2025-07-16 – Duluth, MN
It was a rainy, windy and heavy overcast morning, so we decided to have breakfast at Manypenny Bistro before leaving Bayfield.
Approaching Duluth we crossed the beautiful, curved Richard I Bong Memorial Bridge that took us past West Duluth’s port complex. Heading a bit further south we arrived at the Duluth Indian Point Campground located adjacent to the St Louis River. It’s a nice place with easy access to the city.
Tourist activity centers on an area of shops and restaurants termed “Downtown Duluth” that is adjacent to a massive aerial lift bridge. The bridge can clear 135 vertical feet allowing for the passage of even the largest ore boats to be serviced at the city’s docks. It connects the city to the Park Point sandbar with its sections of private homes interspersed with a series of parks and even a seaplane base.
We spent a couple of hours touring shops in the district before crossing the bridge and driving the five mile length of Park Point. We stopped at a couple of beaches but the wind and waves discouraged beach walking.
On our way back, we stopped at the tiny Duluth-Superior Sailing Association to watch people bring their Laser fleet back into shore.
On our way back to the campground we made a quick grocery stop.
For dinner we prepared one our standbys, pasta with Italian sausage & zuchhini.
2025-07-17 – Duluth, MN
Enger Park & Observation Tower is a city park high above the town with a stone observation tower which offers an excellent view of the city. In addition to the view from the tower, the park had a wonderful garden with many Japanese inspired sections and picnic tables scattered about. So, after dutifully climbing the tower, we spent some time touring the various garden areas.
Among our favorite things in the gardens were the Zen Garden and the Ohara Peace Bell commemorating the sister city relationship between Ohara, Japan, and Duluth.
Yesterday’s rain and wind diminished and the sun came out. So we decided to limber up the bicycles and ride the Lake Walk multiuse trail that ran along the shoreline heading north from the aerial lift bridge area. It was a nice ride on the paved trail until we encountered a construction area that required riders to carry their bikes up a couple of stories of stairs to cross a pedestrian bridge. Nope!
Returning to the “Downtown” area, Sandy walked out one arm of the breakwaters that protect the entrance to the aerial bridge. Yeah, there are twin lights on the breakwaters and Sandy has a compulsion. Bill, on the other hand, has a beer compulsion so he, instead, visited the Canal Park Brewing Company.
