Andrew Slade Posts

Sick of the fog? Here’s a wildflower that L-U-V-s that fog!

May 30, 2011 7 Comments

Okay, it’s another foggy day in Duluth. While you plumb the depths of your commitment to this fine town, while you wonder if the weather here is worth the sacrifice you’ve made in career advancement, take heart from the example of the lowly Mertensia paniculata, a flower for which every foggy day is a perfect day.

And if you’re the type that longs for western landscapes, for the slopes of the Cascades or the northern Rockies, this same flower gives you a psychic link to those lovely places. Like you, it lives here in Duluth, but it’s got serious western roots.

There’s lots more about the Tall Lungwort/Northern Bluebell, Mertensia paniculata, on my blog.


Outdoors

Your Sunday morning book review

May 22, 2011 2 Comments

Who amongst us does not enjoy sitting around on a Sunday morning, reading the New York Times and leisurely paging through the Book Review section?

In case you haven’t picked up your copy of the Times at Mount Royal yet, here’s a book review you can read to keep your morning on track. It’s of Safe from the Sea, by Peter Geye, which just won the North East Minnesota Book Award.

SPOILER ALERT: The “Freighter” bar is actually the Anchor. And the topless bar “Tallahassee” is actually the Saratoga. Oh, and the old man dies.


Random

Spring flowers in Duluth: Where they are … and where they aren’t

May 17, 2011 6 Comments

Bloodroot along the Superior Hiking Trail 5/15/2011

The woods of Duluth are starting to fill in with flowers, like bloodroot (above). Warm spring sun is finally reaching the forest floor, and the wildflowers are responding in kind, sending their leaves and flowers up for a brief but raucous period of color, pollination and photosynthesis.

Read More


Outdoors

One more free day in Canal Park

May 13, 2011 28 Comments

Parking meter on Lake Ave. Note the May 15 start date.

If you think that Canal Park belongs to Duluthians and not just to the tourists, you have one more day to freely utilize that right. Emphasis on the free. Paid parking goes in effect this Sunday, at  least at the meters and presumably at the paid lots as well.

Stroll the piers. Gawk at a 1000-footer. Deconstruct the meaning in public art. It’s your birthright, Duluth.

For today, you don’t have to worry about the gatekeepers at the hotel parking lots and their clipboards.

You don’t yet have to worry about the eager tow companies in the private lots, who will boot, tow, or just flop upon every car whose driver heads to Coldstone before hitting Caribou Coffee.

Toss some rocks at the beach at the corner of the lake. Enjoy your city. Without a roll of quarters in your pocket.


News and Current Affairs ,

For sweeties or tweeties, head to the Western Waterfront Trail

May 02, 2011 5 Comments

Western Waterfront Trail runs along the St. Louis River

Not sure why I’m thinking this way, but if you’d like to impress your sweetie with your knowledge of Duluth’s cool places, plus get some exercise and check out spring, you can’t go wrong with a nice long walk on the Western Waterfront Trail. The St. Louis River is full of migrating birds, the trail is wide enough and dry enough for hand-holding, and it is so much more “perfect Duluth” than the tourist-lined Lakewalk.

Read more details, including directions to the seldom-used but way better eastern trailhead.


Outdoors

Once bitten, ship escapes Duluth pirates at dawn.

Apr 29, 2011 3 Comments

The BBC Orinoco slipped out of Duluth this morning at first light. Was the Ukrainian/Filipino crew concerned about ANOTHER pirate attack? Turns out the same boat and crew were attacked just six months ago on the Arabian Sea.

Lots more details here.

Paging Johnny Depp.


News and Current Affairs

Some guidance for PDD from John Waters

Apr 24, 2011 1 Comment

I caught film eccentric John Waters on NPR’s Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me today. He had some good advice, based on his life and work in Baltimore:

“If you learn to celebrate what everyone else hides about your community, you can have success.”

Keep up the good work, Duluthians!


Random

North Shore rivers are running

Apr 11, 2011 1 Comment

Middle Falls of the Brule River

If you’re a whitewater kayaker or one of those dudes fishing ALL DAY LONG at the mouth of the Lester, you already know this: North Shore rivers have blown out their cover of ice and are running hard. Snowfall was well above average this year, and as the days warm up that snow has turned into torrents of milky-brown water headed down to Lake Superior.

But if you’re just a regular non-kayaker or non-angler, you can follow the North Shore spring melt online. You might not know your hydrograph from your hippogriff, but you can still see that something’s happening up the shore.


Random

Birds, ships and Lake Superior’s floating forest

Apr 06, 2011 3 Comments

Fascinating story featuring three of Duluth’s grooviest naturalists/contractors/activists/publishers, from Lake Superior Magazine. If you like birds, ships OR Lake Superior, take a read. It’s written by Sparky Stensaas, stars a handsome ship captain and his floating forest, and even pulls in legendary bird watcher Jan Green.


Random

Big news about the North Shore

Apr 01, 2011 No Comments

Recent developments may have a big impact on Duluth businesses. Would you patronize the “Norwestshor Theater”? Keep your checking account at “Northwest Shore Bank of Commerce?” You might just have to.


Random

It’s two…two…two boats in one!

Mar 30, 2011 2 Comments

Remember the old Certs commercial? “It’s two!…two!…two mints in one!” We have our own version of that, except it’s 100o feet long. The Presque Isle, which left Duluth this morning, is two boats fixed together. Read up about more Presque Isle factoids and trivia.


Random

Ice volcanoes, if you dare!

Mar 22, 2011 11 Comments

The ice volcanoes of Park Point are spouting off big-time right now. Grab your ski goggles, your rain pants and your windbreaker and head on down.


Outdoors

Wow ’em with waterfalls

Mar 17, 2011 1 Comment

How many out-of-town guests have you brought up the North Shore to Gooseberry Falls? It’s the nearest of the North Shore’s “greatest hits.”

Now you can wow your out-of-town friends before they even get here. Take a waterfall photography class at Gooseberry, from Paul Sundberg. Paul is the former manager of Gooseberry Falls State Park and father of Duluth’s own biking chiropractor, Adam Sundberg. It’s March 26. Preregistration is required.


Outdoors

Ski ’em all: Tour Du Luth

Mar 10, 2011 No Comments

Ski season is definitely not over. The Duluth Cross Country Ski Club is sponsoring its seventh annual Tour Du Luth this weekend. Come out and ski as many of the city’s ski trails as you can, and end with a potluck at Hartley Nature Center.


Events, Outdoors

Explore Duluth’s own ice mountains

Mar 08, 2011 1 Comment

After a few good northeasters this winter, the ice is stacked up deep on Park Point. You can read all about and find tips and directions in my blog.


Outdoors, Recommendations