Reviews

". . . [T]his northwest section of Indiana is a treasure trove of cultural and scenic beauty that is worthy of a dedicated road trip to the area. . . . [T]he real meat of the book is in the detail [Skertic] presents about the primary towns and cities in each of the three counties. . . . Throughout the book, [he] weaves in fascinating historical detail. . . . It really is a fun and useful guide, and I heartily recommend it the next time your road trips include travel to the southern end of Lake Michigan."

—Mark Sedenquist, Road Trip America, July 10, 2005

"Being a native myself, I thought I had exhausted all the area has to offer . . . [b]ut with this new book the opportunities have expanded. . . . The question is: are you willing to give Northwest Indiana a try? . . . There are pleasant surprises waiting in Valparaiso, Michigan City, East Chicago, La Porte, and even Gary."

—Gary Hammond, Inside, "Guide to Indiana makes everyone an expert on The Region,"

October 1–7, 2003

"[Mark Skertic's] love for and knowledge of his home turf, combined with his amiable enthusiasm for describing appealing local nooks and crannies, deserve his state's thanks for his one-man tourism campaign. In A Native's Guide to Northwest Indiana, Skertic dispels common myths and ladles up a tasty stew of diverse Indiana attractions."

—Jean Kozlowski, Cricket in the Corner, June 22, 2004

"Mark Skertic is on a mission to give the Region the respect it deserves in A Native's Guide to Northwest Indiana. . . . [T]he guidebook gives Hoosiers and newcomers a personal tour of everything from fishing to festivals, baseball to breweries, and much else in between. . . ."

—Erin Decker, Lake Magazine, "A native's eyeview of Northwest Indiana," Spring 2004

"Mark Skertic bets you don't know that inventor Thomas Edison designed a series of rowhouses in Gary for U.S. Steel workers. The first pre-fab houses of the 20th century, they still exist on Polk Street between Fourth and Fifth streets. That's the kind of little-known fact that Chicago Tribune reporter Skertic, a native of East Chicago, sprinkles throughout A Native's Guide to Northwest Indiana."

—David Mannweiler, The Indianapolis Star, "That Hoosier touch," November 2, 2003

". . . [A]n engaging guide to historic landmarks, ethnic cuisine and small-town attractions from the Hoosier Bat Co. to the Popcorn fest. Yes, nearby Second City has its charms, but so do the three counties—LaPorte, Lake and Porter—along the southern tip of Lake Michigan, Skertic said. . . . Even locals 'don't realize there's a lot of neat things here . . .' The second-generation region rat knows his turf."

—Molly Woulfe, The Times, "Sweet home Northwest Indiana," November 2, 2003

"Architecture, history, museums, exceptional dining, outdoor sports, entertainment, festivals—Northwest Indiana has it all. Most of us 'natives' are familiar with our own local attractions, but are unaware that there are a lot of interesting destinations in Indiana along the southern tip of Lake Michigan. . . ."

—Alexandra Newman, Chesterton Tribune, "A Native's Guide to Northwest Indiana

proves there's lots to see and do around the area," October 23, 2003

"For visitors and residents who like to explore, Mark Skertic's book, A Native's Guide to Northwest Indiana, is blazing a new trail. . . . Page by page, Skertic invites readers to visit sites of historical significance, while urging them to take a look at the old neighborhood from a new perspective—from a tiny, historic railroad depot in Beverly Shores still serving South Shore commuters, to the Scarecrow Festival in Wanatah."

—Alyce Jarman, Post-Tribune, "Book offers guide to attractions in NW Indiana," October 17, 2003

Also in Print

Chicago Sun-Times, Weekend Plus, "Casino News & Notes," November 28, 2003
Daily Southtown, TGIF!, December 1, 2003
Post-Tribune, The Skinny, November 28, 2003
The Times, Bookmarks, November 30, 2003
The Star, Casinolook, November 27, 2003

Reader Reviews from Amazon.com

Damn! Good news about northwest Indiana. (5 of 5 stars)
"If you live in 'the Region' you need to have this book. Because people in the Region are always putting down the area, and talking bad about the place and saying how they want to move to Chicago or Denver or someplace else. Well—this book tells you that there is some stuff to be proud of in northwest Indiana. I know some stuff he left out, but he's got some stuff in there I never heard of."

—November 22, 2003

The definitive guide to Northwest Indiana! (5 of 5 stars)
"I was born in Hammond IN, and grew up living in many cities in 'The Region.' I thought I knew the area! Even this born and raised Hoosier learned of new places to go and things to do upon reading this book. I even learned a lot of the local history that I had never known about. I was pleased to see many of my favorite restaurants and haunts mentioned, but now I have countless new places to check out next time I visit as well. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is visiting Northwest Indiana and to those who currently live there. Trust me, you'll have more than one 'Right in my own backyard? I had no idea!' moment while reading this book."

—November 21, 2003

Terrific Intro to North West Indiana. (4 of 5 stars)
"FINALLY! A book that actually points out some of the many good things about an overlooked corner of Indiana. My only complaint is I can think of some good restaurants that aren't mentioned in this book. But he does cover many very good ones. The guide to the Lakeshore appears very comprehensive. And I especially enjoyed the histories of each community. A great job! I'm buying an extra copy to send to my brother in Chicago so he can't say there's never a good reason to visit."

—October 7, 2003