Summer getaways: some short trips within Indiana.

• Author: McKimmie, Kathy
• Position: TOURISM

WITH GAS HOVERING around two bucks a gallon, some creative trip planning is in order this summer. Rediscovering the attractions nearer to home is one strategy, another is hopping on the state's tourism Web site (www.enjoyindiana.com) to electronically clip some cost-saving coupons to make up for the petrol squeeze. That same site can hook you up with package deals on hotels and attractions throughout the state. One thing is certain, Indiana has a lot to offer to its residents and out-of-state visitors, from state parks to museums to unusual annual festivals that get bigger and better every year.

Indiana's North Coast. Who says we're not on the coast? "Indiana's North Coast" on Lake Michigan offers the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, which touches three Northwest Indiana counties--Lake, Porter and LaPorte--in its 25-mile run from Michigan City to Gary, with its visitor starting point at Beverly Shores. Its 15,000 acres include nearly 2,200 that make up Indiana Dunes State Park, managed by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. The state park headquarters are at Chesterton, from which you'll be directed to nine miles of hiking trails, three miles of shoreline and 140 recently updated campsites. Online reservations for all state campsites can be made at camp.IN.gov or by calling 866/622-6746.

No need to head West for high-adventure kayaking or rafting--the East Race Waterway in South Bend is a world-class whitewater adventure for beginners and the advanced. Opened in 1984, the waterway is the first artificial whitewater course in North America and one of only six in the world. It brings Olympic winners and national champions every season and hosts national slalom races. Recreational kayakers and canoers are also welcome on weekends from mid-June through August. For more information, call 574/233-6121.

Indy museums. This year, your trip to Indianapolis must include museum hopping. After a major renovation and expansion, which required it to be closed for several months, the Indianapolis Museum of Art is reopened and ready to wow you. Take a picnic lunch and wander its spacious grounds to discover outdoor sculptures before touring the new galleries and expanded gift shop. Or, you could dine in the new restaurant and cafe operated by the world-renowned Wolfgang Puck. Through July 31, bring the kids to see "Amorphic Robot Works: The Feisty Children," a collection of 10 robotic "children" that lurch and gyrate, built by artists and...