Welcome to Duluth, Minnesota! This has been my home for the last 15 years. There is much to love about my city, and also a few things to dislike.
Overview
Duluth is Minnesota’s fourth largest city (population 86k). Duluth is the westernmost freshwater port in the United States. Iron ore from the Mesabi Range, coal from the western United States, and grain from the Red River valley go out. Limestone, cement, salt, and ginormous windmill blades come in. Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world (by surface area, 31,700 square miles). It is known locally as the Unsalted Sea (Shark Free!). Superior, Wisconsin is just across the bay (the only thing superior in Superior is the view – of Duluth)
Outside magazine once ranked Duluth the best town in America.
Early history:
Daniel Greysolon
The area was visited in the 17th century by French voyageurs, including Daniel Greysolon, sieur DuLhut (or Du Luth), who claimed the area for France in 1679. The fur-trading post of Fond du Lac, on the St. Louis River, was active until the mid-19th century and was controlled by the Hudson’s Bay Company.
At one point, Duluth had the highest percentage of millionaires in the world. Timber barons, railroad owners, and steel magnates flocked here to do business and capture wealth. Some of the houses they built are gorgeous, others are hideous.
Duluth and Superior
Attractions:
Glensheen Mansion
Glensheen Mansion is one of those beautiful houses. It boasts 39 rooms (27,000 square foot) and is situated on 12 acres of prime Lake Superior shoreline. Chester Congdon made his fortune in mining and started to build a beautiful house for his wife, Clara, in 1905. Glensheen is also the site of the grisly murder of their daughter with a pillow and a candlestick in 1977.
Train Ride
Lake Superior Railroad Museum offers train rides (sometimes hauled by a coal fired engine).
The Aerial Lift Bridge
Canal Park . I’ll just say it. Canal Park is a tourist trap. Horse drawn carriages. Scooter rentals. Ice cream vendors. But it done have some redeeming qualities. Watching a big thousand footer ship pass under the Aerial lift bridge is awesome. Grandma’s Restaurant was a destination for us before we moved here. There are all sorts of candy stores, clothing stores, hotels…anything a tourist (or local) could want.
Bayfront Park
Bentleyville
Bentleyville Christmas Lights was started by Nathan Bentley in 2001 at his home. It has grown steadily and now takes over Bayfront Park from November to December. It is setup and dismantled yearly with mostly a volunteer crew. It is “free” (the city subsidizes the park use and the electrical so not, technically, free for the taxslaves) to wander around under millions of Christmas lights.
Every year in August, Bayfront Park is home to the Bayfront Blues Festival .
Great Lakes Aquarium is the only all-freshwater aquarium in the United States.
The Lakewalk
The Lakewalk is an 8 mile long paved/wood decked walking and biking path from Canal Park to Brighton Beach along the shore.
If Lake Superior fishing is your thing, there are several guides who will take you out on the lake in their boats.
Extensive Mountain Bike trails
Spirit Mountain is, during winter, a ski hill. During the summer it is an adventure park with an alpine coaster and a seated zip line. Year round, it is a goddamned drain on the taxpaying citizens.
P-38 Lightning
Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center, across the bay, in Superior, features a variety of well-preserved military vehicles including a fully-restored P-38 Lightning fighter plane Dick Bong (heh, heh) was one of the most decorated fighter pilots of World War Two.
Craft Breweries
Good places to eat:
My current favorite restaurant is Tavern on the Hill. The Cioppino stew is pretty damn good. Their cheese curds are to die for.
The Anchor Bar in Superior is consistently ranked #1 in the area for their burgers. My favorite is the olive burger. Prices are cheap. The place is busy at all hours. Expect to wait for an open table. The ambiance is…eclectic. What ever you do, don’t look in the kitchen.
The Pickwick is a charcoal grill steakhouse. My favorite here is the grilled tenderloin. Second favorite is the deep-fried pepper cheeseburger.
Duluth Grill is a former Ember’s restaurant that went rogue. They are no longer affiliated with Ember’s, instead they do their own thing. The BiBimBap, the Korean Brussle Sprouts (yes, seriously!), and the Scotch Eggs are excellent.
Grandma’s is a former boarding house (possibly even a brothel house?) turned into a restaurant. It is located right next to the Aerial Lift Bridge. Try the Steak Cheese French or the Chicken Wild Rice soup.
Vanilla Bean‘s steak fries are the best I have ever had. Crispy on the outside yet creamy on the inside. This is a popular brunch spot so be prepared to wait, especially on the weekends.
The Juice Pharm and Grill is a vegan juice bar and café. I am an avowed carnivore, but this place has great food! The Walnut Chorizo in their Mexicali tacos is particularly delicious. They even make their own tortillas.
Notable industries:
Duluth Pack is best known for their canoe tripping packs, but they also make high end luggage, leather gun cases, and purses
Ravin crossbows makes the Cadillacs of crossbows. I am amazed at the range and accuracy of mine. Also the power:
Yes, I hunt wild benches in my Crocs. It took a good 15 minutes to get my arrow out. Then I adjusted my scope.
Aerostitch is known throughout the cycling community for their high quality motorcycle riding suits and gear.
Duluth Trading Company makes high quality clothing for men and women. I am a big fan of their long-tailed pocket t-shirts.
Genesis makes massive grippers and shears for attaching to excavator arms. They are used worldwide for demolition of bridges and buildings.
Cirrus Aircraft is the only aircraft manufacturer that builds a full airframe parachute into their airplanes.
Musical hotbed:
Duluth is the birthplace of iconic folk singer, Bob Dylan. He grew up just north of here in a mining town called Hibbing. He pretty much disowns either city.
Trampled by Turtles is a bluegrass influenced folk band who enjoyed a good deal of success starting in 2010. They are still pumping out albums and touring.
LOW is a three-piece indie band who plays what’s known as “slowcore” (slow tempos and minimalist arraignments).
My favorite local band, Dedric Clark and the Social Animals (formerly Diet Folk) isn’t even local anymore. They moved to Nashville in hopes of making it big.
The not-so-lovable parts of Duluth:
Politically, the residents of Duluth are overwhelmingly True Blue Democrats. Recently, the single conservative on the city council got frustrated and quit. The city council has forbidden the sale of menthol cigarettes and has mandated that all businesses charge for plastic bags. They spend ridiculous amounts of money bailing out Spirit Mountain ski hill or rebuilding the Lakewalk after a storm.
City streets are horrible. The potholes remind me of those in third world countries. City streets are sometimes plowed in a timely manner, sometimes not. Many mornings, I would have to snow blow my 1/8 mile long alley just so I could get to work. Every car my family owns has all wheel drive because of this.
Taxes are high. Infrastructure is crumbling. The sewer system overflows during heavy rains and dumps raw sewage into Lake Superior. At least one water main bursts every winter. Drugs and homelessness (even in the winter) are problems. But the city has lots of money to design a new city flag and to fund a wet house for alcoholics (free liquor! I’m thinking about applying) or to buy the downtown strip club and restore it to a movie house.
Duluth winters are brutal and long. We usually get our first snowfall in late October/early November. The last snowfall is usually in late March (right around high school hockey state tournament time). Hockey is a big deal here.
But summer, summer is divine.
Next time, join me for a drive up the North Shore.
Never had a reason to go there, but have long thought “if I ever get up that way, I’m going to the Bong museum”. P-38s have always been my favorite warbird. Thx for the article and links.
I love Duluth.
The North Shore is one of the most beautiful places in the country.
Another company I can recommend is Frost River Trading Co. Their choppers, while pricy, are amazing.
Thanks, Nick! Looking forward to the drive up to Grand Marais!
My daughter was on the same lacrosse team and the Frost River owner’s daughter. The whole team got Frost River backpacks. Good quality stuff.
Right now I am outside Minneapolis, on the 94. I will be heading into the land of the anti-pope Jimbo on my pilgrimage to the land of Brooke Lynn.
Wow, you’ve done a good job on this contribution to the series. I forgot I have one of these to write, but I don’t know if it will be this detailed.
Dick Bong?
That was his name.
One of the bridges from Duluth to Superior is named after him. I still get a chuckle when the radio says the Bong Bridge is closed due to high winds/accident/jumper.
There’s a Bong Recreation Area just outside Kenosha, WI. Growing up there, cars were always pulling off on the interstate with people taking group pictures. The signs were also stolen quite often.
And like Tundra said, the North Shore is beautiful. Lutsen is the best ski hill I’ve been to in the midwest.
Reminds me: when are we getting another Dick Slashballs episode?
*looks pointedly at db. Drums fingers*
From Wiki:
Love the way he was told not to seek combat, but somehow kept shooting down planes. He definitely had some of that toxic masculinity going.
Also from Wiki:
“For looping the Golden Gate Bridge, flying at a low level down Market Street in San Francisco, and blowing the clothes off of an Oakland woman’s clothesline, Bong was reprimanded by General George C. Kenney, commanding officer of the Fourth Air Force, who told him, ‘If you didn’t want to fly down Market Street, I wouldn’t have you in my Air Force, but you are not to do it any more and I mean what I say.’ Kenney later wrote, ‘We needed kids like this lad.'”
Another toxic masculine
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_S._Laird
Kills in both Europe and the Pacific, and so toxic the grim reaper won’t touch him.
Duluth is the westernmost freshwater port in the United States.
On the Great Lakes. Aren’t there river ports further west?
You might be right. I know there is a river port near Tulsa.
Don’t believe everything you plagiarize on the internet!
Salina Ks has a nice, but small, Freshwater Aquarium (Zarmla), that exclusively features local flora and fauna.
Furthest inland I believe. Western most freshwater port would probably be Port of Longview, WA.
*preps rabbit hole for Glibertariat*
Minneapolis-St. Paul is further west than Duluth. I guess the question is, what counts as a freshwater port?
Glensheen is also the site of the grisly murder of their daughter with a pillow and a candlestick in 1977.
Miss Scarlet, in the conservatory?
Neat article. I’ve only been to Duluth a couple of times (and wish I’d had this travel guide then) but my brother used to haul truckloads of his custom speakers up there to the port, from where they shipped all over the world. He thought it a pretty neat little town.
second
I skimmed the booze shops’ websites. I think I could have some fun there. Except at the one that includes pictures of people in face diapers. Face diapers. Blech.
And that’s not an inclusive list. It’s a fun town for craft beer.
Yeah it seems like a new brewery opens up every month.
https://www.ratebeer.com/places/city/duluth/23/213/
Awesome! This was my favorite place ever, but it’s been surpassed by the South Shore in the UP. But only barely. They are both awesome.
…and very large but not ginormous blades go out. (I think…I’ve always assumed that many LM blades from GF went to Duluth for export?)
And the LS Train Museum is awesome. I have yet to take a train ride.
You forgot that boat you can tour…forget the name. They recently spent a ton of money on her.
The William A. Irvin
https://decc.org/william-a-irvin/
I forgot about them (they share a building with Cirrus’ Grand Forks shop).
Don’t forget Betty and her pies
https://northshorevisitor.com/business/bettys-pies/
Patience, Fourscore, that’s in the next article (submitted yesterday).
Angry Trout is another good one.
Patience, Tundra, that’s in the next article (submitted yesterday).
This is great. I really enjoy hearing about places I haven’t been.
Glensheen is also the site of the grisly murder of their daughter with a pillow and a candlestick in 1977.
That ruthless bastard, COL Mustard, must be stopped!
My parents met and married there, 102 years ago, and I’ll be forever grateful. My family, Duluth and the North Shore have a particular relationship. Thanks, Nick
I had a roommate from Minneapolis and a friend from Duluth in college. It was interesting to me that the Minneapolis friend sounded very Minnesotan, but the Duluth friend didn’t have much of an accent (to my hayseed Hoosier ears) .
Minnesodan, you mean.
Meeneesodan
MEANasodan
Is there a bag limit on wild benches?
You’re not allowed to bag them – it’s catch and release only.
Bagging them is the only way to catch them.
You go sit out in the woods holding this bag, and we’ll come around and chase all the benches toward you. Be careful, as they’re known to have nasty bite.
We’ll teach you the call before we leave you out there all nigh… I mean, until we come back around.
“Yoo -Hooo! Yoo-Hooo!!”
No thanks, I’m not that gullable.
Gulls are completely different from snipes.
None that I know of, but you want to be selective – Not much meat on the skinny ones.
That shot was at 50 yards with field tips. With a razor-sharp broadhead and a closer shot, no deer has a chance.
Dammit, I am not buying a $2,000 crossbow.
*bookmarks site*
Mine was under $1000 for a used demo model from the sales team
Do you have dispensation from the DNR? Shoulder injury?
I do. I have rotator cuff issues, bone spurs, and pretty bad arthritis in my left shoulder.
It’s on the fix-it list but not anytime soon.
Time to go OT:
Good thread on Smedley Butler.
“Gangster for capitalism.”
Thanks for the writeup Nick. There’s a pretty good chance I was conceived in Duluth (my western Wisconsin parents honeymooned there, I was born 9.5 months later.) I haven’t been up there since around 1980, but keep wanting to get back. The Bong stories are always interesting; my dad was Air Force during the Cold War and always admired the Wisconsin pilot and his success. Grandma’s was then thought of as just a sandwich shop (maybe still is?) but I still remember it so I must have thought it was pretty good. Every year I hear mention of the marathon is another reminder for me to go. I remember going up there for a high school event and our team stayed at the Radisson (I think), first revolving restaurant I’ve been in. I don’t know if you can speak to it, but what is the golf like up there? I haven’t played there but have vague recall from car rides of a course on the hill with some pretty impressive views of Lake Superior.
I’m not a golfer. The last time I played, my first drive didn’t make it beyond the women’s tees…
Duluth has 4 golf courses in the city. Two of them are city owned and nearly always lose money.
https://www.golflink.com/golf-courses/mn/duluth/
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/640724-golf-etiquette-the-15-strangest-unwritten-rules-in-the-sport#:~:text=Texas%20Rules&text=Regardless%2C%20the%20premise%20of%20the,hanging%20out%20of%20his%20pants.
Hah! I stayed at that Radisson when I was up there for a wedding.
Lots of great golf in northern MN. If you go to Duluth, head a little north and hit Giant’s Ridge.
Gorgeous place.
Thanks Tundra. I’ve seen GIant’s Ridge in the Minnesota top courses list and always wanted to get up there too. Given the location, I’m guessing it’s got a short season but I’m willing to play until the snow falls.
I don’t play anymore, but autumn golf was my favorite golf. Especially up north with the leaves turning, etc. Another place – not far from Fourscore’s place (hint, hint) – is Grand View Lodge. Great courses, amazing lodge, solid restaurants and a gorgeous beach.
You would dig it.
Recommended by Kinnath
Nice work up.
Prefer to visit and not stay…
It’s like a mini-San Francisco, without shit on the sidewalks.
You should get a job at the tourism board.
I have a fucking way with words.
With slippery snow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9H1dRmmAgWE
How many installments is it going to take to get you to Grand Portage SP?
Patience, MikeS, that’s in the next article (submitted yesterday).
So, two.
Our sole visit was the evening after the Honey Harvest in 2019. We got lost looking for a restaurant that had been recommended (perhaps by you, Nick) and wound up at the Outback steakhouse, instead. We need to return for another visit (maybe HH this year).
I’ll be at Honey Harvest again this year. Hit me up.
Is the city south the superior town?
I’ll show myself out.
Nice writeup.
That murder story was a trip, glad I read all the way to the end.
I used an Aerostitch when I used to ride. Nice gear.
My riding buddy, a 73-year-old lady on a Honda 919 crotch rocket, still rides in her 25 year old Aerostitch suit.
Me no likey crotch rockets. Center of gravity is too high for my comfort.
‘Cause you’re not getting the bike over far enough!
And she looks hilarious on it. She’s maybe 90 lbs.. She flicks it around the corners pretty well though!
Not frail at all. Her son broke his neck in a motorcycle crash many years ago. Paralyzed from the neck down. She was his primary care giver until he died in 2020. She still has the muscles she earned from moving him from bed to wheelchair.
She took her cross country solo check ride to earn her airplane pilot’s license when she was 9 months pregnant with him. Puke bag was right next to her knee board. She is an amazing woman.
She sounds like a profile in toxic feminity waiting to be written!
#Bananaseatbikesforever
Four wheels good. Two wheels bad.
Three wheels kinda good? Neutral?
Good if it is an Isetta.
Three wheels = fun
https://slingshot.polaris.com/en-us/
Those do look like fun. 200 HP! Spicy.
Love those. If I had one I’d be a happy man. Also I’d grow a handlebar mustache and wear muscle shirts.
Bad. Seriously unbalanced going around a corner.
That said, the ones with two wheels in front and one in the back seem to be a bit better about it.
Jeremy Clarkson and the Reliant Robin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQh56geU0X8
At work we have a GIF of Clarkson rolling the Robin that we text to each other when a meeting goes off the rails.
LOL!
“Where’s Martin Fry out of ABC when you need him?”
Nick. That was hilarious. That definitely took the work-induced stress level down a bit.
Whatever, cager!
Nick gets it.
Nick Cager?
I wouldn’t have figured you for someone who still needs training wheels on their bicycle, but you do you man.
Nice article. Duluth is so far from any place I’ve ever been that it almost seems like it’s in a different country.
You betcha
https://news.yahoo.com/desantis-proclamation-sarasota-swimmer-lost-175513376.html
He’s correct but now the girl’s going to be savaged.
Hopefully he cleared it with the family first.
DON’T USE OTHER PEOPLE AS YOUR PROPS ASSHOLE!
A+ MAGA shitlording
Damn, he is in it to win it.
At some point they were going to push this too far, and I think we’ve arrived there. Even on the cesspool that is Facebook, none of the usual suspects is defending the swimmer, and some are outright hostile. It doesn’t help that Thomas isn’t a sympathetic character, and seems to be acting like an ass. They’ve made this a test case, and it didn’t go well.
I know this had to be posted before, but I laugh everytime.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URz-RYEOaig
“I’m not here to talk about my transition”
“Oh, yeah!”
Hilarious.
Duluth Trading’s stuff gets my vote . Got long-and short-sleeves both. One thing about the Fire Hose pants: They just wont’ wear out. Have a pair I’ve worn for seven years and it has yet to show a lot of wear.
Can confirm. About 80% of my outerwear, and 66.67% of my underwear, comes from Duluth Trading.
Nearly 100% of my underwear (not including dress socks) is Duluth.
A lot of their outwear is a little heavy for Tucson, but their lightweight long sleeve sun shirts are just the thing.
I have some of their T-shirts and yeah they are heavy AF.
Having been through Tucson, I can see how that would be the case. They’re just the ticket for up here in the Great Land, though.
Their socks are nice but pricey. I buy Dickies’ work socks, they’re just as comfy, almost as durable and much cheaper.
I’ve become a devotee of Darn Tough. Made in Vermont and worth every dime.
Dickie’s are the way to go for work socks for the reasons stated. I finally switched over to Dickie’s for all my work socks. Also, I finally got smart and started buying black socks only. It’s impossible (for me) to keep white socks white and not a shade of brown/green mixed in.
Duluth is now my go to for pants. Good pants.
I’m guessing you source the rest from Frederick’s of Hollywood.
Have you been following me?
You really ought to conceal your cooking fires a little more carefully, TBH.
<— Looks suspiciously skyward
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhKoI2eXdRc
My hubs gets 100% of his undies from Duluth Trading.
However, just yesterday he received a new leather belt from Duluth Trading, and it was “Made in China.” We had a sad.
I have one of these as my laptop case: https://www.duluthtrading.com/lifetime-leather-bashful-billionaire’s-bag-97309.html
There’s a matching purse I call my bowling ball bag.
Strawberry gots the ‘vid.
Damnit.
Neener neener.
https://youtu.be/j6eOsobzli0?t=150
Strawberry, just look and you’ll see it
Don’t fuck around, she’ll give you the COVID
Covid again? That vaccine really let you down…
Nevermind, she said the line.
“Ms. Psaki, since 98% of the people your age who are in good health only experience mild symptoms regardless of whether they are vaccinated, why do you attribute your mild symptoms to the vaccine?”
Seriously.
Oh well, the catechism must be followed.
Uh, a retest after five days isn’t part of the CDC guidelines. Wearing a mask until Day 10 is. I bet she won’t during her press conferences on days 6-10.
She knows something bad is going to happen on Air Force One.
Something, something, snakes on a plane.
I’d bet on a false positive, but it’s funnier to think triple vaccinated and two covid infections.
She knows Biden’s trip Europe is going to be a clownshow of a clusterfuck of a dumpster fire, and wants nothing to do with it. I wonder if she even really tested positive.
Has she already announced her last day? Few of these people last more than a year before they burn out…I’d imagine it’s even worse with President Clown Show and the BJ Crew in office.
She’s said before she was leaving. But haven’t heard about it recently.
I mean, I actually feel a little bad for her until I realize that she’s doing this because she wants to. If she were the corporate spokesperson for ClownShowCo and had to keep apologizing for all the fuckups of Senior Management there, at least she could name her price. Here she’s stuck with a general service salary, and clearly is doing it out of loyalty to the party and for the gigs that will be forthcoming once she leaves government service (not to mention a “tell-all” book that whitewashes the worst and sells a bajillion copies to Party donors that will go straight to a landfill or get donated to public libraries as tax write-offs).
(Correct me if Im wrong) but I think 4×20 said it- she’s just doing her job. It has to be exhausting.
Totally would, too.
I mean, I actually feel a little bad for her until I realize that she’s
doing this because she wants toa soulless sack of garbage with no redeeming qualities whatsoever.RC Dean gets it.
Just like pregnancy tests women can buy on Ebay, Im sure you can fake a positive CoVID-19.
/thinks back to Season 1 of Babylon 5…
President Santiago may never make it home.
Nice write-up Nick. I’ve gotten extremely shit-faced it Superior many times (college friends from there) but never really explored Duluth. Some of the bars would get noticeably more crowded after 1am when the Duluth bars would close.
One friend of mine ran in the marathon there a couple times. People would pass him beers to drink during the last few miles. Pretty hard core.
There’s another Duluth band that I’ve seen at my favorite local music joint many times over the years called Brothers Burn Mountain. They have a very eclectic variety of songs and put on a really good show. Lots of energy and a pretty big sound when it’s just the two brothers playing. Somewhere in the show they’d do a double drum solo that was always really cool like in this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8y1iq9aSPk&list=PL480A867E2AD1AFE4&index=1
Yeah I’ve seen them a couple times around town.
Try Jacob Mahon and the Salty Dogs next time you are in town (also let me know when you are coming through – I’ll buy you a drink)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOJleEftuhU
Will do. Same if you’re ever in La Crosse area.
Just watch out for the La Crosse serial killer.
Hey I’m up in La Crosse every other day for work. Let me know a good bar and I’ll buy a round too.
I didn’t realize someone else is in the area! That sounds like a good idea. Maybe hit me up with an email at landscapeguy2003 at gmail and we can figure something out.
Email sent!
I know how cold the water is during the summer. I can’t imagine how cold it is during a November gale.
https://www.perfectduluthday.com/2019/01/02/video-rad-surfing-on-stoney-point/
Cool article, Nick! I have only been through Minnesota once, when I was a kid and we were on our way out West to Wyoming. Even my relatively extensive travels for work haven’t taken me there. It’s neat to read about places like this.
Maybe someday I’ll get off my butt and write about my home town.
I do enjoy Trampled by Turtles – they show up from time to time on one of my Pandora stations. Didn’t realize they were from Duluth.
Oh, and nice writeup. Maybe I’ll check the place out (but only in the summer!)
One of their better albums is called “Duluth”
“There is much to love about my city”
Best to keep that quiet, the hordes of progtards will be there shortly to ruin it.
Oh, they are already here.
Keep reading
Thanks for all the replies.
If you are ever in Duluth, hit me up.
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1506317554448584709.html
Heh.
Nice
Sooper genius.