Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a bustling port city on Lake Superior. There are plenty of delicious restaurants and outdoor activities to keep you busy for as long as you’d like to stay!
The Aerial Lift Bridge in Duluth, Minnesota sure was a sight to see and was probably the highlight of Duluth for our kids. This bridge was built in 1905 as a ferry bridge which carried people from one side to the other in a little gondola but was converted to its current form in 1930.
It raises at every :30 and :00 or when needed for large vessels. Be sure to have harborlookout.com up on your phone when you're in the area so you can be ready for a cargo ship to pass through, it's quite an event!
The Maritime museum next to the bridge is maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers and is free to walk through. They have the schedule for the cargo ships on display there too, plus a lot of exhibits that further enforced what we have been learning about on the coast of Lake Superior. Lighthouses, tons of shipwreck info, and kids can try their hand at actually operating a virtual bridge or steering a ship.
Bulk carrier Freight ships
The Paul R. Tregurtha is the largest of the ships that regularly pass through on their way through the Lake Superior Harbor, at 1014 feet long. It was really fun to watch these ships navigate under the lift bridge, the clearance looks so close! There are a set of routine horn signals that are used, see if you can figure out the patterns!
If you want a more up close look with additional hands on experience, a couple blocks away you can tour the William A. Irvin and learn about the living conditions for the crew and visitors while they worked to transport goods for steel production.
The kids all took a glass blowing class at Lake Superior Art Glass and made their own pendant necklaces. Other class options include ornaments, paperweights, flowers, and even wine glasses!
🍦Love Creamery has so many choices and new flavors are added daily. Vegan options too! The main location downtown is very close to the bridge and maritime museum.
🍽 OMC Smokehouse was fantastic. Lovely covered tent by their patio for outdoor seating. And across from the other Love Creamery location 😉
🍺: Ursa Minor Brewing is worth a visit if you like craft beer. If you don't like beer or are under 21, they only have rootbeer and water, so plan accordingly. Pizzas were decent and oven-fired.
☕ Amity Coffee Roasters was really good, they had a nice selection of local baked goods. Cozy indoor space with a few tables outside too.
Food recommendations:
We highly recommend parking and staying at Lakehead Boat Basin in Duluth, the location can’t be beat! There are a handful of full hookup sites and many other without hookups (which actually have a better view). But we were able to walk to the bridge in just a few minutes when we knew something big was coming through!
Planning a trip to Duluth, Minnesota? Here are our recommendations if you only have a short amount of time or can spend longer in this area!
1 Day - Visit Canal Park and check out the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge. Get some smoked meat from Northern Waters Smokehaus and then indulge in some homemade ice cream from Love Creamery. Check out the glassworks or take a glass class at Lake Superior Art Glass. Watch a 1,000’ cargo ship go through the harbor. Finish your night at the Vikre Distillery.
3 Day - Visit the Lake Superior Railroad Museum. Go watch a Duluth Huskies baseball game or a UMD hockey game. Climb to the top of the Enger Park Watchtower.
5 Day - Check out the Glensheen Mansion. Go for a bike ride on The Lakewalk. Check out a festival going on at the Bayfront Festival Park.