Quirky brew pub and pretty parks beckon in Lake County, Ind.

Brew pubs and microbreweries tend to show up in odd places, such as rehabbed factories and warehouses. There is, after all, that gleaming copper brewing equipment to accommodate, and those barrels and kegs to store.

Three Floyds Brewing Company of Munster, Ind. -- barely a dart throw from its sprawling neighbor, Chicago -- operates one such brew pub. It has found a home in a gritty industrial park and, despite its off-the-beaten-track locale and diminutive size, it attracts a large following, thanks to the Internet (and a superior product).

With faux-heraldic banners festooned around its barroom and dining rooms, strange names for its brews and wildly colorful labels to match, there is something intriguingly dark about this brew pub -- think "Lord of the Rings" meets Marvel Comics.Look down its beer list and discover such brews as an American wheat beer called Gumballhead, a Bavarian-style wheat beer named Drunk Monk and a full-bodied Scottish-style ale known as Robert the Bruce. There's also Alpha King Pale Ale and Alpha Kong, a Belgian-style brew.Despite the fun trappings, Floyds is serious about the beer it produces. In stiff competitions, it frequently walks away with major awards and was ranked by the beer Web siteratebeer.com as the No. 2 best brewer in the world.Floyds hosts a popular, albeit quirky, event on the beer-lovers' calendar. On Dark Lord Day, it raises a marquee on the grounds, fires up the barbecue and books in a daylong lineup of bands. For the occasion, the brewery produces a batch of highly touted oak-aged Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout. Last year, it produced 600 cases (of a dozen 22-ounce bottles each); this year, 1,000 cases will be available. Such is the demand that the brewery establishes a six-bottle per person limit on this highly sought brew.This year's festivities, scheduled for 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. April 26, are expected to attract 2,500 fans. Different bands play about every hour and this year's lineup of performers includes Bible of the Devil, Wolf Bait, Rabid Rabbit (also the name of a beer) and the nationally known 26-member Mucca Pazza marching band.The menu is more creative that in past years, as -- along with barbecued ribs and brisket -- it introduces sausages that include Dark Lord stout as an ingredient. Dark Lord Day organizers also promise increased capacity and expanded parking this year and expect shorter lines.It's not surprising to discover that the Floyds, father and two sons, hail from England. President/head brewer Nick Floyd was born in Newcastle, a north-country city that is known for its brews. So it's not surprising there is a British flavor to the menu that includes not only fish and chips, but also Scotch eggs -- peeled boiled eggs encased in seasoned sausage meat and deep-fried.But the menu is eclectic and, as Nick Floyd likes to say about the brew pub's food, beer and colorful decor, is "not the norm." In fact, it is some distance removed from quintessential barroom fare. Thus, you'll find the likes of curried lamb, French bistro-style steak frites, pork chops with curry sauce, jerk chicken and brick-oven pizza. While hot chicken wings might represent "the norm" for pub grub, Floyds' menu offers fried green tomatoes served with wasabi aioli and a New Orleans-style muffuletta sandwich, stuffed with assorted meats and cheeses.Also in Munster is just-completed Centennial Park, with facilities that include live entertainment (check for upcoming bands). The amphitheater has tiered seating for up to 2,000, with a stage that sits on the edge of Maynard Lake. The park also offers fishing, walking paths and, to open later this year, a nine-hole golf course with driving range. Two formal gardens, landscaped with small ponds, provide floral settings that include roses, ornamental grasses, flowering shrubs, perennials and annual flowers.For another pleasant outdoor experience -- and a touch of history -- visit 1,200-acre Deep River County Park at Hobart, Ind., where nature trails run alongside the river. If your timing is right, you'll witness a pretty display of about 5,000 tulips in bloom beside a historic gristmill (late April to early May, but check first). It is a photogenic spot popular with wedding parties.Originally built in 1838 by John Wood as a wood-frame structure, the mill was rebuilt of brick in 1876 by his son John as a custom-flour mill. The mill was the first successful industry in Lake County. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and renovated in 1976.You can watch a miller grind cornmeal and buy a package of flour to take home. Also on sale is pure maple syrup made at the park during late winter.The park is open year-round; the buildings, which include a visitor center housed in the remains of a 1904 church, are open from May 1. Visit a gallery where local artists and photographers exhibit their work; shop for a selection of hand-made crafts, including rag rugs made there on an antique loom. In warmer weather, you can catch a baseball game played to 1858 rules, featuring the home-standing Deep River Grinders and a visiting vintage-baseball team from around the Midwest.If you goInformation: Lake County Convention Visitors Bureau, (800) 255-5253, www.lakecountycvb.com; Indiana Tourism Hot Line, (800) 884-4612, www.enjoyindiana.com. Mileage: Munster is about 30 miles southeast of Chicago. MikeMichaelson is a travel writer based in Chicago and the author of the guidebook"Chicago's Best-Kept Secrets." 403512Visit a working gristmill at Deep River County Park in Hobart, Ind.PHOTOS COURTESY OF LAKE COUNTY INDIANA CVB 512337Three Floyds Brewing Company of Munster, Ind., draws a large and loyal group of beer lovers to its brew pub and annual festival.PHOTOS COURTESY OF LAKE COUNTY INDIANA CVB