FinditLocal411 Blog
November 17th, 2009 at 11:17 am
Beachwalk Resorts is a new community in Michigan City, Indiana, just one hour from Chicago. It features a family atmosphere with cottages for rent or purchases of family vacation homes. The streets are lined with white picket fences and the kids can run and play safely.
The goal of Beachwalk is to remember the simpler times when children ran in the streets, rode their bikes, played hopscotch and enjoyed the sun. However, if this is not enough there are numerous amenities to keep your family and your children happy and busy all summer.
Beachwalk Amenities
- Fishing Pier
- Basket Ball Court: a full court with adjustable backboards. The Resort even offers an annual 3-on-3 Memorial Day tournament.
- Tennis Courts: not a pro yet, you can rent rackets and balls at the office
- Central Park: having a reunion or family get together, come to the park
- Putting Green
- Getaway Fountain Park: a natural shaded habitat for relaxation
- The Dunes: a natural sand habitat
- Waterfall Park: take a romantic walk
- Lake Kai Grasses: another park area that offers movies in the park during the summer
- Beach volleyball: play some volleyball on Lake Kai, free volleyball available at office
- Sandcastle Playground: for the kids
- Treehouse Café
Along with all these great things to do, you can swim in Lake Kai. The Lake is 5 miles from Michigan City to New Buffalo. The Lake offers swimming, kayaking, paddle boats and an alligator trampoline for the kids.
Don’t like swimming in the Lake, right next to it is a swimming pool. While the children are swimming, adults can enjoy the sand volleyball courts and the café, all within the same area.
Rental Properties
Looking for a vacation, this is the place to be. Choose exactly what you need: offering a two night rental, weekly rental or a monthly rental. Choose your size. You can bring the kids or you can bring the whole extended family.
Here is just one example of the cottages you can experience. The Sun Spot is a one bedroom, one bathroom guesthouse with full kitchen. It has a deck for grilling and enjoying the sun. It has an exquisite bathroom with heated floors, heated towel bars and tub. It is fully furnished with a grill, TV, VCR and an outside shower to wash off that sand after the day at the beach.
For the bigger families, rent Alice’s Wonderland that sleeps up to 10 people. This vacation home offers 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths, along with a golf cart to tour the Beachwalk area during your stay.
Events
Planning a wedding, bring the whole family. You can rent some cottages and rent The Clubhouse and have an entire weekend wedding event. The Beachwalk offers weddings on the sandy beach. The Clubhouse is used for the reception. They provide the space. You can provide outside catering, alcohol and a band of your choosing.
The Clubhouse can also be used for corporate meetings and events. They have all the amenities a business needs, including meeting rooms, internet access and catering.
If you find that you love the area, you can purchase your own home here. You can also purchase property and build your own home. There are numerous properties available all immersed within this beautiful community.
November 3rd, 2009 at 10:21 am
Harbor Country is the place to live if you enjoy the lake atmosphere. Harbor Country is located in the Southwestern part of Berrien County, Michigan. It includes the cities of Michiana, Grand Beach, New Buffalo, Union Pier, Lakeside, Harbert, Sawyer and Three Oaks. This area virtually covers 15 miles along Lake Michigan.
There are many things to do in Harbor Country from the Lake Michigan beaches, both public and private, to wine tours, to the Four Winds Casino. This area is perfect for a romantic trip or a family vacation.
Places to Stay:
There are a wide range of accommodations offered to include area bed and breakfasts, hotels, resorts and rental cottages. Here are just some of the options:
- Bluefish Vacation Rentals: With a wide variety of homes for rental, to fit all types of budgets. You can look for a one-bedroom cottage or up to 2- to 5-bedroom properties.
- Grand Beach Motel: is a family-owned-and-operated motel. It may only have 14 comfortable motel rooms, but it also has authentic log cabins to enjoy that outdoor atmosphere.
- Treasure House Bed and Breakfast: A small Victorian home that has been divided into a bed and breakfast. It is located in downtown Three Oaks, which is full of other activities, such as restaurants, galleries, local shops and markets.
- Four Winds Casino Resort: a hotel within the Casino, you can have a luxury room, suite or celebrity suite. For example, the Celebrity Suite offers a 60 inch high definition television with surround sound, private waterfalls in your room and a master bathroom with a luxury, soaking tub with spa luxury items, such as bath salts.
Things to Do:
Wineries:
Harbor Country is known for its wineries. In fact, it has a ‘wine trail.’ It has been noted that with the Lake Michigan climate and terrain, wine production is quite successful in this area. Some of the wineries in the area are:
If you are a wine aficionado, you can get a map and travel along the wine trail to over 20 wineries. This trail is even lined with Michigan Lake Shore Wine Trail signs to guide the way.
Beaches:
And a visit to Lake Michigan would not be complete without the beach. You can enjoy just about any type of water adventure you want. There are three main beaches:
- New Buffalo City Beach
- Road End Beaches
- Warren Dunes State Park
New Buffalo City is the best beach for swimming and sand dunes. There are showers and bathrooms and a snack bar.
Warren Dunes State Park has it all from swimming in the summer to cross-country skiing in the winter. It has 3 miles of shoreline and 6 miles of trials for walking, hiking and skiing.
Road End Beaches are used by walkers or bikers to visit the beach. There are no lifeguards or facilities. There is a bicycle path available and street access to the beaches.
If you are a lake person, Harbor Country may be the place for you to visit, vacation or even live.
October 22nd, 2009 at 8:23 am
The South Bend Chocolate Company was founded in 1991 and incorporated in August 1994. To date, they have 10 company owned stores in Northern Indiana and 10 franchises throughout Indiana and Michigan. As the name suggests, The South Bend Chocolate Factory is located in South Bend, Indiana. The store provides chocolates to stores, gift shops, gourmet food stores, coffee shops and gift basket companies throughout the United States.
Specialties
- Licensing: One of the company’s first delicacies was licensed chocolates for the University of Notre Dame. To date, they make licensed chocolates for Indiana University, Purdue and the University of Michigan.
- Company promotions: You can purchase their chocolate in specialized logo bags with your company logo on it. South Bend Chocolate Factory also prepares gift baskets for company events.
- Seasonal Items: Give your family a gift box of chocolates for Easter, Christmas or just to celebrate the changing of the seasons.
- Cherries: For cherry lovers, there are many varieties available at South Bend Chocolate, such as Michigan Cherries, Cherry Cordial Truffles and Cherry Blossoms.
- Crunches: If you like to mix your popcorn with your chocolate, this is the perfect mix. You can get caramel corn drizzled with chocolate, mixed with cherries or with chunks of peanut butter.
- Fudge and Nuts: Enjoy a mix of fudge or nuts. There are specialty flavors such as peanut butter fudge, pumpkin fudge and maple walnut fudge. You can also try mixed nuts and cashews.
- Creams: What is better than chocolate? Chocolate with cream in the middle in a number of flavors, lemon, chocolate, orange, coconut and raspberry creams.
- Sugar Free: Love the chocolate, but don’t want the calories or the sugar. South bend Chocolate offers some of their favorites in a sugar-free variety.
Giving the gift of Chocolate
There are many ways you can share South Bend Chocolate. Aside from buying an individual bag for yourself, you can buy gift bags, gold boxes, corporate gifts, chocolate by the pound and even wedding favors.
- Wedding favors: Have the individualized chocolate pieces wrapped in mini gift boxes to provide individually to your wedding guests.
- Chocolates by the Pound: For party, buy a pound of chocolate to serve to your guests. A large variety of flavors are offered. Gift Baskets: A perfect gift for a friend in need of some cheer. You can purchase a small to large gift basket with a variety of chocolates.
- Moving away from the chocolates the South Bend Chocolate Company makes a variety of coffees and condiments. Enjoy specialty coffees, some choices are: Winterblend, Pumpkin Spice, Chocolate Cherry, Amaretto and Irish Cream. As for condiments, there are a variety of dressings and side items, including:
- Raspberry Walnut Dressing
- Sesame Soy Ginger
- Garlic Stuffed Olives
- Jalapeno Stuffed Olives
- Spicy Honey
- Sweet Balsamic
For anyone who loves chocolate, The South Bend Chocolate Company is the place to go. It is essentially Michiana’s chocolate maker.
October 15th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
The Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City, Indiana is the place to be for resting and relaxation. Spa Blu is a new 10,000 square foot spa, salon and fitness center. The spa features nine treatment rooms, individual lounges, steam rooms, whirlpools and water walls complete with all the treatments you could ever need.
Customizable Health and Beauty Regiment
At Spa Blue, you can control your and design your own routine.
- Relax: For the ultimate in relaxation, you can enjoy the whirlpool, hot stones and steam rooms.
- Massages: You can have a relaxing massage, complete with hot or cold stones to relieve muscle tightness. There are many kinds of massages targeting an area or with various techniques.
- Get pampered at the Salon:
- Hair: For your beauty pampering, there is a men’s and women’s salon offering haircuts, styling, coloring or highlights.
- Facials: For your face, there are numerous types of facials, including age defying, deep cleansing, an enzyme facial and a special gentleman’s facial.
- Make-Up: Have make-up applied if you are going out for a night on the town or you can receive a make-up lesson if you are looking to update your style.
- Wax: Receive a wax for your legs, eyebrows or bikini line.
- Manicure or Pedicure: Comes complete with treatments and polishing.
- Getting Married: The spa offers a private makeover room that can be used for big groups. Your entire wedding party can be pampered, have their hair styled and their nails done in preparation for the big day.
Fitness Center
Can’t bear to stop your fitness routine, you don’t have to. The fitness center at the Blue Chip is state of the art with:
- Weight training stations
- Treadmills
- Stationary bikes
- Elliptical machines
The fitness center is in the second floor of the spa with glass walls that offer natural light and have a great view of the grounds surrounding the casino.
Additional Packages
A spa wouldn’t be complete without a variety of packages that you can purchase. While expensive, they are comprehensive and can cap off your trip with some relaxation and rejuvenation.
My favorite is the Something Borrowed, Something Blue Package. This includes two and a half hours of wedding pampering. You will receive a formal hairstyle, make-up application and a bridal pedicure.
The other spa packages range from 6 hours with all of the amenities to 2.5 hours with various other great treatments. Each package has a specific focus. For example, you can experience the Blu Moon, a 6 hour treat. The Blu Moon includes a signature facial, signature blu massage, deluxe manicure and pedicure, hair wash and hairstyle, make-up application and a selection of your choice. There is also a special for the man in your life called His Time. This package is 2.5 hours and includes a 25 minute sugar and salt scrub, a signature blu facial and a 50 minute Signature Blu massage.
Along with these packages, the Blue Chip Casino Hotel offers a package that includes an overnight stay and a choice of two 50 minute spa services. What a great break from your busy life!
October 13th, 2009 at 10:49 am
Michiana has become a golf haven for enthusiasts around the world. And now there’s a whole website dedicated to golfing in the Michiana area. Visit Michiana Golf. This website contains everything you need to know about golfing in the area, including the courses, golf tips, special golf downloads and even golf jokes.
The website features up to date golf news and even a golf course pick of the day with recommendations and details for this specific course. MichianaGolf.com even offers a Golf Michiana Coupon Book, which has specials and discounts for the local courses. There are 44 golf courses offering special deals within this book and it can only be ordered through the website.
Let’s review a private and public golf course named on the Michiana Golf Website.
Private Golf Course – Michigan City
Pottawattomie Country Club is a private golf course, located in Michigan City, Indiana. It has an 18 hole course with a 72 par. The country club itself has the following features:
- 18 hole golf course
- Swimming pool with lifeguard and snack bar
- Clubhouse providing all meals, including weekend brunch
- Banquet facilities
- Pro shop
The Pro Shop is managed by PGA Golf Professional Mike Nygren. He has been a member of PGA of America since 1993. Nygren provides the club with professional golf lessons, along with running the shop. The pro shop provides the top brands in golf equipment and clothing for men and women.
The Club has ongoing golf leagues and tournaments throughout the season. There are leagues for men, women and juniors. To use the golf course, you must become a member of the club. There are various classes of membership, so you can join as a family, an individual or a senior.
Public Golf Course – Michigan City
For public golfing, try the Michigan City Municipal Golf Course. For being a public course, it is certainly not lacking. This course has two courses, the north and the south, along with a practice green, an additional golf practice area, a fully-stocked pro shop, and trained golf professionals.
Both courses are in a beautiful wooded area. The North Course is 3,531 total yards with a par of 60. It has a mixture of par 3 and par 4 holes. This is a great course for a beginner. The South Course, on the other hand, is a little bit more challenging. It also is 18 holes, but with a 72 par and a total of 6,169 yards.
Some other things to enjoy at the course:
- Take lessons: Lessons are provided in 1 hour increments and can be given 7 days a week, prior registration is required.
- Sign your children up for Junior Camp: An instructional camp is offered for ages 8 to 17, where the kids will learn the basics of golf, including putting, chipping, driving and sand play.
- Join a club: There are men’s and women’s leagues which play on a weekly basis.
The golf course also provides various tournaments and can be used for scheduling company outings.
If you are looking for golf, public or private, Michigan City is the place to be.
October 9th, 2009 at 10:03 am
The Casino environment isn’t just for gambling. The lights, fun, entertainment and great food of Vegas is available right in your backyard.
Four Winds Casino is located in the heart of Michiana, just 30 miles northwest of South Bend and 70 miles south of Kalamazoo.
If you are looking for live entertainment and great drinks, this is the place to be. There are three bars and a restaurant within the casino. Like Vegas style, the bars are opened 24 hours a day, although alcohol is only served until 2 a.m.
The Bar Atmosphere
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- The Stage Bar has live entertainment nightly Tuesdays through Saturdays. You can enjoy a different band weekly.
- The Martini Bar, you can shake and stir your drinks with specialized vodka drinks, special cocktails and of course, all sorts of martinis.
- The Sports Bar obviously is the best place for sports. This bar is located on the casino floor and has big screens to watch all the sporting events.
The Food
The Dining experience is world-class at Four-Winds. Check out some of the offerings below.
Copper Rock Steakhouse: Before visiting the bars, you can enjoy a steak or lobster at the Copper Rock Steakhouse, but don’t forget your appetite. The steakhouse has any variety of steak you would like, including a fillet, Delmonico, strip steak or prime rib.Are you in the mood for seafood or steak? Get a full surf and turf meal with a 7 ounce fillet and an 8 ounce lobster tail or you can choose prawns or crab legs. If you are celebrating a wedding anniversary, this place would be perfect, as they have meals to share, so order up a 42 ounce porterhouse steak to share with your sweetheart.
And, don’t forget the wine! The Copper Rock Steakhouse has over 450 different types of wine, likely something to please all.
The Buffet: a variety of food for brunch, lunch and dinner. The buffet has hand carved meats and a seafood specific buffet on Friday and Saturday nights and of course a dessert station.
The Willowbrook Café: you can have a more casual meal, but of course still with high quality food. The café offers a wide menu, including a late night menu of appetizers and burgers. The Café is open until 3 a.m., so you can stop there after enjoying one of the bands at the Stage Bar.
Timbers Fast Food Deli and the Grab and Go: a variety of sandwiches and snacks; Timbers is open daily with hours until early morning, while Grab and Go closes at midnight (on weekends).
As the casino caters to a mostly adult atmosphere, you must be at least 21 years of age to eat at the Willowbrook Café, the Copper Rock Steakhouse and the Timbers.
Even if gambling isn’t on your schedule, the food alone is worth the trip to the Four Winds Casino.
September 23rd, 2009 at 7:57 am
 Good golfing begins (naturally) with the swing. Michiana offers the perfect courses on which to find that perfect swing, practicing some easy tips we have listed below. There are more than 800 courses to choose from in Michigan alone. All you have to do is pick a nice day and head out to the nearest course.
Here are some ways to work on your swing when you get there.
- Warm up, like you would with any other strenuous workout.
Stretching will allow for maximized use of your muscles. Your swing uses many muscles throughout the body, beginning with the tip off and continuing until the follow through. And don’t forget about all the walking! Stretching will help loosen your muscles in preparation for the exercise, while protecting them from premature overexertion.
- Obtain a proper grip on your club.
You should have a firm grip in which your hands are relaxed comfortably on the club. This grip is the key to beginning your swing perfection. Visit the course’s pro shop like the one found at New Buffalo, Michigan’s Whittaker Woods Golf Course to get hands on instruction.
- Practice makes perfect.
Rather than spending a day at the course, why not head over to the driving range to practice your swing for a few hours? If you are headed to the course, start with practice swings or a few minutes on the range. If needed, visit one of the area’s premier driving ranges to practice your swing without worrying about hazards or hitting another golfer.
- Make your tee off consistent and strong.
You should control your swing before trying to add an extra push to obtain more yards. Once you are able to control your swing, you can increase your intensity.Keep your swinging arm and the club in line. Do not bend your wrist during the swing.
- Ask for help.
Many golf courses employ a golf professional or golf instructor. You can participate in lessons, which can possibly be tailored just to learning a better golf swing. Both public and private courses in Indiana and Michigan have resources to help you perfect your swing. They can provide you with the services of a golf pro—a person who teaches amateur golfers the ropes (or swings) on a golf course. For information on places to tee off in the Michiana area, visit Michiana Golf. It offers both a complete list golf courses in Michiana and links to their web pages. The site also offers special discounts for those golfing on a budget these days.
September 14th, 2009 at 10:58 am
You protect the important things in your life. A house-security system for your family, a doctor for your body, and so on. But how do you protect your car? It can also be very expensive to maintain and care for, but if you find the right auto-mechanic, the price can be worthwhile.
So how do you choose a mechanic?
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Referral
In most situations, asking around and finding someone through word of mouth is your best bet. You should ask about quality, price and possibly turnaround.
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Communication.
A mechanic should be able to explain to you what is wrong with your car in everyday language, so that you understand. If you are not a car expert, you might not know what is wrong; you must be able to rely on that person to take care of the problems. Question suspicious diagnosis before accepting a quote.
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Certifications.
Many people understand a car engine and can fix a car without any certifications. However, there are extensive trainings that can keep their knowledge up to date. As you may be aware, technology and cars are constantly changing, these trainings keep the mechanic current with the best techniques. Additionally, in getting this extra training, it shows that the mechanic values the job, the cars and their quality.
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Fees.
A good mechanic will not look for the most expensive repair procedures. Instead, he would understand that although your car is important to you, it might not be feasible to put $3,000 dollars worth of work into it. The cost of fixing the vehicle should be weighed against the benefit. You will not want to put $3,000 of work into a car that is not worth that much.
Maybe you want to bring your car into the dealership. Here are some things to consider before heading back to the dealership’s mechanic.
- Dealerships, like Sauer Automotive in Indiana’s LaPorte County, often times have more knowledge about your certain type of vehicle, whether it is a Ford or a BMW. They sell and service those cars daily, so they are very familiar with their makeup.
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A dealership may have more advanced equipment that a local mechanic cannot provide. This may not necessarily a benefit, unless it is something tailored to your car model.
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A dealership will have extra knowledge about any recalls or factory problems with your vehicle.
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A dealership may offer a rental car or shuttle service that a small mechanic cannot provide.
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An independent mechanic may be substantially cheaper. The mechanics have to market for their business much more than a dealership, so they often offer more competitive pricing.
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As for labor charges, a mechanic may consider the actual time spent working on your vehicle and not the standard industry charge. For example, the dealership might say a repair takes 5 hours and will charge you for that time, even if it takes much less.
The best advice is to shop around. Look at the shop, meet the mechanic, and consider the prices and quality you are getting. This car moves you and your life so make sure to choose wisely.
September 9th, 2009 at 10:22 am
Summer is almost over, but if you’re planning on enjoying the fall weekends with your family or friends, consider the joys of staying at home. Many Michiana residents are steering the mini-van away from the highway and choosing to enjoy local alternatives instead. Luckily, we live in an area that is full of things to do requiring little gas and less travel expense than the usual vacation.
Casinos offer 3-in-1 Vacations at a Fraction of the Cost
Cruise vacations offer dancing, great food, spas, relaxation and even occasional gambling. Well, there are places right here in Indiana and Michigan that offer the same services but at one tenth of the cost.
Both the Four Winds Casino and the Blue Chips Casino are chock full of activities. They offer spas, fine dining, night clubs, luxury suites and yes, the good old games of chance. For many Michiana residents, these amenities are a stone’s throw away, but for those as far away as South Bend, Indiana; the trip is less than an hour.
Auto Dealers can give you a Luxury Ride into the Michiana Countryside
For less than $100 (before deposit) you can live it up for a day by renting a luxury car. Take it for a spin out in the countryside. See some of Michiana’s great sights. For the price of the rental and a tank of gas, you can turn a casual Sunday drive into a luxury cruise on Indiana and Michigan’s scenic highways.
Try out a convertible on Lakeshore Drive that run through Porter and LaPorte counties in Indiana. The sights of beautiful Lake Michigan on one side are matched by the picturesque Indiana Dunes National Park on the other. You might even be lucky enough to spot a deer crossing. Oh, and make sure to leave a little room for cyclists.
Tee on Local Fairways for Relaxation and Sport
Pebble Beach and the fairways on the tropical Hawaiian Isles would make an ideal vacation. However, they come with less than ideal price tags. Fortunately, there are many beautiful courses in our area that offer you a very relaxing golf game that doesn’t break the bank.
Five of Michiana’s golf courses received high ratings by Golf Digest Magazine. The beauty and quality of these courses was found to be excellent. However, very few residents know of their local resources like the many golf courses in the area. Today’s economic conditions warrant a visit to the local rather than Augusta.
Take a Walk through Local History this Year
Many residents in years past have opted for a historical vacation to Colonial Williamsburg or Washington DC, when our area has a rich history of its own. There are a number of local museums for all ages. The admission is usually a couple of dollars for a few hours of entertainment. Look at the local community calendars, such as the one provided by WSBT TV for details on festivals as some museums put on skits, carnivals and more to commemorate special occasions.
Take a Hike…through Michiana
Last is the cheapest of all activities, hiking. Southern Michigan and Northern Indiana are filled with natural pathways and trails. Most are free to the public, but even those that charge cost only a few dollars. The many gardens, National Parks, sand dunes and forests offer the family an invigorating activity without draining the bank account.
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Beginning in the 1997 season, the stadium underwent improvements, modifications and growth. Currently, there is a seating capacity of 80,795 people, the 15th biggest in nationally. The majority of the ticket holders are season tickets (about 20,000) and alumni (more than 30,000). And as a tribute to how much fun the games are, over 10,000 students attend the games every week.
