Dune Dad
By: Dustin Ritchea | Communications and Creative Director for Indiana Dunes Tourism
My name is Dustin Ritchea. I am a 35-year-old first-time father and lifelong resident of Porter County. I was born in Porter Memorial Hospital, graduated from Chesterton High School in 2009, and have lived in Porter for the better part of three decades. In my spare time, I play Dungeons and Dragons for Roll Seekers (a professional livestream with 65,000 followers) and play music in a band with my father (the DR’s of Rock).
Which brings me to my full-time career: I am the Communications and Creative Director for Indiana Dunes Tourism. We are the official destination marketing organization for the Indiana Dunes area, also known to locals as Porter County. It is here where I had the privilege of meeting Dr. Mary Jane Eisenhauer and Kasandra Tenbarge of First Things First. Our organizations collaborated to incorporate excerpts and information on early child development into our 2025 Kids Guide, which can be found here: https://www.flipsnack.com/indianadunes/2025-kids-guide.
If you’re not familiar with the Kids Guide, this fun booklet helps families discover places hand-chosen by the Indiana Dunes Discovery Kids: cartoon expert guides for the Indiana Dunes area. Each Discovery Kid represents a different aspect of exploration in the Indiana Dunes. In addition to showcasing unique must-see and do's, each character also has their own unique challenge, along with a few fun activities.
I’m fortunate to work in the tourism industry. We paint in positivity. I get to see how a visitor sees this place—usually in wonderment. And not only do I get to see it, I get to promote it. I could spend this entire blog telling you all the amazing things our area has to offer. If you’re looking for specifics, I invite you to visit IndianaDunes.com or pick up an Adventure Guide. If you want to feel community spirit, though, I invite you to visit our award-winning community pages: https://www.indianadunes.com/explore-the-dunes/communities/.
But what about being a dad here? What’s that like? To answer it simply, it’s what I make of it. There’s always something to do if I’m willing to look for it. I'm very grateful to have the Indiana Dunes National and State Parks in my backyard.
A few weeks ago, I took my son out on an “Adventure.” I called it that. In fact, I asked him if he wanted to go on an adventure, and he jumped off the couch, running for his shoes. “Yes, Dad,” he said, “I go on adventure with you.”
I took my son to Mount Baldy near Michigan City-it was his first time there. When we reached the beach, I showed him the old NIPSCO plant, Lake Michigan, and a small sand castle. He was thrilled. Ewan asked me question after question before we both sat down on a sandy cliff and ate fruit snacks and Goldfish crackers. Sitting there on the beach with the wind blowing over the dunes and the sound of crashing water in the distance, thinking to myself, “This is pretty cool.”
I guess what I’m trying to say is that I don’t have to travel across the world to show my son amazing things. They exist right here. Heck, they exist in my son’s imagination if I’m willing to play with him. At the end of the day, it’s about spending time with him. It’s about realizing what’s really important. It’s him. He’s important.
If you get nothing else out of this blog, I hope you go out and explore this place we call home. You might be surprised by what you find—“Go on adventure.”