Located in Portage, this attractive house for $283 per night is a great option for your next break. Welcome to the Dunes! Our home is recently updated and furnished in a mid-century modern style. We are across the street from the Indiana Dunes National Park, Wells Street Beach and West Beach. The beaches are right out your front door.....and our nearest beaches haven't been affected by erosion like other properties. There's no need to drive to the beach ..just walk across the street and and go over the hill and you are a beautiful expanse of beachfront. Our house is in the best possible location to visit the dunes and the state parks and the national lakeshore. For ALL bookings 4 nights or more, we provide you with a FREE week-long pass to access the expansive Indiana Dunes National Park system (which now has a $25 entrance fee). Our part of the national park is also open to visitors for free just by walking across the street. Our home is exceptionally designed and well-equipped with easy access to the beach, Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana Dunes State Park, and Chicago. Check out our Indiana Dunes Home youtube video for a quick tour. Our most recent guests have told us they love the house and its proximity to the beach. We are experienced travelers and have furnished our home with you in mind. Our house is not just a rental property where you have to hobble everything together and pack your whole house to take with you -- it's a comfortable, well-equipped home with all you need to make your vacation relaxing and comfortable for your whole family. We have everything you need to stay safe and stay close. Beds & Baths: The master bedroom is next to a completely renovated luxury bathroom with a fantastic shower (special thanks to my plumber, husband!) There is a 2nd bedroom (2 twins or a converted king), full bath, with tub/shower and private den with sleeper futon on the lower level. This is the perfect accommodation for 2 couples or a large family --It's ideal for 6 adults or 4 adults and a few children. The # 1 highlight of our home is the Indiana Dunes National Park - Just sit on the balconies to view the park or walk across the street to access trails. Inside and out the townhome is pleasant and light-filled. Our bedrooms have new mattresses and bedding. We provide all linens and towels as well as a supply of staples for the kitchen and bath. We even leave beach towels for your use. Leave the laundry to us! The upper level contains the main living space -- dining room, living room, kitchen, master bed, and bathroom. The main living area has a Crate & Barrel queen sleeper sofa; 15-foot ceilings, and is light-filled and uniquely furnished. Also on hand: • Games, books and magazines and binoculars, and bird books. • Wifi throughout • Smart TV with Netflix/amazon prime • Smart home features including Google mini home speaker • USB outlets in each bedroom and throughout the house • Central air conditioning & fans • Children's toys, pack n play, high chair, children's utensils and plates, and booster (available on request) The kitchen is well-equipped with everything you need for a good meal: pots/pans, grilling tools, blender, hand mixer, immersion blender, toaster, kettle, rice cooker, crock pot, Nespresso coffee machine with pods, coffee press, espresso moka, drip coffee pots, dishes & cutlery to serve 10. The grill is just outside the kitchen on the balcony. We provide some basic kitchen staples to get you going when you first arrive. We can also purchase starter groceries on your behalf. The lower level features 2nd bedroom, den, garage, bathroom, laundry room with a washer/dryer, and patio. Both the bedroom and den have a private access doors to the patio. Both rooms also access the downstairs divided bathroom with tub/shower and vanity. Lush linens and towels and beach towels are provided. There is a full-size Whirlpool washer/dryer laundry room on the lower level. Enjoy your morning coffee and bird watch or sneak out in the evening for some nighttime star gazing from our balconies. We provide bird books and binoculars. You can often hear the waves of the lakeshore on the front balcony and the master bedroom. The landscaping surrounding the house, while appearing like it's just part of the park, is surprisingly intentional. A naturalist regularly comes to remove invasive species and spread native seeds. The plants attract birds, wildlife, and many butterflies. The dune grass hosts regular visitors like deer and other wildlife that traverse our backyard. Our house has sound-isolating construction-- We rarely, if ever, hear sounds from our neighbors' homes. Our neighbors help keep an eye on things... we are a generally quiet group and hope for the same from our vacationers. With a garage and driveway, parking is suitable for 2-3 cars. Children are welcome but must be supervised on the balconies and patio. A fire pit is available for your use and , for the beach, we have a small beach wagon with camp chairs, beach toys, and a beach blanket available for your use. Store your "toys" i.e. bikes/kayaks, etc in the garage. The National and State Parks and the quick access to the beach make us a spectacular choice. The parks are incredibly biodiverse (in the top 10 for all national parks) and offer so many opportunities to explore nature in many ways. The Park Service describes it better than I can: "The continuously changing dunes play host to the abundant natural beauty of rare birds (many rare), abundant wildlife and beautiful hiking duneland trails. Hidden within urban neighborhoods in the Miller Beach section of Gary are pockets of natural land – high dunes, oak forest, wetlands, and wooded ravines. Lake Michigan can be seen from many high vantage points in the park and many rare plants cling to survival on these sandy acres." The park also hosts rare birds and endangered species of plants and animals. Our home is smack in the middle of the state, national, and county parks that extend in pockets from Michigan City westward to Gary. All of them have beaches with varying have boat, kayak, and water-sport launches. We have great access to Wells street and West Beach. Wells Street is a popular location for locals and hosts a pavilion and concession stand and West Beach is the best "off the beaten path" -- walking into the beach is the best way to avoid crowds and to experience the best beach in the area. West Beach is part of the National Park and it is patrolled and cleaned of litter regularly. National Park rangers at West Beach guide through the dunes and the park almost daily in the summer months. Beyond the beach... Chicago -we are close to the south shore train station that will take you to downtown Chicago in less than an hour. Driving downtown is also quick and easy. We are happy to help you navigate and provide an overview of your options for touring Chicago. For the kids or kid at heart: visit the Bailly Chelburg homestead or take on the ranger challenge to climb the 3 tallest sand dunes; You can also do some seasonal stargazing and participate in naturalist hikes just for kids. In addition, the national park has birding backpacks available for all ages containing books and binoculars that can be checked out at five of their area offices. Biking is also a popular activity: the trails are crushed gravel so require a little heavier tired bike. We love cyclists.... if you have specific needs for bicycling, please let us know. We are very experienced long-distance cyclists and can help you with specific arrangements for cycling. Three "dutch" cruiser bikes are stored in the garage and available for your use. Special arrangements for fewer days can also be made for those who are passing through on their bikes. Cycling maps are available as well. Our measures for COVID-19: As part of VRBO's recommendations we are performing all cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitization procedures on our property. We try our best not to book same-day back-to-back reservations. We prefer to have a 24 hour rest period between reservations before your arrival. We will thoroughly clean and disinfect our spaces using EPA-recommended disinfectants. For every stay, we sanitize linens and towels and clean frequently touched surfaces including door knobs, countertops, handles, touch pads, bathroom fixtures, and other surfaces. We will also stock extra items for you to help you feel well taken care of during your stay, including an antibacterial hand wash and soap in all bathrooms and kitchen and sufficient toilet paper and paper towels, and a small supply of antibacterial cleaning products. Smoking, vaping or using aroma therapy machines is strictly prohibited anywhere on the property a violation of this will incur a charge of the complete damage fee of $450 plus $200.. Our exterior entrances are monitored by video surveillance devices.