Have you checked out the newly redone cross country ski trails at Spirit Mountain? Thanks to a lot of hard volunteer work, the trails have been redesigned and brought back to life.
Lots of details at my Best North Shore blog.
Because of all the sand which is there!
Or the noodle bowl or the fried pretzels…
Every Wednesday night, the Chow Haul food truck sets up at the corner of Lake Avenue and 11th Street, to catch the sailors coming in from the races before they get their land legs back.
You can read more about the food truck and its other regular stops on my blog. Or go right to the source, the Chow Haul website.
Has anyone seen any roadside strawberry vendors in Duluth in the last day or two? Finke’s down in Mahtowa is having a really rough season and we need our berries bad enough to buy them from the back of a truck.
For 25 years, one of the best bike rides in Duluth for those who like level, flat trails is the Munger Trail. But before you head out for a great ride up the old railroad track bed through the hills of far west Duluth, you might want to read my blog update about trail closures and delays this summer. There’s a total trail closure for bridge construction in the Riverside area until June 1 and major re-paving in the works for this summer.
The trillium and violets are blooming like crazy along the trail, though your best bet is to head for the parking lot off Becks Road for now.
Did anyone else participate in Tour Duluth this weekend? Saturday was the last glorious day of the cross country ski season in Duluth, and the timing was excellent for the annual event sponsored by the Duluth Cross Country Ski Club.
Not to toot my own horn, but…here’s my little brag piece.
Now that I’ve had three great ski trips there myself, I can spread the word to other snow-hungry Duluthians: there is fantastic cross country skiing in Brule. Good old Lake Superior lake-effect snows cranked up again last week; while Duluthians were shivering in the windchill, four inches of the fresh stuff was falling on the Afterhours Trail in Brule. It’s lovely down there.
Head to my blog for more pics and a description of my new favorite ski trail.
Why even listen to the weather forecast? With the fizzle of yet another snow forecast into gray skies and brown ground, I’m about to give up hope on the cross country ski season. Time to pull out the ice skates and hit one of Duluth’s fine outdoor rinks.
Any recommendations about places to rent skates here in town?
Thanks to all the pagan drummers and bonfire tenders, the sun came back up this morning. From Park Point, it was rising right over the mouth of the Amnicon River. Where was your solstice sunrise?
Here are a few musings on the topic.
Happy winter!
An American White Pelican has been cruising off of Park Point the last day or two, between the Lift Bridge and the S-Curve. This bird is HUGE. And so beautiful. Read here about my close encounter with this fine creature this morning.
This might be old news, but did anyone see this lovely article in the Star Tribune (Newspaper of the Twin Cities) about Duluth by Curt Brown? He’s going for Duluth beyond the lakefront, and ends up at a Burrito Union cribbage tournament.
What do you think? Did he unearth the “real Duluth”? Or just pack down further the existing path off the beaten Lakewalk path?
While the Duluth media are all abuzz about the Bridge Festival and the return of Dances on the Lakewalk, the most authentic local culture this weekend is up in Two Harbors, at Heritage Days. Toss some lutefisk, ice-scream-socialize at the bandshell with the community band, and follow the machinations of the Miss North Shore contest. More information and links are on my blog.
It’s Duluth’s own backyard state park. In half the time it takes to drive to Gooseberry, you can get reach this big park straddling the rugged St. Louis River valley. You could even ride your bike out the Munger Trail.
Head out to Jay Cooke State Park this weekend and check out the lady’s slippers that are blooming. Or get up early for a birdsong walk with Larry Weber. The St. Louis River should be raging under the Swinging Bridge. These ideas and more are on my blog.
Note, none of the reservable campsites are available. If you zoom up to the park tonight or early Friday, you could still snag one of the first-come, first-served campsites.
Runners and their families milling about foggy Canal Park almost got a big thrill this afternoon. The BBC Orinoco nearly side-swiped the South Pier Lighthouse.
I had the best angle, and I was sure this boat was going to hit. More photos in my blog.
For the price of a few gallons of gas, you can have a full, free day at Split Rock Lighthouse. It’s the annual open house for Minnesota State Parks, so park admission is free. So is admission to the Minnesota Historical Society Split Rock Lighthouse site.
Did I make up word, “agoraphile”? It’s the opposite of an agoraphobe (someone afraid of crowds). The park and especially the Lighthouse will be crowded!
By the way, gas is often 3-4 cents cheaper per gallon in Two Harbors. Something about Hugo Chavez…
Let’s say you’re a wildflower and you happen to like cool, moist, acidic woods. Suppose you’d find a place to live around Duluth? That’s what happened for Cornus canadensis, the bunchberry or Canada dogwood.
For four great random facts about the bunchberry, read more at my blog.
