Lake Superior Archives - Perfect Duluth Day

PDD Geoguessr #29: Lake Superior Lighthouses

Nov 03, 2024 2 Comments

The Duluth North Pier Lighthouse (Photo by Matthew James)

On Nov. 10, 1975 — 49 years ago next week — the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank in a Lake Superior Storm, killing all 29 crew members on board. As noted in Gordon Lightfoot’s ballad, “The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald,” the ship sank during a November gale, a Great Lakes weather event in which Artic air from the north collides with Gulf air from the south, creating hurricane-level winds. With the Lake Superior Marine Museum’s Gales of November event approaching, this post takes a look at the lighthouses that historically guided Great Lakes ships to safety during these storms. It concludes with a Geoguessr that includes Lake Superior lighthouses in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Ontario.

History Geoguessr Challenges, Lake Superior

Envisioning Threats to Great Lakes Shorelines

Oct 02, 2024 No Comments

Duluth features prominently in this segment from the latest episode of Great Lakes Now, a monthly program focused on developments affecting the lakes. The show is produced by Detroit PBS in partnership with a network of PBS affiliates around the region.

Videos Great Lakes Now, Lake Superior

The Wreck of the Adella Shores

Jul 12, 2024 No Comments

On April 29, 1909, the Adella Shores was bound for Duluth with a cargo of 9,200 barrels of salt. The ship never arrived. Disappearing in a gale off Whitefish Point, Michigan, the location of the 195-foot wreck remained one of the lake’s unsolved mysteries. But the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum has found it.

History, Videos Great Lakes Ships and Shipping Industry, Lake Superior

A Video Journal of Lake Superior

Jul 04, 2024 No Comments

This video ran on a loop at the Duluth Art Institute’s “Water Works” show June 20 to Aug. 25, 2013. It hadn’t made it to the internet yet.

Outdoors, Videos Lake Superior, Lake Superior Aquaman

Lake Superior’s Warming Waters

May 09, 2024 No Comments

Lots of Duluth up in here.

Outdoors, Videos Lake Superior, Weather and Climate

Screaming at Lake Superior

Apr 01, 2024 No Comments

Last year, Duluthians gathered behind Leif Erickson Park to scream at Lake Superior. The April Fools’ Day screaming session was initiated by Ryan Glenn. “I originally posted the event […] to be sort of a joke, so in case it flopped it was on April 1,” they said.

Videos Lake Superior

Postcard from the Rocky Shores of Lake Superior

Sep 22, 2023 No Comments

This undated postcard, circa 1970, was published by Gallagher’s Studio of Photography. The caption on the back read: “Rocky Shores Along the Circle Route of Lake Superior.”

History Gallagher's Studio of Photography, Lake Superior, Postcards

Beating the Heat

Sep 03, 2023 No Comments

Outdoors, Photos Lake Superior, Lake Superior Aquaman

A Sea Change for Lake Superior: Mishi Bizhiw — Great Panther

Aug 28, 2023 No Comments

This short video explores Ojibwe perspectives and cultural stories associated with Lake Superior, with interviews and artwork by Carl Gawboy and Jonathan Thunder. A version of it will be included in the public television documentary, A Sea Change for Lake Superior.

Videos Center for Global Environmental Education, Lake Superior, WDSE-TV - PBS North, Weather and Climate

A Sea Change for Lake Superior: When the Ice Melts

Aug 14, 2023 No Comments

Notoriously cold Lake Superior is among the fastest warming of the world’s large lakes. This excerpt from the upcoming public television documentary A Sea Change for Lake Superior documents research at the Large Lakes Observatory at University of Minnesota Duluth investigating how variations in winter ice-cover plays in that change.

The documentary is a coproduction of the Center for Global Environmental Education at Hamline University and WDSE-TV PBS North. It is scheduled for release in December.

Videos Center for Global Environmental Education, Lake Superior, WDSE-TV - PBS North, Weather and Climate

What AI thinks “Lake Superior fish” look like

Jul 28, 2023 No Comments

I used stablediffusionweb.com to make these, using prompts like: “Lake Superior fish,” sometimes including “angler” and phrases like “catch of the day” or “look what I caught.” Then I switched to “a meal of Lake Superior fish,” “Lake Superior fish on a plate,” and so on. You will see some “breaded fried Lake Superior lampreys.” Bon appétit!

Art, Outdoors Artificial Intelligence, Fish and Fishing, Lake Superior, Weird

Postcard of Duncan Bay from Lookout Louise

May 08, 2023 No Comments

Git yer flannel on. This undated postcard from Isle Royale was published by the National Park Commissions and is at least 20 years old.

History Isle Royale, Lake Superior, Postcards

Corner of the Lake, 1963

Apr 28, 2023 4 Comments

This photo by Lyman E. Nylander is dated April 28, 1963 — 60 years ago today. It shows several Canal Park icons — the Aerial Lift Bridge, Duluth Harbor North Breakwater Lighthouse, Uncle Harvey’s Mausoleum — but the Duluth Lakewalk is still decades away from being built.

Because of the I-35 tunnel, with Gichi-ode’ Akiing / Lake Place Park built on top of it, shooting a modern photo from this perspective would be either challenging or impossible.

History Aerial Lift Bridge, Lake Superior, Lyman E. Nylander

Timber structure washes up near Lakewalk

Apr 15, 2023 No Comments

A large timber structure has washed up on the Lake Superior shoreline just west of the Beacon Pointe condominium and hotel complex. (Photo by Mark Nicklawske)

Another large timber structure has washed up on the Lake Superior shoreline just west of the Beacon Pointe condominium and hotel complex.

The structure appeared on the shoreline below the Duluth Lakewalk trail following an April 4 snow and wind storm. It is made up of 12 x 12 timbers, metal cables and bolts and looks to be the size of Chevrolet Silverado crew cab pick-up truck.

News and Current Affairs Lake Superior, Weird