The 2013 ROSE Award Winners for Porter County

Indiana Dunes Tourism, the official tourism bureau of Porter County, on Thursday honored 17 businesses, organizations and individuals for their outstanding service.

The R.O.S.E. (Recognition of Service Excellence) Awards recognize those who provide excellent service or otherwise go the extra mile to make Porter County a great place for visitors and residents alike to enjoy.

“There are businesses and individuals whose exemplary service help make Indiana Dunes Country a destination which visitors return to again and again,” said Lorelei Weimer, executive director of Indiana Dunes Tourism.

“We enjoy recognizing those who contribute to our success in promoting Porter County.”
Mark Newman, executive director of the Indiana Office of Tourism Development, was the guest speaker for the event and credited the award winners with setting the standard for service.

“As a ROSE award recipient, you embody what it means to provide great service,” Newman said.

“As a state, Indiana can go even further by using your example of excellence to implement a statewide service standard.  This would give Indiana the opportunity to leverage its world famous Hoosier Hospitality and ensure that all customer-facing employees have the skills necessary to operate effectively in our service-based economy.”

The R.O.S.E. Awards ceremony coincides with National Travel and Tourism Week.

What follows is a list of this year’s Porter County R.O.S.E. Award winners:

Lodging Location of the Year — Riley’s Railhouse
Festival of the Year — Central Park Plaza Events
Valparaiso Community Festivals & Events
Festival of the Year — Central Park Plaza Events
Valparaiso Department of Parks and Recreation
Restaurant of the Year — Sage
Retailer of the Year — Air One Aerial Photography
Newcomer of the Year — Birky Family Farms (Piggies and Cream at the Depot)
Recreation Location of the Year — Portage Township Parks
Partner of the Year — Tonya’s Patisserie
Turning Lemons into Lemonade — Seven Peaks Waterpark Duneland
Professional of the Year — Sue Stymiest of the Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce
Shining Star — Dani Landgrebe of Industrial Revolution Eatery & Grille
Shining Star — Peggy McConnachie of Third Coast Spice Cafe
Attraction of the Year — Steel Wheels BMX
People’s Choice Lodging Location of the Year — At Home in the Woods Bed and Breakfast
People’s Choice Restaurant of the Year — Industrial Revolution Eatery & Grille.
People’s Choice Retailer of the Year — Molly Bea’s INGREDIENTS
Volunteer of the Year — Helen Arvidson of Porter County Museum of History

Visit Michigan City LaPorte Convention and Visitor Bureau was a co-host of Thursday’s awards ceremony and presented their R.O.S.E. Awards. What follows is a list of their winners:

Best Fest Award — The Sunflower Fair
Employee of the year — Patricia Segovia of Best Western LaPorte Hotel
Green Award — Brad Hindsley of Spire Farm to Fork Cuisine
Hoosier Hospitality Award — Claudia Geise of Tyron Farm Guest House
LaPorte County Achievement Award — Mary Ellen Hatton of Blue Chip Casino
Lemonade Award — Laura Marie Panozzo of Earth Angel Eco Art Studio
Putting LaPorte County on the Map — Lyn Isbel of The Michigan City Soul Steppers Drill Team, the Michigan City Port Authority, and Jessica Ward of the Michigan City Municipal Airport/Phillips Field
Outstanding Elected Official Award — Cary Kirkham of the LaPorte City Council
Professional of the Year — Vice Chancellor Rick Soria of Ivy Tech Community College Pejic Campus
Quality of Life/Quality of Place Award — LaPorte County Public Library, LaPorte Mayor Blair Milo and Michigan City Mayor Ron Meer
Shining Star Award — Kris Demoret and Laura Kobat of Arbor Hill Inn & Guest House
Team Effort Award — Microtel Inn & Suites of Michigan City
Unsung Hero Award — Alex Laun
Volunteer of the Year Award — Jim Snyder of LaPorte Little Theatre

It's time to get out and enjoy the Indiana Dunes

By Jeffrey Ferraro

Spring has finally sprung! With temperatures creeping up into the 60s, Hoosiers and visitors from outside the state are eager to trade in time on the couch for fresh air, vitamin D and budding flowers.

Non-natives of the state may be pleasantly surprised at Indiana’s abundance of nature and wildlife, but the Indiana Dunes has it all: hiking, biking, horseback riding, and more plants and animals than you can shake a stick at (but don’t shake sticks at them).

Whether you’re visiting or trying to get to know your native state, the Indiana Dunes area is the perfect place to take in spring and its resplendent glory. Check out these great destinations for celebrating winter’s departure.

Zona Wildlife Sanctuary

One of the most popular sites to see in the Indiana Dunes area is the Zona Wildlife Sanctuary, and it is easy to understand why. Spring brings stunning wildflowers to the sanctuary that can make even the most amateur photographer’s pictures seem brilliant. As do the plethora of migratory birds that call the area home! There are also several species of salamander and frog.

The Zona Wildlife Sanctuary sits on 92 acres of donated land and is divided by a figure-8 path that winds through the forest. This path makes for a fantastic spring day walk, allowing one to take in all the treats the landscape has to offer. The wildlife sanctuary is dog-friendly, provided they’re on a leash.

Mount Baldy

Mount Baldy is the tallest sand dune at the National Lakeshore, but here’s the thing: it moves. That’s right, the dune moves up to four feet per year and even changes in height. Standing 125 feet tall, adults and children alike enjoy scurrying up the dune’s slope. If you find yourself scoffing at a 125-foot climb, try it first – it may wear you out!

There are two trails in the Mount Baldy area. Of course there’s a trail that climbs Mount Baldy, but there’s also a nice walking trail that leads to a pleasant beach area on the shore of Lake Michigan.

As with the Zona Wildlife Sanctuary, make sure to bring your camera. There’s something about the contrast in colors between the sand and the sky that make for strikingly beautiful pictures. Also, remember a change of shoes: things can get a bit sandy.

Lake Michigan

Did you think you could only enjoy spring on dry ground? Well, that’s landlubber talk.

Within ten or so miles from Mount Baldy, those looking to wet a hook under the spring sun can choose from several businesses who charter fishing boats. Another unknown commodity of the region that outsiders may not be familiar with is the fantastic fishing Lake Michigan offers. There are, of course, crappie, bass and walleye, but the crown jewels of the lake are the several species of salmon and trout off its shore.

They say that in Indiana, fishing is only second to basketball. Come check out why.

Brother Nature Fishing Adventures is one of many companies that offers chartered trips on the lake.

Cowles Bog

Do you know what a fen is? If not, that’s all the more reason to visit Cowles Bog in Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. You see, Cowles Bog is actually a fen, not a bog, though they’re both types of murky wetland. Bogs are less alkaline – or is it fens?

But we digress. The important thing is that Cowles Bog is intersected by four and a half miles of intersecting hiking trails (they’re dry) that snake through the bog’s lush canopy of tamarack, white pines, and birch trees. You can also walk straight through the bog out to the beach. Along the way, you may see horned grebes, black-crowned night herons, buffleheads and several other waterbirds. As of lately, orchid flowers are making a comeback in the bog with a little assistance from the National Park Service.

Bring your walking shoes and a beach towel.

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is rich with natural beauty, and its biological diversity ranks seventh in the entire country. The area is well maintained, friendly, and overflowing with opportunities for adventure, education, and enjoyment of the outdoors.

Grab your sunscreen and get outside. Winter is over!

Jeffrey Ferraro is a travel expert and enthusiast. He is the Director of Marketing of Diamond Tours, the leading provider of charter group bus trips in the US and Canada, including bus tours in Chicago. Jeffrey loves uncovering lesser known travel destinations and sharing them with his customers.

The 17th Annual Friends of Indiana Dunes Native Plant Sale is Saturday, April 13. Over 100 species of hard-to-find native plants will be on sale 8 a.m.-1 p.m. in the State Park Pavilion. Arrive early, before they’re gone! 
  
Beach Glass Jewelry Workshops are here again in April. On Sunday, April 21, we’ll be hosting three special times for you to learn how to craft your own elegant keepsake.  Program sponsored by the Friends of Indiana Dunes. Call the Nature Center at (219) 926-1390 to register for the 11 a.m., 1 p.m., or 3 p.m. session.  There is a $2 per person program fee.
  
Check out our local frogs and toads with special presenter Spencer Cortwright on Saturday, April 27. The “It’s the Life and Times of Indiana Amphibians” prorgram meets in the Nature Center at 2 p.m.
  
You can also keep up to date on upcoming activities and sightings in the park at http://www.facebook.com/INDUNES or follow them at http://www.twitter.com/indianadunessp.
 
To contact the Interpretive Service of Indiana Dunes State Park, call (219) 926-1390 or dunesnc@dnr.in.gov.

The mens basketball team kicks off the excitement with an 11:15am CST game vs. Michigan State on Thursday. The Crusaders hope to repeat some of the magic of the 1998 NCAA Tournament, and have already evoked comparisons by winning a Horizon League Tournament game in thrilling, buzzer-beating fashion. We love our hometown team and wish them luck against a formidable opponent.

Meanwhile, back on campus, the Lutheran Basketball Association of America will again host their tournament at Valparaiso University, as they have for over 20 years. Indiana Dunes Tourism has been a proud partner, working with the LBAA and the university to welcome visitors from all across the country and direct them to the best activities and restaurants around! Dozens of teams, along with their families and fans, will spend the weekend cheering, exploring, and creating lasting memories.

And if all that excitement isn’t enough, The Bach Institute at Valparaiso University will perform Triennial Performance – Mass in B minor, composed by Johan Sebastian Bach, on Saturday at 7pm in the Chapel of the Resurrection, which was recently ranked among the “30 Most Beautiful College Cathedrals.” Ticket information can be found here.

These special events, combined with the ever-present delicious restaurants, unique shops, and fun attractions, will certainly inspire an outstanding weekend for everyone who knows and loves Valpo.

Here in Indiana Dunes Country, we would like to share information about local restaurants that strive to use fresh, local, farm-to-fork ingredients. Figure Eight Brewing even uses their spent grains to make fresh bread!

So hug a farmer, and then head to one of these exceptional restaurants, pick up a fork, and enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor.

Bartlett’s, Beverly Shores
Local beers and cheeses are on the menu

Bistro 157, Valparaiso
Local produce regularly appears on the menu, and Chef Nicole often uses ingredients found at the local farmers market

Blackbird Cafe, Valparaiso
Using local produce and serving Valpo Velvet ice cream

Don Quijote Restaurant, Valparaiso
In the summer, Indiana’s only Spanish restaurant features produce grown in the owner’s own large garden

Figure Eight Brewing, Valparaiso
Hand-crafted beer brewed right at the business. Sit down and sample local favorites.

Local Flavors, Chesterton
Local, natural ingredients go into many of their offerings. Serving sandwiches, sweet or savory waffles, ice cream and more for vegans and meat lovers

Meditrina Market Cafe
Using local produce and other ingredients

Octave Grill, Chesterton
Using local beers, cheese, wine, honey and produce

Pesto’s Italian Restaurant, Valparaiso
Local produce finds its way into their menu items

Pikk’s Tavern, Valparaiso
Local beers and Valpo Velvet ice cream served

Roots Organic Juice Cafe, Valparaiso
A juice bar featuring local, organic fruits and vegetables. Also, juice soups, salads and desserts.

Silver Spoon, Valparaiso
This breakfast and lunch place uses local produce

Third Coast Spice Cafe, Chesterton
Uses cage-free Indiana eggs, natural and organic ingredients and local ingredients

Valley, Valparaiso
The owners get much of the food they serve from their own farm and other local farms

Valpo Velvet, Valparaiso – open in April
Locally-made ice cream using only the finest ingredients

YUM!

Many of these restaurants, along with a few others, were chosen by Midwest Living Magazine to be featured in the Indiana Dunes Culinary Tour – check it out!

Enjoy the beautiful and majestic shelf ice with friends and family! You can take your dog on a walk and explore the arctic looking shoreline. If you have all day or just an hour to spare, the extraordinary view is worth the trip!

I spent an hour there exploring and hiking around the beach. The shelf ice made you feel miles away from Northwest Indiana, and t was truly a wonderful experience . I definitely recommend it!

Tread with care!  It is not advised to walk on the ice.

For more pictures visit www.eyeem.com/brieback and click on the album: “Winter at the Dunes.”

Brie Back is an intern with Indiana Dunes Tourism. She will blog about things to do, places to eat, and more during her internship.

Indiana Dunes State Park events for March:

•         On Saturday, March 16 they welcome spring with a special “Aldo Leopold Bench Workshop.”  Learn about this great conservationist, and have a chance to build your own special bench to take home.  Registration is limited, with a program fee of $50.  Reservations can be made by calling the Nature Center at (219) 926-1390.  Program sponsored by Friends of Indiana Dunes.
•         The sweet smell of fire will fill the air on Saturday, March 23.  Join Indiana Dunes Naturalists for a look at prescribed fire, and then get a chance to witness (or even help) with a burn near the Nature Center. Program begins at 2 p.m.  (fire is weather dependant).
•         Join them on Sunday, March 24 at 10 a.m. for a search of spring’s phoebes. The hike will meet at the Nature Center and visit some of the local hang out spots for this unique, early flycatcher of the spring season.
•         Strap on your hiking shoes and join Jessica for the ascent up Mt. Tom. After enjoying the high views, drop down towards the lake and enjoy a peek at where the Governor’s Cottage used to be!  Great program for the history buffs.  Meet at the Nature Center, Saturday, March 30 at 10 a.m.
Want to stay even more updated on park happenings, park news, and more? Become a fan of the Indiana Dunes State Park Facebook page. Check out photos and videos from other Dunes visitors, take part in discussions, or just let others know about the dunes! Visit facebook.com/indunes to become a fan.
See the following link for a complete list of programs for March that you can print and keep at home, http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/files/sp-Dunes_March.pdf

Over the past 400 years, pure maple sugar and syrup have played very different roles in the lives of dune’s residents. This difference is as much a result of our changing relationship to our natural resources as it is a change in technology. Take a short easy stroll down the farm trail and learn why American Indians first boiled maple sap into sugar and how latter European settlers used large iron kettles to make the sap into syrup. Then, stand in the warm steam of the sugar shack where sap is boiled using the same methods that the Chellberg family used during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Try your hand at drilling a tap hole or help the kids complete a junior ranger activity sheet so they can earn a Junior Ranger Heritage Patch. Enjoy a free taste of pure maple syrup and compare it to modern “pancake syrup,” then warm up in the farm house and collect recipes featuring maple syrup. Admission for all activities is free. Pure maple syrup and sugar, and related products, will be for sale.

Maple Sugar Time takes place at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore’s Chellberg Farm on Mineral Springs Road between U.S. 20 and Highway 12 in Porter, Indiana. For more information on this or other programs at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, visit the park website or contact the park’s information desk at 219-395-1882.

Participants will build their own Leopold bench to take home after a short program on the man who promoted conservation of the land and natural resources. Leopold is credited with developing the simple yet stable design that makes his namesake bench unique. The benches are a common feature in parks across the United States and can be built with minimal materials.

All materials are supplied, but participants should bring a screwdriver or power drill and an adjustable wrench. Each participant will receive a copy of Leopold’s book, “A Sand County Almanac.”

The cost of the workshop is $50, payable by cash or check the day of the program. Space is limited. Sponsorship comes from the Friends of Indiana Dunes group.

For more information, or to reserve a spot, call (219) 926-1390. Indiana Dunes State Park is at 1600 North 25 E. Chesterton, 46304.

Strongbow Inn is known for its turkey dinners.

By Kim Ranegar. From the Editors of Midwest Living

They say turkey makes you tired, but I’m never tired of turkey! It’s easy to extend your turkey daze well beyond Thanksgiving at Valparaiso’s Strongbow Inn. They’ve been serving turkey since the 1930s when Dr. Walter and Bess Thrun moved to Finney Farm and raised their first crop of 1,500 turkeys. Strongbow’s still feels as comfortable as holidays at Grandma’s, though the restaurant has garnered a national reputation for turkey and hospitality, under the guidance of the Thrun’s grandson, chef Russell Adams and his wife, Nancy.

“Growing up, I raised turkeys and washed dishes,” says Russ, who decided early on that he preferred being in the kitchen. After graduating from culinary school and working in restaurants in New York City and Chicago, he returned to the family business, eager to make his mark. One of his changes was introducing his legendary turkey schnitzel. “I started using turkey in applications where veal had been used traditionally. The turkey schnitzel just took off!” he says. These days, schnitzel is a leading seller, not far behind the traditional turkey dinner and the hot turkey sandwich. Though it’s hard to pick a turkey favorite, Russ’s current choice is Monday’s special of fried turkey livers. I love the schnitzel, though it’s hard to talk me out of the Strongbow turkey pie, which comes stuffed with turkey and veggies mixed in turkey gravy and with a side of cranberries.

Though I recommend enjoying the schnitzel at Strongbow, you can try your hand at duplicating Russ’s expertise with his recipe, below:

Strongbow Turkey Schnitzel

3-4 ounces turkey breast, per serving
Flour
Egg wash (equal parts egg and cold water whipped together)
Fine breadcrumbs
2 lemons
4 ounces of clarified butter
Lemon wedges

Place turkey between pieces of plastic wrap and carefully pound with meat tenderizer to ¼-inch thickness, trying to keep it in one piece. Dust pounded meat with flour. Dredge through egg wash. Dredge through breadcrumbs and set aside.

In a small saucepan, clarify butter by slowly melting then pouring off the oil part (leave whey in pan). Add the juice of one lemon to 2 ounces of the clarified butter. Add 2 ounces of this mixture to a 10-inch saute pan over medium heat. When butter is hot, brown both sides of the schnitzel. Remove schnitzel from pan, dredge through lemon butter mixture again and plate. Repeat for each piece. Serve with lemon wedges. Serves 4.

Originally posted on northernindianagetaways.com. Ranegar is a freelance writer from Valparaiso, who is always foraging for food stories.

Valparaiso University's Chapel of the Resurrection named one of the world's most beautiful college cathedrals

Best College Reviews has selected Valparaiso University’s Chapel of the Resurrection among “The 30 most beautiful college cathedrals.”

In selecting Valparaiso University to the list, Best College Reviews wrote:

Author Robert Louis Stevenson once said, “Mankind was never so happily inspired as when it made a cathedral.” Church cathedrals represent some of the most artistic and complex architecture created by man. College campuses across the world have worship chapels and historical cathedrals that entail a rich history along with brilliant architectural design. Though it proved to be a daunting task, we here at Best College Reviews have picked 30 cathedrals that we believe to be the most beautiful campus cathedrals in the world.