Iguaçu Falls National Park {Brazil}

Iguaçu Falls, spanning the border between Brazil and Argentina, is one of the largest and most spectacular waterfalls in the world. With a height of 260ft, it is significantly taller than Niagara Falls (167ft) and four times as wide! While Jog Falls in India (830ft) and Kaieteur Falls in Guyana (741ft) are much taller, Iguazu is famous for having roughly 275 individual flows spanning 1.7 miles! Both Brazil and Argentina have a national park on their side of the Iguazu River. We were able to visit both sides. This post will be about the Brazil side. In Portuguese, waterfall is "cataratas", which is my most favorite portuguese word! Also notice in Brazil it's Iguaçu, and in Argentina, Iguazu. 

Upon arrival, you must board a bus that takes you into the park. They let us off here across from the SUPER fancy hotel ($500+/night). What a view!

Right away we spotted some South American Coatis! A member of the raccoon family whose tail is as long as its body. They are not shy and are obviously accustomed to cleaning up after messy tourists. 

The trail runs thru the forest along the edge, with great views nearly the whole time.

We're looking towards Argentina here. If you look really closely, you can see people walking a boardwalk over the top center fall. See the closer photo below. This gives a better perspective of just how massive these are.

We found quite a bit of wildlife along the trails. Below are a Western Collared Spiny Lizard and two 4ft long Argentine Black-and-white Tegus!

I spotted this gorgeous Green-headed Tanager in the trees along the trail.

The boat gives some perspective here.

Spotted another lifer, the Great Dusky Swift, which roost and nest along the waterfalls!

Found this Giant Cowbird while waiting for the bus to take us back to the parking area.

Indiana Dunes NP and a Twin Reunion

Indiana Dunes was designated a National Lakeshore in 1966, and became Indiana's only national park in 2019. Indiana State Park is right next door, and operates separately.

It has a number of dunes that stand up to 200ft tall. Take the Dune Challenge and take home a t-shirt to show your friends. 

The park has a wonderful mix of habitat from the lake, to the shore, marshes, woodlands and prairies. We did some birding on the Great Marsh Trail.

We hiked to the Bailly Homestead, the National Historical Landmark home of Joseph Bailly de Messein, a fur trader who established a trading post here and developed this region of Indiana. His trading post was the only stopping place between Chicago and Detroit.

Then hit the BEACH!  

Asher fished while Journey did gymnastics.

When Asher and Journey were tiny babies living in Las Vegas, we went to a picnic and met another family with twins just a couple months older than ours. Our families instantly became friends and the kids grew up together as best friends. We enjoyed regular play dates and sleep overs with Jett and Ava, until one day they moved away. A year later they moved back just as we were packing up for our big adventure. Well recently they moved to Indiana, so we visited them on our way thru the state. We enjoyed a lovely dinner at their home and had so much fun reconnecting the kids did not want to leave. They ended up sleeping over and we went back for dinner again the next night. We love our friends and are so happy to have spent more time together.

Michigan. 

We made a 15 minute stop just so Asher could catch a fish in Michigan.