Whihala Beach, Whiting Indiana
Just over the Indiana border is a beach with high dune grass, wooden decks and benches, a walkway out onto the lake, small mounds of sand you can almost call dunes and parking for ten bucks a day. Sure, there is also a view of a ComEd plant to the west and steel mills to the east, but if you are looking for a beach alternative that does not have the city crowds and fees and don’t want to drive far, Whiting’s Whihala Beach may be the answer. In the past, Whiting was a blue-collar shot-and-beer town known for steel mills, oil refineries and so many chemicals in the air that residents were hesitant to smoke outside for fear the sky could combust. Today it has become a haven for many Chicagoans and artists looking for cheap housing to escape Chicago’s taxes. If it is not beach season, it contains such draws as The Whiting Winery and the Hoosier Theatre, built in 1924.
Best of Chicago 2016
