The journey of blogging from personal to institutional has been slow and steady, but there are still individuals crafting creative narratives about their lives and the things they love. Of course, there are also organizations that want to promote tourism, hotel rooms and merchandise by mixing in lists of the ten best trails to lure in readers. Whether the medium is better or worse in 2024 than in 2004 is up for debate, but blogging is, at least on some level, still a thing.

Every two years or so, Perfect Duluth Day scans the web to see who’s active in the local blogosphere, compiling a comprehensive-as-possible guide to the region’s active web logs. Below is the roundup as of September 2024.

Before proceeding with the list, here are the usual clarifications:

• There is not a clear-cut line differentiating blogs from online magazines and news sources, so compiling a list requires making some judgement calls.
• Since there are a lot of abandoned or barely active blogs, this list only includes blogs that have at least one new post in 2024.
• Blogs that have special permission requirements or paywalls are not included.
• Obviously some good ones might have been missed in this list, so sound off in the comments about anything worth adding, or email paul @ perfectduluthday.com.

 

Astro Bob | Retired Duluth News Tribune photographer Bob King still covers celestial happenings on his blog, which is updated every five days or so with new info about the latest meteor shower, supernovae, red moon, etc.

BBER Blog | The Bureau of Business and Economic Research, an applied research arm of the Labovitz School of Business and Economics at the University of Minnesota Duluth, has a blog covering topics like business succession, age-friendly workplace practices and the future of Downtown Duluth.

DECC Blog | The Duluth Entertainment Convention Center’s director of communications, Lucie Amundsen, writes about the variety of events happening at the city’s largest venue.

Destination Duluth | Destination Duluth seeks to “curate and create content that inspires, educates, and connects people to Duluth, showcasing its unique quality of place.”

Duluth Chamber News | The Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce offers updates on the organization’s events and perspectives from local business leaders.

Duluth Moms Blog | There have been just four new posts in the first eight months of 2024 on this blog for mothers, but it’s still going. The site is a sort of local franchisee of citymomsblog.com.

The Duluth Runner | Endurance athlete Kyle Schmidt offers running tips and profiles of people in the Duluth running community with the goal to get people outdoors and live an active, healthy lifestyle. Champion runner Greg Hexum also contributes to the site.

Duluth Travel Blog | Beacon Pointe resort offers up tips on where to find waterfalls, watch the ships on Lake Superior and more, along with promotional information about the resort.

Ed’s Big Adventure | Duluth writer Eddy Gilmore has slowed down the pace of his blog since releasing his second book, Lit Up, in 2023. The focus of his online writing tends to be around urban farming, family economics and simplifying life.

Ennyman’s Territory | Ed Newman writes mostly about philosophy and the arts, often displaying particular interest in Bob Dylan and artificial intelligence.

Gleanings is a blog by Beth Bartlett, an author and retired University of Minnesota Duluth faculty member.

Dave Greschner Outdoor Journal | Dave Greschner of Rice Lake, Wisconsin, writes about the outdoors and nature. He started his blog in 2020, after retiring from The Chronotype newspaper, where he served as sports and outdoors editor for nearly 45 years.

Jim Heffernan’s Blog | Duluth News Tribune columnist Jim Heffernan continues to share his comical and historical observations in the paper and online.

Lake Superior Writers Blog | Members of the region’s nonprofit writers’ group share writing and publishing tips, along with musings on their inspirations.

Lincoln Democrat | Former Duluth School Board member and perennial political candidate Harry Welty continues to render his opinions on politics and other topics, with particular emphasis in recent years on critiquing Minnesota District 8 United States Representative Pete Stauber and presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Living Life in Bloom | Duluth poet Zomi Bloom launched a blog in June 2023 that addresses issues of motherhood and birthing from the perspective of a doula.

Marie’s Meanderings | Marie Zhuikov explores life in northern Minnesota and anywhere else her travels span. Her passions include nature, environmental issues, arts, music, children, dogs, books, relationships, cooking and the like.

Minnesota Brown | Iron Range native and journalist Aaron Brown writes about northern Minnesota news, culture and politics. Brown was recently added to the cast of contributing columnists at the Minnesota Star Tribune.

North & Shore Adventure Blog | North & Shore is a shop in Lincoln Park specializing in handmade goods. Its blog covers “all things North Shore exploration, outdoor appreciation + tips, and lots of local love.”

Northern Ginger | Jamie Beebe shares her favorite recipes and baking tips.

Northland Weather Blog | Timothy Burr offers brief weather updates for northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin.

North Pine | Jon Ellis has been geeking out on the upper Midwest’s broadcasting industry online since 1996. He posts about television and radio station ownership and format changes, personnel moves and other news, along with observations on the industry.

NWS Duluth Blog | The National Weather Service hosts a Duluth weather blog that features severe weather reports, cold-water safety tips and more.

The Pack Report | The outdoor gear manufacturing company Duluth Pack provides advice on adventure products, camping recipes and other recreation-related topics.

Sheila Packa Poetry Blog | Duluth’s poet laureate from 2010-’12 writes a blog about “poetry: figurative language, spirit, intertextual explorations, patterns, punctuation, forms, great writers, quotes, and journey notes.”

A Patient Cycle | Karl Schuettler writes primarily about politics, economics and hockey. A little bit of creative fiction is also worked into the mix, along with stories from his personal travels.

The Photonaturalist | Mark “Sparky” Stensaas posts photos and stories culled while tracking wildlife — primarily birds.

Pier B Blog | Pier B Resort Hotel’s blog shares Duluth-area travel tips and mixes in the businesses’ promotional material.

Solglimt’s Explore Duluth Blog | Solglimt Bed and Breakfast on Minnesota Point publishes list articles like “10 Awesome Breweries” and “The Best Places to See Fall Foliage on the Shores of Lake Superior.”

Superior Footprints | Molly Hoeg shares her passions for Lake Superior, running, swimming, canoeing and kayaking, cycling, cross-country skiing, reading, sewing, needle crafts, baking and spending time over coffee or wine with friends.

Swim Blog | The marketing minds at Swim Creative occasionally post tips on topics such as brand strategy, WordPress innovation and trends in social media.

365 Days of Birds | Richard Hoeg blogs about his birding experiences on an almost daily basis, with plenty of photos of owls, woodpeckers, sunrises and northern lights.

Twin Ports Past | Since fall 2019 Rhett Abrahamson has been posting on this history blog with a heavy focus on the architectural gems of the region, particularly landmark homes.

Visit Duluth’s Explore Blog | With the goal of promoting local tourism, Visit Duluth posts frequent stories about attractions in the city and the people who shape the city.

Volkswagen of Duluth Blog | Duluth’s Volkswagen auto dealership shares information on the latest models and the businesses’ promotional events around town.

Writing Near the Lake | Victoria Lynn Smith has been writing fiction, essays and articles on her blog since fall 2020.