Michigan City, a northwest Indiana community settled in the early 1830s along the shores of Trail Creek and Lake Michigan, is home to a number of attractions, including picturesque lighthouses, historic old homes and a lakefront park and zoo. If you'd like to visit the region for a weekend or longer, Michigan City has several accommodation options either on the beach or just a few steps away.

Duneland Beach Inn

Housed in the former Duneland Hotel, built in 1924 with 20 rooms and a single shared bath, this remodeled eight-room inn is set in a wooded area but is only a five-minute walk from a private beach along Lake Michigan. Each room now has its own private bath, television and mini-refrigerator, and four rooms include two-person spa tubs. The inn's restaurant includes a bar serving wine, craft beers and cocktails, and three separate dining rooms, with a menu that includes seafood, steaks, chops and poultry selections. A complimentary hot breakfast is served to guests on weekends, with a continental breakfast available during the week. The inn is less than 2 miles west of the Dunes Summer Theater and 3 miles west of Friendship Botanical Gardens.

Bridge Inn

The Bridge Inn lies next to a pier and marina near the mouth of Trail Creek, just a short walk from Lake Michigan. The inn's dockside suites sleep from four to six people, with each room including Wi-Fi, a kitchenette or full kitchen and a sleeper sofa. Nightly, weekly and monthly rates are available. The adjacent Bridges Waterside Grill has a menu that includes salads, sandwiches and seafood selections. Enjoy your meal on the restaurant's outdoor deck, where you can watch the boats go by and a bridge that rotates to accommodate Amtrak trains. The Bridge Inn is less than a half-mile from the Old Lighthouse Museum, home to Indiana's oldest remaining lighthouse, built in 1858.

Blue Chip Casino Hotel Spa

The waterfront Blue Chip Casino Hotel Spa has 486 rooms and suites, including many in the 22-story Spa Blu Tower that provide floor-to-ceiling windows with scenic views of Lake Michigan. Accommodations range from standard rooms to expansive suites with in-room bars. The year-round casino, actually a huge boat set on Trail Creek, has free admission and parking and is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The vessel is 402 feet long, 208 feet wide, 85 feet tall and has 65,000 square feet of gaming, including table games, live poker tables and more than 1,900 slot machines. Other amenities include five restaurants, a lounge, indoor pool, two whirlpools and two fitness centers. The Blue Chip is less than 1.5 miles from Washington Park's beach, observation tower and the Michigan City East Pier lighthouse.

Beachwalk Resort

Although it doesn't have a hotel, Beachwalk Resort is set on the Lake Michigan shoreline and provides fully furnished rental cottages and homes that have from one to six bedrooms. Other guest amenities include a pool, children's splash pad and wading pool, hiking and biking trails, playgrounds and tennis, basketball and volleyball courts. An interior lake provides a perfect spot for fishing and kayaking. Beachwalk Resort is less than a mile from the historic Washington Park Zoo, founded in 1928.

About the Author

Robert Kay has written travel articles since 2002 and has more than 20 years of experience at three daily newspapers and a national magazine. His work has appeared in "Golfweek," "The New York Times" and various AAA publications. Now based in Florida, he holds a journalism degree from the University of South Carolina.

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