My friend Derek recommended that I visit his home town, so off I went. Duluth, Minnesota was an unexpected gem. I never thought about visiting Minnesota because it's so cold and I thought, not much to do or see. Wow, was I wrong. Duluth is a small, industrial town that is surrounded by beauty.
Leif Erikson Park 1301 London Rd, Duluth, MN 55805 A farmer, Olof Ohman, working his fields in Alexandria on November 8th, 1898, was clearing the land of trees and stumps when he came upon a stone containing a Nordic inscription. This is known as the Kensington Runestone. Inscribed with the date 1362, the stone recounts the voyage of Viking explorers who traveled east from a land referred to as Vinland or possible Newfoundland. The inscription has been translated as saying; “Eight Swedes and twenty-two Norwegians on an exploration journey from Vinland westward. We had our camp by two rocky islets one day’s journey north of this stone. We were out fishing one day. When we came home we found ten men red with blood and dead. Ave Virgen Maria save us from evil. We have ten men by the sea to look after our ships, fourteen days’ journey from this island. Year 1362.” To prove this voyage was possible, Captain Folgero and three companions commissioned a Viking Ship named Leif Erikson and sailed from Norway to Duluth, MN in 42 days, 1927. Soon after that, the park was named to honor the Icelandic explorer who discovered the New World in approximately 1,001 AD.
Canal Park, Duluth
600 E Superior St, Duluth, MN 55802
Canal Park is the epicenter of activity in Duluth and is a hub for dining, entertainment, lodging, and attractions on the shore of Lake Superior. There’s a story in history that the canal was built in 3 days to prevent Superior, WI. Actually, Legend holds that Superior, WI had an injunction to stop the building of the canal and it was granted before the canal was completed. An "army man" was on the way to enforce it, but he was a three-day train ride away. Duluth banded together as a community to finish the canal in defiance of the injunction. On May 6, the canal was just large enough to let the small steam tug Frank C. Fero get through the canal making it the very first boat to go through the Duluth canal.
Aerial Lift Bridge
601 S Lake Ave, Duluth, MN 55802
The Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge is an iconic bridge that is a span-drive configuration movable lift bridge constructed from 1901 to 1905. The original aerial bridge had a gondola car suspended by an inverted steel tower from the underside of the truss. In 1929, the bridge was modified by adding an elevating roadway to replace the traversing platform.
Split Rock Lighthouse 3713 Split Rock Lighthouse Rd, Two Harbors, MN 55616 Autumn 1905 was the most disastrous in the history of Lake Superior shipping. A freak storm battered the fleets, destroying a number of boats in the Apostle Islands and sinking or severely damaging several large, modern steel ships. The storms also wrecked or seriously damaged 18 ships over two days in western Lake Superior, the worst storm of the 20th century. The lighthouse was August 1, 1910 but the construction was hard with no road to the site, all the workers and building material had to be shipped by boat. Tons of brick and other supplies were laboriously hoisted to the top of the 130-foot rock cliff by steam-powered derrick. The lighthouse’s success is evidenced by the fact that there were no major shipwrecks or accidents after the light began operating. Every year on the 10th of November, the beacon at Split Rock is lighted to commemorate the sinking of The Fitzgerald, the largest ship on North America's Great Lakes, and is the largest ship to have sunk there. The freighter went down in a storm on November 10, 1975, taking with her the entire crew of 29. At 4:30 pm, the lighthouse closes temporarily while the Naval Hymn is played and the names of the 29 lost crew members are read to the tolling of a ship’s bell. At the end of the ceremony, the beacon is lighted and visitors are welcome to tour the lantern room. This is the only time during the year that visitors are able to see the interior of the light tower while the beacon is lit.
Park Point Beach
45th Street & Minnesota Avenue Duluth, MN 55802
Park Point Stretches for 7 miles into Lake Superior. One side of the point looks out over the blue waves of Lake Superior and the other side overlooks Superior Bay with views of passing boats coming into the harbor.
Silver Creek Cliff
Silver Creek Cliff Wayside Park Two Harbors, MN 55616
Silver Creek Cliff is part of the North Shore Scenic Highway and the tunnel and was completed in 1994 to prevent drivers from having to take the treacherous route near the cliff’s edge. This trail provides stunning views of Lake Superior.
Enger Tower
Enger Tower Dr, Duluth, MN 55806
Enger Tower was built in 1939. It is a 5 story structure made with Blue Stone and stands looking out over the Duluth Harbor. The tower was dedicated by Crown Prince Olav and Crown Princess Martha of Norway on June 15, 1939. The dedication was in honor of Bert Enger, a native of Norway who came to this country and became a successful furniture dealer. At the time of his death Mr. Enger donated two thirds of his estate to the city of Duluth. There are numerous lookouts at each level of the octagonal tower, with a staircase taking you all the way to the top. Each level offers fantastic photographic opportunities from every vantage point.
O'Hara Peace Bell
Enger Tower Dr, Duluth, MN 55806
The U.S.S. Duluth was stationed in a shipyard outside of Ohara at the end of WWII and crew decided to take home a large bronze bell back to Duluth in 1949, where it was positioned in City Hall. A group of educators from from Tokyo were visiting Duluth in 1951 and recognized the bell as being the temple bell from Ohara and requested that it be returned. The bell was returned and in 1989, the Duluth Mayor received a request from Ohara to become Sister Cities. The city accepted and moved forward in creating a lasting relationship and Duluth received an exact replica of the Ohara bell in 1993 and it is now housed in Enger Park in the beautiful Japanese garden.
Grandma's Saloon & Grill 22 S Lake Ave, Duluth, MN 55802 Grandma's Saloon & Grill is one of the cornerstones of Duluth's Canal Park since 1976 and it’s known for the eclectic decor of antiques and collectibles as well as burgers and onion rings. There is outdoor dining with views of Lake Superior and boats passing under the Aerial Lift Bridge.
Fitger’s
600 E Superior St, Duluth, MN 55802
Duluth's first brewery was started by Sidney Luce in 1857. The brewery was bought by new owners and hired a brewmaster August Fitger who graduated from one of Germany's premier brewing schools. Within the year, August Fitger owned half of the brewery. In 1884, Percy Anneke bought into the brewery and became Fitger's partner and the brewery was renamed the A. Fitger & Co. / Lake Superior Brewery and it was successful until Prohibition in 1920. After the repeal of Prohibition, Fitger's resumed brewing strong beer, and business boomed during the 1930's. The Fitger's Brewery was bought by prominent Duluth business people and was renovated in 1984 with a 48 room hotel, three full service restaurants, a retail center, and the beautiful Lakewalk Access.
Check out the YouTube video tour of Duluth, MN.
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Minnesota
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