It’s been a while since I’ve been to Disney. Eight and a half months, actually. I’m looking forward to being back in the parks – soon. However, in the meantime, and since not traveling goes against my inner desire, I took a look at where we could go locally for a “mini vacation.” Its no joke that anyone associated with or has a business based in travel has been affected during these past months. I believe that the only way to promote traveling once again, is to get out there and do some traveling myself.
Minnesota is a beautiful, scenic location during this time of year. Summer is great, despite the potential for hot and muggy, but once Fall hits I am actually MORE happy to spend my time outdoors. The temperatures become just a bit cooler, the bugs become a bit less, and the colors that saturate the trees are just so glorious to look at and soak up. Therefore, on a Friday morning in early Fall, we decided to head north to Duluth, MN.
Canal Park happens to be the heart of Duluth for visitors. A busy shipping hub…and by shipping I mean by boat and not by Amazon…Canal Park offers the best up-close opportunity to watch the labors of these hard-working sailors as they bring their ships into port to load iron ore, taconite and who knows what else. To get into port, and to leave once again, the ships must pass through the Gatekeeper – otherwise knows as the Aerial Lift Bridge.
The ships and the bridge have their own language to communicate, blasting their horns in both short bursts and long blares. You can almost imagine them saying “thank you” and “you’re welcome.” Very cool.
There are so many attractions to see within Duluth itself for the first-time visitor or even the veteran visitor that loves the historic value of this great city. The Glensheen Mansion is a chance to look at the location of a real-life Minnesota murder mystery. You can travel from one end of the city to the other along Skyline Drive with a birds-eye view of this amazing city built on the hill as well as the Great Lake Superior. Along the way there are many opportunities to check out waterfalls within the city limits, views of Bald Eagles soaring overhead and the historical Enger Tower.
For this trip, we stayed at The Suites Hotel at Waterfront Plaza. The building itself was built in the 1800s and originally used to load rail cars before sending them northbound. The gigantic beams of the original structure can still be seen today inside the building, as well as the imprint of auger holes that supplied the product.
Travel north of the city along Highway 61, and natural scenery begins. The state parks along the North Shore are plentiful, and each one offers its own unique features and rich history. Gooseberry Falls is one of the more popular destinations. As the name implies, there are some amazing waterfalls at this location that don’t require a strenuous hike, but if hiking is your jam – there are plenty of trails there as well.
Visiting the Split Rock Lighthouse north of Two Harbors, and Devil’s Kettle at Judge C.R. Magney State Park (if you’re up for the long scenic drive north of Duluth) are a couple more of my favorite things to do when spending time along the North Shore. Walking to the Devil’s Kettle is not for the faint of heart – there are almost 200 stairs to get there, and you have to walk back UP those stairs to get back! No matter which parks or scenic stops you choose along the way, though, I encourage you to spend a few minutes in the travel centers or trail heads, where the history of the location is generally always displayed. This will help you understand what makes the area so interesting instead of just beautiful.
Duluth and the North Shore also offer some great restaurants to enjoy as well. Grandma’s Restaurant, located right in Canal Park, provides some of the best Wild Rice soup in Minnesota. I actually have the recipe stuck to my fridge at home, and it becomes a staple of our winter months. Along the drive north, I cannot resist a stop at Betty’s Pies, where the star menu item is, of course, the pies. Dozens of pies. All flavors. Try the Lemon Angel pie – it’s my favorite.
If breweries are your thing, there are two right in Canal Park. The Canal Park Brewery is right on the waterfront, with easy access from the Canal Park Boardwalk. The food is good, and the beer selection is vast. A couple years ago a new brewery, Hoops, opened in the building shared with The Suites Hotel, so of course we had to try that during this trip. I tend to choose cider over beer if I have the option. On this trip the ciders were lacking, as in they didn’t have one to offer me, so I went with their Apple Ale. It was delicious. It could have easily passed for a cider. I would recommend this to fellow cider drinkers if the hoppy stuff of breweries are not typically your thing.
This particular trip to Duluth, for us, was a fairly short getaway. Many things that we’ve loved to do on longer trips we didn’t have nearly enough time to do this round. However, it was a perfect way to relax and enjoy some travel while still staying close to home. Traveling in your own backyard is possible, and the destination can be something new or some place you’ve been to a dozen times. It really doesn’t matter. It’s the sense of traveling that is important, and experiencing something other than your every day routine. Every one should do more of this. You never know what your own state has to offer just a few hours away until you begin exploring!
