s also boasts the largest licorice selection in Northwest Indiana. There is a good selection of sugarless gluten-free products as well.

give Indiana

COPPER BUTTERFLY 120 S Main St, Crown Point. 219.663.1506. This contemporary boutique features a large selection of Franz porcelain and jewelry, along with original art, interior accents and custom florals. Millicent and Maruca Fine Handbags and fragrances by Elizabeth W. and Hill House are other popular items. ST. JOHN WINE & SPIRITS 9540 Poplar Ln, St. John. 219.558.8911. stjohnwineandspirits.com. Both the connoisseur and the beginner alike will feel comfortable in this shop, which features a wide variety of fine wines, beer and spirits. The staff is trained to assist customers with selection needs, in order “to take the intimidation out of shopping for wine and spirits.” Wine tastings are held here often, and gifts and accessories are also available.

Michigan

ST. JULIAN WINERY 716 S Kalamazoo St, Paw Paw. 269.657.5568. stjulian.com. Founded in 1921, St. Julian is Michigan’s oldest and largest winery. The family-owned winery offers a wide selection of awardwinning and well-known premium wines, sparkling wines and sparkling juices. Additional tasting rooms are located in Frankenmuth and Union Pier. WHITE PINE WINERY 317 State St, St. Joseph. 269.281.0098. whitepinewinery. com. White Pine’s goal is to produce wines from Michigan’s Great Southwest to showcase the region’s wonderful vineyards. Owner Dave Miller’s philosophy is to let the vineyards express themselves in his wines with as little intervention as possible. He also is a firm believer in using sustainable principles in grape production, using the latest methods to reduce the impact on the environment.

Illinois

HOMEWOOD FLORIST 18064 Martin Ave, Homewood. 708.798.0326. homewoodflorist.com. Serving the Chicago area for more than 40 years, this full-service florist offers friendly and prompt service. Homewood Florist boasts a large inventory of fresh flowers and also specializes in tropicals, plants, European gardens, high-style floral, silk and dried arrangements, and gourmet and fruit baskets.

heal Indiana

CENTER FOR OTOLARYNGOLOGY 2 4 J o l i e t S t , S t e 3 0 2 , D y e r. 219.865.4368. Bethany Cataldi, D.O., specializes in ear, nose and throat surgery and facial plastic surgery. In fact, she is the only female facial plastic surgeon in Northwest Indiana who’s been specifically trained in surgery of the face, head and neck. Dr. Cataldi’s expertise in such procedures exclusively ranges all spectra, from topical treatments like skin peels, to hair removal, to full nasal construction. COMMUNITY HOSPITAL 901 MacArthur Blvd, Munster. 219.836.1600. comhs.org. This award-winning hospital is a notfor-profit acute care facility with 354 beds and a medical staff of more than 530 physicians. Community’s services include a surgery center, o n c o l o g y c e n t e r, w o m e n ’s diagnostic center, pain clinic and rehabilitation center. One of the hospital’s newest endeavors is the daVinci Surgical System, which is a cutting-edge technological system for prostate cancer. CONFIDENTIAL CARE 7 2 0 4 5 t h A v e , M u n s t e r. 219.934.6410. confidentialcare. com. Drs. Sanker and Vijay Jayachandran are board certified psychiatrists who provide intensive psychiatric outpatient care for adolescents and adults. The doctors and their staff—two nurse practitioners and six clinical therapists—specialize in social a n d s c h o o l b e h a v i o r, f a m i l y counseling, drug and alcohol addiction treatment, and ADHD in adolescents, among many other services. DERMATOLOGY AND COSMETIC SPECIALISTS 1 9 4 6 4 5 t h S t , M u n s t e r. 2 1 9 . 9 2 4 . 5 8 5 0 . medspecindiana.com. D r. L a u r a H o f f m a n , M D , specializes in dermatology and cosmetic procedures, including Botox, facial fillers, chemical peels, microdermabrasion, photorejuvenation and laser hair removal. General dermatology services are also available. FRANCISCAN PHYSICIANS HOSPITAL 7 0 1 S u p e r i o r Av e , M u n s t e r. 219.922.4200. franciscanphysicians. org. Franciscan Physicians Hospital offers nearly 50 medical specialties and subspecialties in a 63-bed acute care hospital setting. Physicians and staff provide award winning services, state-of-the-art technology and best-in-region staffing ratios to deliver the highest quality of care. An endovascular program led by world-renowned Dr. Paul Jones provides NWI patients the best in heart care. FRANCISCAN ST. ANTHONY HEALTH 301 W Homer St, Michigan C i t y. 219.879.8511. saintanthonymemorial.org. This acute care hospital, serving LaPorte, Porter and Berrien Counties, boasts an integrated health care network

FRANCISCAN ST. MARGARET HEALTH 5454 Hohman Ave, Hammond. 219.932.2300. smmhc.com. One of the largest acute-care hospitals in Northwest Indiana, Saint Margaret Mercy offers myriad services in their Dyer and Hammond locations as well as multiple off-site facilities. The hospital offers all private inpatient rooms, a wide variety of health care services, and state-of-the-art technology. METHODIST HOSPITALS 600 Grant St, Gary. 219.886.4000. 8701 Broadway, Merrillville. 219.738.5500. methodisthospitals.org. With two fullservice campuses in Northwest Indiana, these not-for-profit, community-based hospitals have a reputation for being one of the region’s leading health care providers. Methodist’s physicians, staff and volunteers proclaim a dedication to quality service, with specialties in multiple areas of physical and mental health, including cardiovascular, oncology, neuroscience, rehabilitation and behavioral health. OBSTETRICAL & GYNECOLOGICAL ASSOCIATES, INC 1101 E Glendale Blvd, Ste 102, Valparaiso. 877.462.6249. 3630 W illowcreek Rd, Ste 1, Portage. 219.364.3230. weunderstandwomen. com. The board-certified obstetriciangynecologists—Drs. Short, Strickland and Velarde—at this clinic specialize in pregnancy care, family planning, infertility and menopause, along with general women’s wellness. Patients are made to feel at ease because of the clinic’s state-of-the-art equipment and a skilled staff. PINNACLE HOSPITAL 9301 Connecticut Dr, Crown Point. 219.796.4150. pinnaclehealthcare.net. This acute care hospital prides itself on its small facility; with only 18 beds and five operating suites, each patient receives high-quality care and undivided attention. Owned and operated by physicians, Pinnacle offers a full range of specialties, including orthopaedics, spinal surgeries and women’s health, and is the home to the Indiana Breast Center, led by Dr. Marylyn Rosencranz. PORTER HOSPITAL 8 1 4 L a P o r t e A v e , Va l p a r a i s o . 219.263.4600. 3630 Willowcreek Rd, Portage. 219.364.3000. 650 Dickinson Rd, Ste 150E, Chesterton. 219.926.7755. porterhealth.org. Since opening in 1939 as a communityowned, not-for-profit hospital, Porter has served area families by providing quality care and programs. With ten facilities in two counties, Porter provides health care that is recognized on local, state and national levels and offers a continuum of specialized services such as emergency/trauma, cardiology, family medicine, surgery, obstetrics, pediatrics, orthopedics, oncology, sleep lab, physical rehabilitation care and more.

ST. MARY MEDICAL CENTER 1 5 0 0 S L a k e P a r k Av e , H o b a r t . 219.942.0551. comhs.org/stmary. Innovative women’s health services are available here, including complete gynecologic and obstetrical care, plus treatment for high-risk pregnancies and menopause. Functional, metabolic and nutritional medicine is practiced wherever possible.

Illinois

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MEDICAL CENTER 5841 S Mar yland Ave, Chicago. 773.702.1000. discover.uchospitals.edu. Since 1927, the University of Chicago Medical Center has been one of the Midwest’s most reputable hospitals. Aside from basic health care, the Medical Center consists of a children’s hospital, a maternity and women’s hospital, multiple outpatient facilities, and the renowned Pritzker School of Medicine.

invest Indiana

LAKESHORE MORTGAGE 711 Plaza Dr, Chesterton. 10 Washington St, Valparaiso. 219.548.3010. Lakeshore Mortgage offers conventional, FHA, VA, construction, rehab, second mortgages and 203k loans. There are no closing costs or lines of credit as well. The staff at Lakeshore strives to educate customers and provide optimal service.

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Michigan

MUTUAL BANK, KATHY SELLERS 307 W Buffalo St, New Buffalo. 269.469.5552. bankwithmutual.com. Kathy Sellers is a Mutual Bank agent who services both first-time home buyers and seasoned investors. Mutual Bank specializes in investments and wealth management for businesses and personal clients.

live Indiana

CAROL BRYCHTA REAL ESTATE 13661 Red Arrow Hwy, Harbert. 269.469.7766. carolbrychta.com. Carol Brychta Real Estate is a family business with a reputation of 27 years of excellent service. Their primary mission is to find the right buyer for each property that they list so that both parties walk away from the table well satisfied with the outcome. CENTURY 21 MIDDLETON CO., INC 219.874.2000. 1dwelling.com. Bonnie Meyer, an award-winning agent, is well known around LaPorte County for her real estate prowess. Featuring properties in Indiana and Michigan, Meyer has gained expertise on Lake Michigan and inland lake properties, city dwellings, farmland, building sites, land and residential development. COLDWELL BANKER, DAWN BERNHARDT 2110 N Calumet Ave, Valparaiso; 738 N Porter, Chesterton. 219.241.0952.

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JULY 2012

SMILES BY ARNOLD & ASSOCIATES, COSMETIC & FAMILY DENTISTRY 9 5 1 S o u t h p o i n t D r, Va l p a r a i s o . 219.926.5445 smilesbyarnold.com. James H. Arnold, D.D.S., P.C., and his bright-smiled staff use the latest

technology for cosmetic dentistry services such as tooth-colored fillings, tooth-whitening, cosmetic bonding, dental implants and porcelain veneers, onlays and crowns. The faint of heart will appreciate the practice’s calming efforts, including paraffin hand dips, aromatherapy, lemon-scented hot towels and massage pads on all chairs.

that is made up of an intensive care unit, a new birthing unit, an emergency department, behavioral medicine, rehabilitation services, medical surgery units, oncology, pediatrics and a multidiscipline physician practice.

shore things dawnbernhardt.com. Dawn Bernhardt is the go-to agent for homes in Chesterton’s luxurious Sand Creek subdivision, along with other properties in Porter, LaPorte and Lake counties. The website offers an abundance of resources for both buyers and sellers. COLDWELL BANKER, DONNA HOFMANN 219.331.1133. dhofmann.com. Donna Hofmann specializes in helping clients with buying and selling lakefront properties in Ogden Dunes, Dune Acres, Porter Beach, Beverly Shores, Chesterton and Valparaiso. TRYON FARM 1 5 0 0 Tr y o n R d , M i c h i g a n City. 219.879.3618. tryonfarmguesthouse. com. Passionate environmentalists Ed and Eve Noonan founded Tryon Farm, a 170-acre community of homes built among rolling pasture, meadows, woods and ponds. Homes are designed to complement the landscape, and are built with green materials to preserve the environment. The farm is a retreat that is situated in a central location, with Chicago, Harbor Country and several beaches all a quick drive away.

Michigan

AMERICAN HOMES, SHARON HALLIBURTON 4532 Red Arrow Hwy, Stevensville. 269.208.3862. sharonhalliburton.com. For 30 years, Sharon Halliburton has specialized in property management, having been licensed as a real estate agent and a broker more than 10 years ago. Her expertise covers residential, lakefront and vacation properties, plus farms, golf courses and vineyards. BE OUR GUEST 269.487.9530. beourguestmi.com. Be Our Guest has the best in style and comfort that Southwest Michigan has to offer, providing housing and customized concierge services. Local housing accommodations range from condominiums and family-style houses to Lake Michigan estates. COLDWELL BANKER RESIDENTIAL BROKERAGE 10 N Whittaker St, New Buffalo. 269.469.3950. coldwellbankeronline.com. This New Buffalo real estate firm features more than 200,000 properties in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin. Both the in-office staff and the Coldwell Banker website offer multiple services and resources for buyers and sellers. HARBOR SHORES RESORT 269.932.1600. harborshoresresort.com. Southwest Michigan’s biggest, most talked-about project is underway in Benton Harbor. The residential community will include a Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course, marinas, an indoor water park and a luxury spa. The property is surrounded by two rivers and five beaches. Custom homesites and cottages are available.

8 VISITSHOREMAGAZINE.COM 9

NADRA K REAL ESTATE 16678 Red Arrow Hwy, New Buffalo. 269.469.2090. nadrak.com. Nadra K Real Estate was established in 1980 with a total of two staff persons. Since then, they have grown rapidly with a current organization consisting of eleven agents and a support staff of two. Their record of success and excellence can be demonstrated by their consistent increase in annual sales transactions, a history of handling successful project developments and a competent sales staff who, year after year, ranks in the top percentile of our area Multiple Listing System.

PRUDENTIAL RUBLOFF PROPERTIES 439 S Whittaker St, New Buffalo. 269.469.8300. rubloff.com. Since 1930, Rubloff has been one of the premier real estate firms on the local scene. Serving clients all along Lake Michigan’s southern coast and beyond, the certified sales associates at Rubloff proclaim great success in buying, selling and renting properties along the lakeshore. SHORES OF SOUTH HAVEN 300 Kalamazoo St, South Haven. 269.637.8555. shoresrealestate.com. This reputable firm provides assistance with development, sales and leasing of condominiums, single-family, vacation and retirement home sales, along with lots, boat slips and commercial property. Shores also manages and leases property for investor-buyers.

Illinois

DEWITT PLACE 900 N DeWitt Pl, Chicago. 312.642.7020. dewittplace.com. This 82-unit vintage building, built in 1924, offers corporate housing, temporary furnished apartment re n t a l s a n d l o n g - t e r m t e m p o r a r y housing solutions. These studio and onebedroom apartments come with a variety of amenities, including a fully equipped kitchen, wireless Inter net access, DirecTV satellite service and an exercise room.

pamper Indiana

COSMEDIC SKIN & BODY CLINIC 210 E 86th Pl, Merrillville. 219.795.1255. 58 E Walton, Chicago. 312.377.3333. cosmedicclinic.com. Dr. James Platis, who has been featured on local and national news programs and has been applauded by Dr. Phil, specializes in all forms of surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures, particularly breast surgery, body contouring and facial aesthetic surgery. Less invasive procedures include tanning, waxing and facials. ELLE SALON 1 1 3 W 8 t h S t , M i c h i g a n C i t y. 219.874.3553. This upscale salon, situated in Michigan City’s historic district, offers full-service hair care, plus manicures, pedicures and facial waxing. Retail products include skin care, body care, a men’s line, wooden styling tools, a full line of Aveda products, and other calming items such as Aveda teas, candles and oils. PET PALS, INC 1 0 3 8 8 W 4 0 0 N , M i c h i g a n C i t y. 219.879.2898. petpals90.com. This upscale pet hotel and grooming salon pampers pets with all-suite runs, ample exercise, high-quality meals, modern grooming equipment, flea treatments, hair bows and nail polish. The 6,000-squarefoot building features 65 boarding suites, a separate cat boarding area, and a stateof-the-art grooming facility. REVERIE SPA RETREAT 3634 N 700 W, LaPorte. 219.861.0814. spareverie.com. Located on more than fifty acres of deep woodlands, this spa retreat offers an imaginative menu of personal luxury care which includes facials, massage therapy, reflexology, botanical treatments, envelopments and azulene waxings. There are five guest rooms blending calming Asian and classically antique influences and a dining room, which serves twenty-six people vegetables from the garden and other goodies.

STUDIO ONE 9228 Indianapolis Blvd, Ste 3, Highland. 219.923.1915. Dennis Schram and his staff at Studio One present a home-awayfrom-home atmosphere at their salon. Seven stylists work on the floor, and they offer a range of services including hair, nails and massages. VANIS SALON & SPA 221 US 41, Ste J, Schererville. 219.322.5600. 1620 Country Club Rd, Valparaiso. 219.465.6414; 107 N Main St Ste A, Crown Point. 219.663.5200. vanis. net. One of Northwest Indiana’s premier salons, Vanis features a well-trained, professional staff for hair care, nail care and spa body treatments. Group and corporate retreats (for four to twenty people) can be arranged.

Michigan

HEATH & COMPANY 419 S Whittaker St, New Buffalo. 269.469.4247. This Aveda-concept salon is one of the familiar businesses greeting visitors to New Buffalo from the south. Owner Rick Heath and his staff gel their expertise and friendliness, making a trip to this salon more of an experience than a necessity. Services include hair care, nail care, massage therapy and waxing.

party Michigan

SHADOWLAND ON SILVER BEACH 333 Broad St, St. Joseph. 888.404.7587. shadowlandonsilverbeach.com. St. Joseph’s newest event venue is located right on the beach, in the same building as the famed Silver Beach Carousel. Shadowland, which can accommodate more than 300 guests, partners with Bistro on the Boulevard for a dynamic catering menu. The venue is available for wedding receptions, business meetings and other special occasions.

play Indiana

BLUE CHIP CASINO, HOTEL & SPA 777 Blue Chip Dr, Michigan City. 888.879.7711. bluechipcasino.com. The casino portion of Blue Chip features 65,000 square feet of gaming, all on one level, including more than 2,100 slot games and all the classic table games. Brand new to the facility is the 22-story Spa Blu Tower, which features a state-ofthe-art hotel, luxury spa and convention center. Dining options include It’s Vegas Baby! and The Game, along with the fine-dining restaurant W illiam B’s Steakhouse. INSPIRATION WOOD INC 6 4 2 E I n s p i r a t i o n R d , We s t v i l l e . 219.983.9922. inspirationwood.com. Inspiration Wood is a serene, private environment perfect for a retreat, meeting or reunion. Whether planning a business meeting or a family celebration, visitors will be enchanted by the surroundings. Nestled among 60 acres of soaring pines, woodlands and grassy meadows, it’s a tranquil and peaceful setting perfect for any occasion.

Michigan

FOUR WINDS CASINO RESORT 11111 Wilson Rd, New Buffalo, Michigan. 866.494.6371. fourwindscasino.com. Four Winds offers 130,000 square feet of gaming. Patrons can enjoy 3,000 slots, featuring the area’s biggest progressive jackpots and a large selection of table

games including blackjack, craps and traditional and automated poker in a World Poker Tour poker room. Dining includes four restaurants, from Copper Rock Steakhouse to an all-you-can-eat buffet. OUTPOST SPORTS Locations in New Buffalo, St. Joseph, South Haven and Mishawaka, Ind. outpostsports.com. Whether bicycling, kayaking, surfing or simply sunbathing, any summer sports fan will find a large inventory of sporting products here. Owner JV Peacock emphasizes a life-isshort/seize-the-day philosophy throughout his inventory, events, lessons and staff. Clothing, beach accessories and eyewear are also available. NEW BUFFALO BUSINESS ASSOCIATION 888.660.6222. newbuffalo.org. The New Buffalo Business Association is made up of more than 100 members representing New Buffalo and neighboring communities.

stay Indiana

DUNELAND BEACH INN 3311 Pottawattomie Tr, Michigan City. 219.874.7729. dunelandbeachinn.com. Nestled in a private wooded community on the beach, yet only minutes from Michigan City’s best shopping and dining, this cozy inn provides guests with comfort and convenience. Also on the premises is Duneland Beach Inn’s fine dining restaurant, which features steaks, chops, pasta and seafood. INN AT ABERDEEN 3 1 5 8 S S t a t e R d 2 , Va l p a r a i s o . 219.465.3753. innataberdeen.com. Located in the beautiful and prestigious Aberdeen neighborhood, just minutes from downtown Valparaiso, the Inn at Aberdeen is a comfortable and convenient place to stay. A variety of unique rooms and suites are available, as well as a Flavia coffee and tea bar, a full gourmet breakfast every morning, and all of the amenities needed for both a personal and business stay. A conference room is available for business meetings and private parties. THE RADISSON HOTEL AT STAR PLAZA 800 E 81st Ave, Merrillville. 219.769.6311. radisson.com/merrillvillein. This Northwest Indiana staple recently underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation, which means new carpets, wall coverings, draperies and upgraded bathrooms and beds—Sleep Number!—in the guestrooms. The hotel also features modern meeting facilities, a spa, two swimming pools and whirlpools, and several restaurants and lounges. TRYON FARM 1 5 0 0 Tr y o n R d , M i c h i g a n C i t y. 800.779.6433. tryonfarm.com. Offering an escape from the indoors, Tryon Farm is located on 170 acres of dunes and ponds featuring houses that combine city comfort with country landscapes. Activities range from bike riding, walking through the vegetable gardens, and taking part in dragonfly hatching season. Rentals start on Friday afternoon and end Monday morning.

Michigan

THE BOULEVARD INN 521 Lake Blvd, St. Joseph. 269.983.6600. theboulevardinn.com. Warmth and

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shore things coziness are a theme at this historic hotel in St. Joseph. From the plush furniture in the lobby to the comfort food at the Bistro, to the luxurious amenities in the hotel’s suites, the Boulevard offers more than just a place to stay. Business and fitness centers are also available for use.

view Indiana

THE ARTIST’S DEN 2 0 3 J e f f e r s o n S t , Va l p a r a i s o . 219.462.3883. This gallery has been an important part of the local art scene since 1972. Among the international, national and local exhibiting artists featured in the early 1900s home are Edna Hibel, Jackie Russo, Roy Fairchild, Downe, Tom Kendall and Bob Hoffman. Paintings, pottery, serigraphs, unique gifts and custom creative conservation framing specialists are available. CENTER OF THE WORLD WORKSHOP 1 3 4 0 0 R e d A r r o w H w y, H a r b e r t . 269.469.5687. centeroftheworld.net. Center of the World showcases furniture designed and built by master woodworker Terry Hanover as well as numerous other local woodworkers. Like Terry, these artisans approach their work with a reverence for the medium. They are also proud to offer home accents created by artisans throughout the United States. And in their new One World department, you’ll find an eclectic mix of Fair Trade, recycled, and organic specialties. CHESTERTON ART CENTER 115 S 4th St, Chesterton. 219.926.4711. chestertonart.com. This communityoriented not-for-profit center exhibits the works of local artists in a two-story 4,000-square-foot gallery space and hosts an annual art fair featuring more than 100 artists and craftspersons. The art center also offers workshops and demonstrations—from live study to ceramics and clay to stained glass—for children, adults and senior citizens. EDDA TAYLOR PHOTOGRAPHIE Courthouse Sq, Ste 304, Crown Point. 219.662.9500. eddataylor.com. This award-winning photographer holds degrees in master photography and photographic craftsmanship and has given lectures all around the world. In her studio—located in the old Lake County Courthouse in downtown Crown Point—Edda Taylor combines her unique style with an international influence to create enduring photographs. FOTO IMPRESSIONS PORTRAIT STUDIO 1 0 3 E M o r t h l a n d D r, Va l p a r a i s o . 219.477.4000. Photographer Gordana Traycoff can take a picture and turn it into a masterpiece. Specializing in portraits, including senior photos, family photos and pet photos, she can also turn any photo into a canvas oil painting in her combination photo and art studio, whether you bring her a photo or let her take care of the whole process.

0 VISITSHOREMAGAZINE.COM 10

FRAMING STATION 9 1 2 F r a n k l i n S t , M i c h i g a n C i t y. 219.879.2115. theframingstation.com. Under owner Jo Ann Finney’s expertise and leadership, the staff at Framing Concepts has continuously trained in the latest framing and design techniques. Aside from the store’s strongest service— custom framing, that is—also available for the home or office are memory boxes, vintage posters, specialty gift items and a large collection of South Shore memorabilia.

HEART TO HEART GALLERY 921 Ridge Rd, Munster. 219.836.2300. With home accent items created by nearly 300 artists, Heart to Heart has been selected as a Top 100 gallery for five consecutive years. The gallery features fine American craft, including original art and sculpture, gift items and jewelry. LAKE STREET GALLERY 613 S Lake St, Gary. 219.938.4566. lakestreetgallery.com. This quaint Miller gallery specializes in original art, fine American crafts and custom framing. Featured local artists include David Hugg, Jim Wilson, Dennis Davis, Cynthia Frederick and Jean Bargeron. Jewelry, crafts and expert framing services are also available. THADDEUS C. GALLERY 822 Lincolnway, LaPorte. 219.326.8626. thaddeusc.com. Often recognized as one of the top fine art galleries in Northwest Indiana, this gallery is located in a 2,000-square-foot ground floor space, right in the heart of downtown LaPorte. Both contemporary and traditional fine art is found here, featuring functional and non-functional art by artisans from around the world. VIRGINIA PHILLIPS 219.462.2565. virginiaphillips.com. This award-winning artist—who is also an interior designer—works in oil to create paintings of landscapes, still lifes and portraits, all of which incorporate Phillips’ signature use of color and abstraction. Her work has been exhibited at several local art centers.

Michigan

BLUE GALLERY 16 S Elm St, Three Oaks. 574.276.6001. bluegaller yart.com. Run by owner and art director Judy Ferrara, this wellknown gallery features the works of more than 15 artists, including local notables like Joe Hindley and Kellie Pickard. Several artrelated events take place here, including a gallery walk every third Saturday of the month, when the facility is open until 9 p.m. GALLERY ON THE ALLEY 611 Broad St, St. Joseph. 269.983.6261. The works of over 175 of the country’s most talented artists are beautifully displayed in this charming and pleasant art boutique. Gallery on the Alley specializes in the unique and unusual— from whimsical windsocks, furniture and clocks to exquisite blown glass, elegant lamps and distinctive handcrafted jewelry. Visitors will also enjoy the framed color prints of St. Joseph in the early 1900s and the black and white photos of downtown St. Joseph and Silver Beach in the 1950s. WATER STREET GALLERY 98 Center St, Douglas. 269.857.8485. waterstreetgallery.com. This contemporary fine art gallery features original work by regional, national and international artists. Works include painting, glass and sculpture. The staff at Water Street will also help select art for private and corporate clients, and works closely with interior designers.

visit Indiana

FAIR OAKS FARMS 856 N 600 E, Fair Oaks. 877.536.1194. fofarms.com. This family-owned and -operated dairy farm is one of the largest in the United States. The Dairy Adventure gives visitors an up-close experience,

including a tour of the cheese factory, where all different types of cheeses are made, and the birthing barn, where about 80 calves are born every day. HOOSIER VALLEY RAILROAD MUSEUM 507 Mulberry St, North Judson. hoosiervalley.org. 574.896.3950. Situated near the former junction of the Erie, PRR, C&O and NYC in historic North Judson, HVRM offers visitors a unique opportunity to experience the sights, sounds and smells of railroading during its heyday. Visitors can check out the museum or take a train ride on an authentic caboose pulled by a vintage diesel locomotive. INDIANA WELCOME CENTER 7 7 7 0 C o r i n n e D r, H a m m o n d . 219.989.7770. lakecountycvb.com. Sandy beaches, four lakefront casinos, arts and culture, family activities, historical sites, thousands of restaurants and yearround events and festivals are all just a short drive away from both Chicago and Southwest Michigan. The friendly and knowledgeable staff at the Indiana Welcome Center will help visitors plan their trips to Lake County. TALTREE ARBORETUM & GARDENS 450 W 100 N, Valparaiso. 219.462.0025. taltree.org. This breathtaking 360-acre reserve is filled with formal gardens, woodlands, wetlands and prairies. Visitors can hike on the trails or view themed displays such as the Native Plant Garden, Oak Islands and the Railway Garden. Several outdoor concerts and special events take place at Taltree throughout the season.

Michigan

FERNWOOD BOTANICAL GARDEN & NATURE PRESERVE 13988 Range Line Rd, Niles. 269.695.6491. fernwoodbotanical.org. Situated on 105 acres of cultivated and natural land, Fernwood is composed of gardens, forests and trails for visitors to peruse. An art gallery, fern conservatory, nature center, cafe and gift shop are also on site, and there are several learning and enrichment opportunities as well. SILVER BEACH CENTER 333 Broad St, St. Joseph. 269.982.8500. silverbeachcarousel.com. Brand new to St. Joseph is this family-friendly center, which features an abundance of fun and unique activities for people of all ages. The primary attraction is the Silver Beach Carousel, a spectacular structure that features 44 colorful, hand-carved horses. Also at the center is Curious Kids’ Discovery Zone, the Shadowland Ballroom, Whirlpool Compass Fountain, and Michigan’s tallest kaleidoscope. SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN TOURIST COUNCIL 2300 Pipestone Rd, Benton Harbor. 269.925.6301. swmichigan.org. The natural attractions of Southwest Michigan—the dunes, miles of scenic Lake Michigan beach, rivers and parks with hiking trails and biking paths—offer beauty in every season. The friendly staff at this non-profit organization can assist travelers whether they seek solitude or a group learning experience.

wear Indiana

ALBERT’S DIAMOND JEWELERS 711 Main St, Schererville. 219.322.2700. albertsjewelers.com. Besides the fact that Albert’s showcases 5,000 square

feet of jewelry, the store in itself is an entertainment destination. A bar, largescreen TV, dance floor and karaoke are among the many ways that patrons can let loose while browsing every type of fine jewelry imaginable. Brands include Tacori, Bulgari, Cartier and Bez Ambar, and the store’s entire back wall is devoted to bridal jewelry and accessories. INDIAN SUMMER, CHESTERTON 131 S Calumet Rd, Chesterton. 219.983.9994. This women’s clothing boutique offers casual and contemporary clothing and jewelry from around the world. Indian Summer features brands such as Sympli, Oh My Gauze, Completo, Flax, Connie’s Moonlight, Minnetonka, Big Buddha and San Miguel shoes. The Chesterton shop offers a large selection of apparel, jewelry and accessories, while the original New Buffalo storefront continues to feature its quality inventory for those on the other side of the lake. JUDEE’S 1104 Indiana Ave, LaPorte. 219.324.6443. judees.com. Owner Judee Gartland and her daughter frequently travel to the garment districts in New York and Chicago to build the inventory in their store, which is situated in a stately Victorian home in downtown LaPorte. Clothing for all occasions is available here, including formalwear. Designers include Not Your Daughter’s Jeans, Neon Buddha, Alex Evenings and Brighton bags and accessories.

Michigan

FRENCH TWIST 9 S Elm St, Three Oaks. 269.756.3970. Owner Viki Burneikis introduces new designers from around the globe at this European-style women’s boutique. Burneikis’ emphasis on quality fabrics and innovative design has resulting in understated elegance, the trademark of French Twist. INDIAN SUMMER, NEW BUFFALO 126 S Whittaker St, New Buffalo. 269.469.9994. This women’s clothing boutique offers casual and contemporary clothing and jewelry from around the world. Indian Summer features brands such as Sympli, Oh My Gauze, Completo, Flax, Connie’s Moonlight, Minnetonka, and San Miguel shoes. The Chesterton shop also offers a distinctive selection of apparel, jewelry and accessories. PHILLIP & SON JEWELRY 23 Center St, Douglas. 269.857.8738. This charming shop features distinctive jewelry and accessories in every price range-from high end to affordable for every patron. A selection of vintage pieces is available as well.

For more business listings, please go to visitshoremagazine.com

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shorecast predictions by fran smith

For more astrological advice, be sure to check out Fran Smith’s regular blog on visitshoremagazine.com.

[cancer] JUNE 21-JULY 22 KEY WORDS in July: Your Personal Efforts and Endeavors. This time of the year—every year—is your happiest and most secure time. The reason: the New Moon (new beginnings) takes place in your own sun-sign, Cancer, the Crab—and signals the start of your personal New Year. Your energy level is high and the possibilities for success are unlimited. Act on this immediately— creating, refining, and introducing those close-to-the-heart plans and projects that you’ve been hiding. Now is the ideal time to launch them. SIDESTEP insisting on dealing only in generalities.

[virgo] AUGUST 23-SEPTEMBER 22 KEY WORDS in July: Getting What You Want. Included in this enchanting sector is also your secret agenda—for others (especially those closest to you) have no idea, whatsoever, what you really want. All that matters, however, is what you really want. And how you intend to obtain it. Take the time to reflect on developments, over this last year, in your life. Don’t leave anything out as you look back—with nonjudgmental observance. And see just what has worked for you—and what has not. And you will know what must go. SIDESTEP a show of lethargy. [libra] SEPTEMBER 23-OCTOBER 22 KEY WORDS in July: Reaching the Top of the Mountain. Whenever you are involved in the advancement of your career—whatever form that involvement may take—no one has the slightest idea. Although high-level calls and meetings dominate, your pacing is superb; your mannerisms, flawless. In fact, never are you so exquisite as when you’re close to the edge. Such is the dramatic life of Libra as this entire month of July holds enormous possibilities for gain. Just be You—and your audience will be in rapt attention. SIDESTEP a lackluster response to some fabulous ideas. [scorpio] OCTOBER 23-NOVEMBER 22 KEY WORDS in June: Focusing on the Future. And what a future it can be. Much depends now on your willingness to let go of the past; more to the point, to let go—once and for all—of those memories from the past. Allow this July to usher in a New Day—one in which the slate (personal and professional) is wiped clean. In fact, given your penchant for cleanliness, try a brand new slate. And use your incredible drive and intensity to create a remarkable concept that’s a resounding success when you introduce it to the world next month. SIDESTEP the sarcastic response.

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[sagittarius] NOVEMBER 23-DECEMBER 21 KEY WORD in July: Revitalization, on all levels. This is easier than you think. Relax—and allow yourself to connect completely with the spirit of renewal within you— mentally, emotionally, physically, financially and spiritually. Think revitalization, feel revitalization; above all, believe in revitalization. Allow all thoughts of negativity to dissolve. Constantly. During the month of July, let yourself be guided to think, be and do only what is positive and what is optimistic. Let the spirit of love, laughter, happiness and harmony reign supreme. SIDESTEP being difficult to find. [capricorn] DECEMBER 22-JANUARY 19 KEY WORDS in July: The Most Sensible Agreement. If you’re anything, you’re the essence of “the sensible agreement.” You always have been—and now you bring this activity into play in your everyday existence. This month, however, it can take several interesting forms. It can be written, verbal or just a good promise that

you make to yourself. It can be large or small or about something that may seem insignificant—to others. But it’s your “sensible agreement”—and for you, nothing is insignificant. SIDESTEP taking associates for granted— because you can. [aquarius] JANUARY 20-FEBRUARY 18 KEY WORD in July: The Work Scene. This is always the time of year when you go back to the drawing board regarding your work—even though it’s usually vacation time. However, you’re forever on a different schedule from everyone else. That’s fine, for at least one specific work-related situation now demands your direct involvement. Step back and survey the scene—and those who are involved in it. And quietly create a new structure that obliterates whatever is causing the situation. Just your style. SIDESTEP being unapproachable when warmth could work wonders. [pisces] FEBRUARY 19-MARCH 20 KEY WORDS in July: Your Heart Chakra. This is the time in which matters related to your close relationships and creativity—surge to the forefront. It’s never an easy time. And you wouldn’t dream of letting it be. You’re a water sign—and right now, the Sun is going through the glamorous Cancer, the Crab, another water sign. Relax—and know that even though high drama may thrive, your own fantastic intuition (after all, Neptune is your ruler), will guide you through to where you want to be. SIDESTEP clinging to the past, no matter how comfortable it may seem. [aries] MARCH 21-APRIL 20 KEY WORDS in July: At the Core. Here, the focus is on where you live and where you work. This is an active month for you—one in which you work at home—and take your work (even if only in your thoughts) with you, everywhere. This is advantageous, since you have numerous situations (personal and professional) to sort through and to develop more fully. Noteworthy: the word “core” comes from the Latin, meaning “heart.” So in your heart—and in your words—find the ways to express your affection for those close to you. SIDESTEP an absence of interest, on your part. [taurus] APRIL 21-MAY 20 KEY WORDS in July: Superb Communications. Absolutely, a favorite of yours. Whether it’s through calls, emails, text messages or meetings, there’s nothing that you relish more than expressing your point of view. And this month is no exception, as you search for the solutions that will transform certain elements of your world. Take the time now to be still, to listen, and then, to allow your own intuition to act as the guideline. But you must be still. And believe in the divine power constantly at work within you. SIDESTEP willfully blocking contacts, due to past grievances. [gemini] MAY 21-JUNE 20 KEY WORDS in July: Pennies from Heaven. This month can turn out to be a fabulous month, especially within your financial affairs. However, certain rules are silently at work: no game-playing (of any kind), no amount of scattered thinking (whatever the reason) and no distractions (no matter how tempting they may appear to be). With a significant new opportunity for an increase in your income, right on July’s horizon, all that’s allowed now is clarity, focus and follow-through—on your part. SIDESTEP not returning the call you want least to return—but should.

photo courtesy of THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

actor JOHN CUSACK

[leo] JULY 23-AUGUST 22 KEY WORDS in July: Closed-Door Strategy-Planning Sessions. Although you adore the center of the stage—you also adore working in private on private matters. July is such a month—and a very important month, at that. For now, you must create, structure and finalize an impressive game plan to be launched by you next month. Not to be treated lightly, this should be a time of seclusion, research and fact-finding. As you continue with this, some great new ideas will appear out of nowhere. Try it. SIDESTEP being resistant to new and outside-the-box thinking.

For more about what’s going on in the firmament, check out Fran Smith’s website at starcast12.com.

WANT MORE? please go to page 40 or visitshoremagazine.com for a full listing of the area’s best events.

Jun 23

Jul 6-8

GARY’S SOUTH SHORE AIR SHOW noon-4pm Gary/Chicago Airport, Gary garyairshow.com Air show performers will return to the skies of Lake Michigan to wow and amaze the public in the 13th year of this show.

SAUGATUCK VENETIAN FESTIVAL 5:30pm-midnight Fri 10am-10pm Sat 10:30am-2:30pm Sun various locations, Saugatuck 616.886.1162 saugatuckvenetianfestival.com This festival is filled with family fun and entertainment, including ’80s music, face painting, an art fair, poker games, a classic car show, and a boat parade.

Lake Michigan

JULY 2012

GRANT PARK MUSIC FESTIVAL Jay Pritzker Pavilion Millennium Park 55 N Michigan Ave, Chicago 312.742.7638 grantparkmusicfestival.com Celebrating its 78th season, the Grant Park Music Festival is the nation’s only remaining free, outdoor classical music series.

Jul 27-29

Jun 13-Aug 18

SUMMER IN PARADISE 5:30pm Shadowland Pavilion, St. Joseph 269.982.4030 smso.org Silver Beach will be filled with the sights and sounds of the islands, complete with tiki torches and steel drums. The Jimmy Buffett tribute band, the Last Mangos, will play classics such as “Margaritaville,” and the beach party will also include refreshing summer drinks, island food and dancing.

shore picks

last resort

A Killer App and Some Angry, Angry Birds A RUN IN THE PRAIRIE QUICKLY TURNS FOWL by MARK LOEHRKE‌

Being the perpetually behind-the-times digital Luddite that I am, I only recently became fully aware of the mindless phenomenon that has been enveloping the mobile gaming world for quite some time now. I’m speaking, of course, of Angry Birds, the time-wasting yet highly entertaining smartphone diversion/application that is as addictive to kids and adults alike as an unattended bowl of M&Ms.

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or those living even further off the grid than myself, the premise behind Angry Birds is fairly straightforward—a flock of foul-natured fowl launch themselves repeatedly via slingshot toward the homes and businesses of a group of pigs with the intent of causing as much destruction as possible, ostensibly in the name of vengeance over some stolen eggs or something. Riveting circle-of-life stuff, to be sure, but the 500 million downloads figure still feels a bit inexplicable. Nevertheless, as late as I am to this online ornithological party, I can unfortunately report that I was in fact somewhat ahead of the game (so to speak) when it comes to having experienced the real thing; that is, an actual flesh-and-feathers angry bird in its natural habitat, playing entirely for keeps. This non-virtual reality began early last summer in the prairie where I do my morning runs, a place that until that point had been notable for its utter lack of malevolent animal confrontations. No roving packs of wild dogs or crazy-eyed turkeys to tangle with here—just the occasional quorum of grazing deer, seemingly more bemused by my sluggish pace than threatened by my simple presence. But the bird was different. And angry—very, very angry. I spotted the Red-winged Blackbird for the first time from afar, perched atop a tall, thin reed about thirty yards off the side of the crushed gravel path. It struck me as an oddly precarious choice for a resting spot given the multitude of seemingly more accommodating options in this preserve, but he did seem to have a nice view of things from up there. I paid him little mind as I eventually jogged past, but little did I know at the time that this very first encounter between us was a gauntlet that he was throwing down with his little bird foot. Having just passed his perch, I suddenly felt the flutter of wings race directly past the back of my head. As I ducked and wobbled like a St. Patrick’s Day drunkard trying to regain my stride, I managed to catch a glimpse of the bird out of the corner of my eye as he readied for another sortie. Fearing a direct hit this time around, I quickened my pace, flapped my arms like a loon and high-tailed it out of there.

Once safely out of harm’s way, I turned and looked back to see my new feathered nemesis back on his little stick, cocking his head back and spreading his wings in a bit of showboating that felt kind of over-the-top for what had essentially been an ambush. But I mostly wrote off the whole incident as something of a random brush with the darker side of nature—after all, even the avian world probably has its share of jerks, right? Unfortunately, over the next several weeks and months, that first tête-à-tête developed into something of an unwelcome pattern every morning at the same spot. I sped up, wore hats, shouted the lyrics to TV theme songs as I approached—anything to avoid having these near-misses turn into actual bloodletting. But this bird was relentless. Over time, I came to realize that this wasn’t a personal vendetta against only me, as I observed this lunatic perpetrating the same airborne assault on a number of other perplexed and terrified runners. This whole exercise thing was supposed to be good for us, right? I considered calling the Forest Preserve District to see if something “official” could be done, but the prospect of one day having to perhaps testify against the bird in some sort of administrative hearing gave me pause. And let’s face it, I didn’t stand much of a chance in fighting back on my own—wild flailing has its limitations as a battle technique. So, against my better judgment and the advice of many bullying experts, I eventually gave in and simply chose to alter my route to avoid any more unwanted encounters. When I finally got up the courage to venture back on the path a few weeks later, the highflying hooligan was nowhere to be found. Given that it was autumn by then, he had probably simply moved on to a warmer clime with whatever gang he was affiliated with at the time, but I suppose it’s also possible that some fed-up jogger finally took justice into his or her own hands. I guess I’ll never really know. Maybe he’ll be back this spring to unleash a new reign of terror. But one thing is certain—no matter how desensitized a generation of kids has become to the very real danger, this is one player who knows now that an angry bird is nothing to play with.

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Have fun this summer! If you need us, we’ll be here.

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