California's Coronado named nation's best beach

Like a Hollywood star, Coronado's 1.5 mile-long beach literally sparkles, thanks to the mineral mica glinting in its sand.

Indiana's beach monitoring funding in jeopardy

HAMMOND | Federal dollars that exclusively fund the state program that monitors Lake Michigan beaches for contaminants could be lost to budget cuts, officials with the program said Thursday.

Mobile alert system for Indiana beach closures available

A new system to alert Indiana beachgoers to conditions and closures due to E. coli contamination is now in effect with the start of the summer season.

The never-ending debate about dogs on the beach

Few things are as sacred to Americans as their pets. Our routines enmeshed, dogs, cats, even birds become virtual members of the family. Many admit it is more difficult to lose a pet than a loved one. Dogs are unique in that they can go places with us. They become invaluable companions. A "b…

The art of sand sculpting

For most adults, the concept of summer vacation is but a shadow of its former self. The cruelly brief five-day sojourns that working folk manage to carve out of their hectic schedules may indeed share a name with those long-ago three-month spans of blissful freedom and frivolity between acad…

Volunteers hold fall cleanup Saturday on lake beaches

Want to get out to the beach one last time before the weather changes? The Alliance for the Great Lakes encourages residents to turn out Saturday for their last beach hurrah, but instead of swimsuits and beach towels, beachgoers should be armed with trash bags.

Dunes officials lift advisory for swimmers at Lake View Beach

PORTER | A swimming advisory for Lake View Beach has been lifted, after a series of tests conducted Friday showed it meeting water quality standards.

Lake County has state's dirtiest beaches

Lake County has the state's dirtiest beaches, according to an annual beachwater quality report released Wednesday by the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Dunes National Lakeshore beaches safe for swimming

All Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore beaches are open and safe for swimming, the National Park Service's weekly beach monitoring report revealed Thursday morning.

Mt. Baldy, Lake View beaches OK for swimming

The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore said Saturday its Mt. Baldy and Lake View beach areas are now safe for swimming.

Bacteria level still high at Lake View, Mount Baldy beaches

PORTER | Officials are advising against swimming at two Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore beaches after water testing Thursday continued to show high levels of E. coli bacteria.

Officials advise against swimming at Mount Baldy beach

PORTER | Officials are advising against swimming at one Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore beach after water testing showed high levels of E. coli bacteria.

Mount Baldy, Kemil beaches safe for swimming

PORTER | Bacteria levels at two Lake Michigan beaches returned to safe levels Thursday after testing on Wednesday show elevated levels of E. coli.

Bacteria high at two Lake Michigan beaches

PORTER | Officials are advising against swimming at two Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore beaches after water testing showed high levels of E. coli bacteria.

A lot of fun, history at Silver Beach

PROVIDED PHOTO A carousel has returned to the shores of Lake Michigan, part of the new Silver Beach Center.

A lot of fun, history at Silver Beach

When I was a child we would leave our home in Indiana Harbor and follow U.S 12 as the highway curved its way into Michigan, passing through the small towns that dotted the lakeshore and into the Victorian-era port city of St. Joseph to the Whitcomb Hotel.

OUTDOORS/PARKS AND RECREATION: Northwest Indiana has a secret garden

The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore's wonders read like the result of a mad environmental and cultural scavenger hunt.

Valpo man had a quick wit

James G. "Bucko" Williams had a large personality and a quick wit, family members said.

OFFBEAT: Chicago's '9th Annual Polar Bear Plunge' a frigidly fascinating spectacle

Last Friday, I wrote about TV personality Mike Bettes from The Weather Channel and his visit to Chicago over the weekend to "make a splash" while joining the Lakeview Polar Bear Club's 9th Annual Polar Plunge.

OFFBEAT: Chicago's '9th Annual Polar Bear Plunge' a frigidly fascinating spectacle

A COLD APPROACH - - In the shadow of Chicago's John Hancock Tower, a brave participant, sporting body paint to taunt Florida's warm, prepares to take the frigid dip associated the Lakeview Polar Bear Club's 9th Annual Polar Plunge, on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010 at Chicago's Oak Street Beach. (T…