Why Aren’t We All Hanging Out in Duluth?
Less than six hours away, it’s a terrific gateway to Lake Superior. And it’s going to be much cooler up there than here (in a few days).
I recently spent five nights in Duluth, Minnesota, and as I watched the temperatures climb in Des Moines, I was glad I was there. It was at least 15 degrees cooler, which made a difference. (But check temps, as that’s not always the case—the next two days are scorchers, then it settles — highs should be in the 70s soon!)
While I think Duluth is worth a trip in its own right—it’s five hours, 40 minutes away—it’s an especially rewarding place to spend a few nights if you’re continuing up the North Shore or, as we did, heading east to Marquette, Michigan.
I’ll tell you about Marquette another day, but for now, here are five things I absolutely loved about Duluth—the very things that will draw me back.
You’ll Get an Immediate Sense of Place
First on your list: walk as much of the seven-mile Duluth Lakewalk as you wish. It will give you a feel for everything that makes this city so … Duluth. Start at the SS William A. Irvin ship, stroll around the Aerial Lift Bridge and through Canal Park, with its many shops and restaurants, then continue along Lake Superior to Leif Erikson Park and the Rose Garden, all the while enjoying vast views of the lake, Duluth’s steep hillside neighborhoods, beaches, two lighthouses, gardens, and the occasional freighter.
There’s no hiding that in all its civic and natural beauty, Duluth (population 87,990) is also an industrial port city; across the bay is Superior, Wisconsin, which includes an expanse of warehouses and grain elevators. Oddly, I was fascinated by the view—I felt like I was in a Charles Sheeler painting.
Look north, though, and it’s Lake Superior in all its vastness, stretching to the horizon. But before you head that way, gaze a while at the port-y-ness of the city and you’ll gain a compelling sense of the hardworking backbone of this area.
Another great way to get a sense of the city and region is on top of it all. Head up the hill to Enger Park, and then even higher up the stairs to Enger Tower. You’ll see everything—the lake, the warehouses, the city—in one sweep.
You Can Climb Aboard a Laker
Ships built for the Great Lakes are called “lakers,” and ocean-going ships are “salties”—and if you’ve never been inside a laker, here’s your chance. The SS William A. Irvin is a Great Lakes bulk freighter that was in service from 1938 to 1978, carrying iron ore, coal, and limestone through the Great Lakes. It’s now moored in a slip on Duluth’s harbor, and open for visitors.
Why it’s cool: The docents on the self-guided tour aren’t your usual hobbyists. They’re retired crewmen who’d manned such vessels themselves, and they can tell you all about life on these ships. I wanted to ask one particularly candid guy if he had a fine girl like Brandy in every port, but I refrained and instead asked about the food aboard these hardworking ships. He waxed wistfully of the terrific fare: T-bone steaks, fried chicken, prime rib, and the best breakfasts he ever had in his life. “If you didn’t feed the crew well, they’d go to another ship,” he told me.
This is a fascinating self-guided tour of elegant staterooms (for special guests), workaday bunks for the sailors, the kitchen galley, the bridge, the engine room, and more. By the end, I had an immense appreciation for these hardworking ships—and for the men who spend months at a time calling them home.
Modern-Day Vessels, Too: Also don’t miss the chance to see a working vessel sail into the port underneath the Aerial Lift Bridge. There’s something moving about watching a ship—sometimes a saltie from a far-flung spot in the world—glide into the harbor, as the crewmen on deck wave to the welcoming crowd. Find a schedule of ships sailing in and out of the harbor here.
The scene resonates even more when you know that this is the very gateway through which the Edmund Fitzgerald made its final departure on November 9, 1975. Less than 30 hours later, the ship was at the bottom of Lake Superior, with all 29 crewmembers lost.
Duluth’s Gilded Side
Make a move from ore, engines, and bunkrooms to chandeliers, gardens, and refinement with a visit to Glensheen Mansion. Normally, those velvet-roped historic home tours do nothing for me, but this isn’t just another grand old house. The estate spills down to the shores of Lake Superior, so a walk through the grounds is every bit as lovely as the mansion itself. Original artwork and furnishings, plus engaging signage that tells the stories of the people who lived and worked here, make this far more than an exercise in admiring antiques.
☞ Tip: Time your visit for a noontime picnic—tables are set right on the shore of Superior.
Gooseberry Falls and the North Shore + Pie
“It’s hard to turn away from moving water,” says the poet Lyn Hejinian, and that line is rarely more true than when you’re gazing at a waterfall. Find some epic ones, and plenty of hikes with views of Superior, at Gooseberry Falls, an hour north of Duluth.
Take the scenic route (the North Shore Scenic Drive), which hugs the lake.
Before you head up that way, however, check out the article on the North Shore that Jennifer Miller wrote for this Substack a few years ago. It’s a splendid dive into that stretch. (And she’ll tell you where to get pie.)
Oh, and Bob Dylan, Too
Before he became Bob Dylan, Robert Allen Zimmerman was born in Duluth in 1941. His family later moved north to Hibbing, but you can see where he lived the first six years of his life at 519 N. 3rd Ave. E.—the family lived in the upstairs quarters. The house is a private residence, but there’s a commemorative plaque above the porch. Linger on the sidewalk a moment and look down the steep hill toward downtown and the lake beyond: I found it oddly affecting to gaze at what was likely Bob Dylan’s first horizon, some 80 years ago.
Where to Eat and Stay
We stayed at the Residence Inn by Marriott. I appreciated the in-room kitchen, as I enjoy cooking some of my own meals and putting together picnic lunches. The tradeoff is that it’s out in the suburbs. For a stay that feels unmistakably Duluth, consider Fitger’s Inn. About 50 years ago, parts of the city’s historic brewery were transformed into a warmly decorated hotel on the shores of Lake Superior. The attached brewery complex is home to a collection of independent shops, restaurants, and pubs, and you’re just steps from the Lakewalk.
For a special dinner out, we enjoyed Pickwick, a pub and restaurant whose origins date to 1888 (it’s been in its current location since 1914). We enjoyed a terrific pan-fried Canadian walleye, and even if the steak was overcooked, the historical ambiance and views of the lake ensure a return visit next time I’m in Duluth.
I Hope You Noticed Something About This Piece
I didn’t just tell you what to do in Duluth. I tried to show you what makes Duluth Duluth—from the retired sailors aboard the William A. Irvin, to the industrial harbor that gives the city its character, to the mansion that somehow escapes the usual historic-house clichés. That’s what I try to do in every story. I pay my own way, I don’t trade favorable coverage for freebies, and I look for the details that reveal a place’s personality rather than simply its attractions.
If that kind of reporting resonates with you, I’d be honored to have you as a paid subscriber. Your support lets me keep traveling, asking questions, and finding the stories that make a place feel like nowhere else in the world.
You didn’t eat at New Scenic Cafe?? OMG
One of the best restaurants on earth?
I've been longing to go there for years. We have close relatives there, but your column reminded me of all the other great reasons! Thank you.