Porter County Indiana
Merry Meals to Feed 250 Families in Northwest Indiana
December 9, 2010 by Jim Sims · 8 Comments
It is that time of year again that many families gather together for holiday celebrations. It can also be a time of stress.
With increased prices and reduced or no wages, it adds additional stress for many families in Northwest Indiana. This is why it is so important for us as a community to pull together to help.
Merry Meals, which is just a group of small town people trying to make a huge difference right in our own community, is doing just that!
Merry Meals has been collecting donations from local businesses, organizations and individuals within the Duneland communities of Chesterton, Valparaiso and Portage Indiana in an effort to feed 250 deserving families a holiday meal!
Each boxed Merry Meal is to include a 10-12 pound turkey, mashed or scalloped potatoes, stuffing, multiple cans of vegetables, corn bread mix, dessert and a fruit basket.
The 250 deserving families from Northwest Indiana who received a gift card will be able to pick up their Merry Meal on December 18, 2010 at the Duneland Family YMCA located in Chesterton Indiana from 1pm to 4pm.
Many thanks should go out to all the local businesses, organizations and individuals that are volunteering their time to help the Duneland communities of Chesterton, Valparaiso and Portage in Porter County Indiana.
Do you want to help 250 deserving families in Northwest Indiana this holiday season?
Food donations are still being accepted at the Duneland Family YMCA located at 215 Roosevelt Street in Chesterton Indiana. Simply let them know you are donating for Merry Meals.
If you prefer to eat out and show your support, visit Valpo Velvet Shoppe on Saturday, December 11, 2010 and make a purchase. 15 percent of sale proceeds are being donated to Merry Meals! Valpo Velvet Shoppe is located at 55 Monroe Street in downtown Valparaiso Indiana near the Von Tobels Hardware store.
It is organizations like Merry Meals and the willingness of the people who live in Northwest Indiana to help, to share and to get involved locally that makes the Duneland communities of Chesterton, Valparaiso and Portage Indiana such a great place to live. If you want to get more involved in your community, just ask me how.
Porter County Indiana
Re-Branding Efforts in Porter County Indiana
Re-Branding Efforts in Porter Indiana
Over the past 18 months the Porter County Convention, Recreation, and Visitor Commission has been working with the individual towns within Porter County to brand themselves in order to attract the more than 3 million visitors to the Indiana Dunes.
Promoting the historic areas and variety of restaurants, shopping, and recreational activities throughout Porter County, they are hoping to keep tourists in the area for more than a one day trip.
Anyone who has been through the Duneland area knows there are plenty of hidden attractions to be seen. Minutes away from the Indiana Dunes you will find parks, shopping, restaurants as well as hiking trails and a bicycle trail. Not only are there a number of things to do, there are plenty of historic sites and houses throughout Porter and Chesterton Indiana to be seen.
The town of Porter, Indiana recently announced that the Town Council voted in their new branding image as being “Front Porch to the Dunes.” To introduce the branding, Duneland Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Heather Ennis added an Adirondack chair in front of the Porter Town Hall.
With this being advertised on the Internet, in pamphlets at Visitors Centers and the Indiana Dunes, tourists may head into the Town of Porter to see what it has to offer. They can drive by the historic downtown area right into Hawthorne Park to enjoy the scenery and grab a bite to eat.
Each town within Porter County will be creating their own branding so that the Porter County Convention, Recreation, and Visitor Commission can market each individually as well as a group to attract even more tourists to our already popular area!
Contact me if you want to learn more about any of the many communities Porter County Indiana has to offer.
Porter County Indiana
Favorite Restaurants in Porter County for Breakfast
September 14, 2010 by Steve Cardwell · 2 Comments
When you just have to get some tasty flapjacks, waffles, or that special omelet creation, where do you go in Porter County Indiana for breakfast?
Share your appreciation for the early-rising staff of these Porter County Indiana cafes, coffee shops and restaurants for their dedication to the breakfast and brunch clientele.
Favorite Restaurants in Chesterton Indiana for Breakfast:
- Northside Diner, 100 N Calumet Rd
- Peggy Sue’s Diner, 117 S Calumet Rd
- Red Cup Cafe & Deli, 115 Broadway
- Round the Clock, 1607 S Calumet Rd
- Third Coast Spice Cafe, 761 Indian Boundary Rd
Favorite Restaurants in Portage Indiana for Breakfast:
- Denny’s Restuarant, 6171 Melton Rd
- Egg on Your Face, 6295 Ameriplex Dr
- Pantheon Restaurant, 5900 US Hwy 6
- Rosewood Family Restaurant, 2606 Portage Mall
- Tate’s Place, 3051 Willowcreek Rd
Favorite Restaurants in Valparaiso Indiana for Breakfast:
- Blackbird Cafe, 114 Lincolnway
- Bob Evans Restaurant, 2201 E Morthland Dr
- Broadway Cafe, 1805 Morthland Dr
- Cornucopia Coffee, 210 E Lincolnway
- Main Street Cafe, 657 Washington St
- Rosewood Family Restaurant, 367 W US Hwy 6
- Round the Clock, 217 Lincolnway
- Suzies Cafe, 1050 Southpoint Cir
- Uptown Coffee, Tea and Soda, 1400 Lincolnway
To these sunrise superstars, we salute you, one and all! And of course, YOU are invited to share any hidden gems that were overlooked from our Favorite Restaurants in Porter County for Breakfast.
Porter County Indiana
Porter County Indiana – Home to 54 Nature Trails And More
August 28, 2010 by Steve Cardwell · Leave a Comment
Get ready to trek the wilds of Porter County Indiana. Finally in one location, there is a booklet of all the best nature trails and points of interest for the amateur nature lover in your family. And with 54 nature trails to choose from, you can visit one a week for an entire year before visiting the same place twice.
In case you missed it Chesterton Indiana’s old Porter County Convention Recreation and Tourism Bureau has been renamed and re-branded. The new name is now Indiana Dunes Tourism, reflecting the emphasis on the lakeshore, the State and National Parks, and a new appreciation for the unique biodiversity, bird migration, nature habitats, and Lake Michigan. Eco-tourism comes to Northwest Indiana.
Indiana Dunes Tourism even hired noted nature photographer Ted Eubanks to assist them in producing some high quality campaigns and support materials. And one of the results is a 44 page booklet called “Beyond The Beach: Discovery Trail Guide” where you can locate and plan your weekend excursions across the rural vistas of Porter County Indiana.
The free booklet is organized into three topographical categories: Dunes, for the lakefront and oak forests; Moraine, referring to the highlands around Valparaiso Indiana where the ancient glaciers came to rest; and finally the Kankakee Region for the rich agricultural and wetlands in the Southern portion of the county around the Kankakee and Yellow river basins.
There are activities for bicyclists, bird-watchers, kayakers, hikers, railroad and history buff’s, just to name a few. If you don’t make it to every physical location in Porter County the booklet also offers plenty of tantalizing photos to bring you back again. You can obtain a free copy of “Beyond The Beach: Discovery Trail Guide” at the Dorothy Buell Memorial Visitor Center in Chesterton Indiana. There is an extensive collection of tourism brochures from across the region, as well as a gift shop and bookstore with an assortment of memorabilia and nature guides.
Come enjoy one of 54 nature trails throughout Porter County Indiana and learn why so many nature lovers have come to call Porter County Indiana home. When Mother Nature calls you to come home to Porter County Indiana, call upon me to help you unearth your dream home in Porter County Indiana.
