Whenever we feel the need to relax and recharge, our favorite thing to do is to head east into Indiana. We do a circle, heading to Michigan City and the Lubeznik Gallery first. They had a new exhibit up, String Theory by Jözef Sumichrast. I liked the theory behind the art and it made me look at things in new ways, but what I really liked were the shadows it cast.
There was also a photography exhibit in the gallery by Larry Chait. You'll have to visit the gallery to see it. Lovely rural scenes as seen driving by in a car. 
Upstairs was an exhibit called Lost and Found, art using ready made or found objects. I especially liked this exuberant fabric fish. The lower level also had some interesting exhibits by local artists. Now our brains are refreshed and we're seeing in new ways.
After the gallery we head west along the lakefront. At first we're driving through wetlands then we go closer to the shore. The road along the shore is high above the beach. There's one spot where we can stop (if it's not full) and go down to the beach.
The wind and high waves kept us up above this weekend. We enjoyed watching the group on the beach parasailing! One guy would fight his way far out into the water, going diagonally across the pretty high waves, then he would just fly back in to shore. It was amazing to watch and we could totally see why he did it. If you look closely, Chicago is visible along the horizon.
After our beach visit, we drive back through wetlands and woods to "civilization." The trees here are just beginning to change--it's usually warmer near the lake.
