A photo column covering Miller Beach, the neighborhood that is the first stop on the trail of the recently-named national park, the Indiana Dunes.
Miller Beach, resting on the southernmost tip of Lake Michigan, is a neighborhood of Gary, Indiana that acts as its own unincorporated city. The community of 98 years prides itself on its art, dining, and entertainment. Since the Indiana Dunes and the Indiana National Lakeshore was recently named a national park, Miller has become the first stop on the trail. Miller is what embodies what it’s like to have a “life by lakeshore”.
St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church first opened in 1929. Four years ago, the church faced closing, until Bishop Melczek began practicing. He has since helped eliminate debt and spike attendance. St. Mary’s is on Miller Avenue in Gary, Indiana, and holds mass for the Miller community every morning as early as 7 a.m.
Joyce Davis has owned her Lake Street gallery for 27 years as of March 2020. Working on the lake, she recapped her childhood and always having the water as part of it, making Miller an ideal location. “When I moved here to be with my ex-husband, I tried to leave, and I just couldn’t. As a child, I lived near the lake in Chicago. Being by the water is addicting,” Davis said.
Vibrations is a local well-being space that offers all-natural food, juices, and smoothies, as well as gifts and earthly items. Kyle Davis, son of the owner, cuts the never-frozen fruit and vegetables himself, fresh, before squeezing or blending them without ice or added flavorings. Vibrations offers a new patio for the summer months and yoga classes on their upper level.
Kyle Davis, co-owner of Vibrations in Miller Beach, continues the work of his grandfather with his mother. The two of them “carry on the tradition” of always-fresh food and beverages along with gifts and items that all seem good for the soul. “First, it was really slow. We upgraded to more food, and business has picked up. We see more people because of the national park and the bikers,” Davis said.
Indie Indie Bang! Bang! is a multi-store business with locations in both Miller Beach in Gary, as well as Valparaiso, Indiana. “It’s a lot of pretty things that make people happy. When you give someone a gift, it’s a nice gesture,” owner Dan Trutter said.
Dan Trutter, owner of Indie Indie Bang! Bang!, has had the store in Miller in the space it’s in for 6 years. He himself is a resident of Miller, and explained how being so close to Chicago, places like Miller make for a day trip some people are after. Trutter also attributed some of the success of his shop to Miller being the first stop on the trail for the national park.
Steve Rossi, park ranger for the Indiana National Lakeshore, was an electrical engineer for 12 years before finding his happy place in the Indiana Dunes. With the area recently being named a National Park, Rossi has seen an “uptick of 20%” when it comes to visitors and national attention. Rossi’s favorite part of his job is interacting with the children that are eager to learn about the resource-rich area. “There’s a lightbulb. When you say something to a kid, you’ve just changed that kid’s life,” Rossi said.
