Photo by Randen Pederson
The big lake’s most welcoming hosts — Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin — embrace boaters with art, entertainment, history and nature.
At the far western corner of Lake Superior, near the nose of the wolf, lies the westernmost ports of the Great Lakes: The Twin Ports of Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin.
The largest freshwater ports in the world, the Twin Ports have been the economic center of the region for more than a century. The ports love recreational boaters as much as ore ships. Whether you coast into Superior or glide under Duluth’s raised aerial lift bridge, there is so much to do here, you could spend a summer living aboard in the Superior Bay and only see a fraction of what the Twin Ports have to offer.
But if you only have a week to explore, here’s your guide to experience the culture, history and recreational opportunities this Lake Superior metropolis has in store for boaters who make the grand trek across the big lake.
Duluth: Views and attractions
Duluth is a boater’s dream with all the urban amenities you could want alongside world-class outdoor recreation. Coming into Duluth, look up to find a navigational aid in Enger Tower, towering atop the Duluth hills to the north. This 1939 tower beckons over the Twin Ports and the bay of the St. Louis River and will guide you to the aerial lift bridge, which can be harder to spot from the water. Once you’re settled in port, make sure to visit Enger Tower. Not only will it give you a spectacular view of your boat and the Twin Ports, but the surrounding gardens and parks are beautiful year-round. Relax in the rock garden, ring the gong in the Japanese peace garden, tour the recently constructed pavilion and hike along the Superior Hiking Trail, which will take you all the way to Canada.
From atop the tower, let your eye travel up the St. Louis River; your boat can take the same route. An overnight stay at Spirit Lake Marina will give you easy access to many of the city parks and trails that have made Duluth the outdoor Mecca it’s famous for. In 2014, it was voted Outdoor Magazine’s Best Outdoor Town.
From Spirit Lake Marina, hop on the paved Western Waterfront Trail with your bike, rollerblades or running shoes. The five-mile trail travels past the Lake Superior Zoo, well worth an afternoon tour, and links to the paved Willard Munger State Trail, which will take you all the way to Jay Cooke State Park. Possibly the best part of your return bike trip — although you didn’t notice you were gradually pedaling uphill — is that you can coast all the way back to the marina through the lovely forest along the St. Louis River.
If you’re staying at a marina on Park Point, you’ll have plenty to see and do right off your dock. Park Point is a five-mile stretch of sandy beachfront; a day spent collecting driftwood, sand castle building and swimming in the cold water is a must.
In the second week of June, the Park Point Rummage Sale offers good junk deals for miles. Later in June, the Park Point Art Fair shows the work of more than a hundred juried artists, plus live music, entertainment, food and other vendors. A short walk across the lift bridge to Canal Park will bring you to the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center, a free museum at the base of the bridge that’s full of interpretative displays about the history of the big lake. Keep walking and you’ll find unique restaurants, shops and galleries. Make sure to visit the Great Lakes Aquarium, which has been recently renovated and now includes multiple touch tanks with sturgeon, sharks, jellyfish and the new raptor ridge. The aquarium is fascinating for adults and kids alike. And right outside the aquarium, Bayfront Park hosts music and festivals all summer long; in the colder months, the park is home to Bentleyville, a huge holiday light show extravaganza.
PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA DULUTH
DULUTH TRAILS
Duluthians are devoted to their neighborhood parks and the opportunity to immerse themselves in the woods just a few minutes from home or work. If you love to hike or run trails, Andrew Slade’s guidebook, “Hiking the North Shore,” is an excellent companion to guide you on a multitude of excellent hikes, including a wonderful tour starting in Canal Park all the way up to Enger Tower. If you love mountain biking, COGGS (Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores) has built amazing mountain biking trails throughout the city for every skill level. Didn’t bring your mountain bike on your boat? You can rent one at one of the bike shops in town or through one of the local universities or colleges.
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PHOTO BY FLICKR/CLARE AND BEN
Superior: History and Nature
Across Superior Bay, the City of Superior calls to history buffs and nature enthusiasts. Like Duluth, there is a ton to do within a short distance from the lakefront. With its expansive view of Superior Bay, this town was a prosperous shipping port and an important center of industry at the turn of the 20th century. Superior was the last port of call for the Edmund Fitzgerald before it sank in November 1975.
Barkers Island is a haven for those arriving by boat. It sits on the inside of Superior Bay, protected from the big lake, providing access to the St. Louis River as well. Barkers Island Marina stands as a full-service oasis with all the basic amenities (electricity, water, fuel, etc.), as well as laundry, Wi-Fi, pump-out and a ship’s store. Its complete service center and well-stocked parts department are open every day during the boating season, ready for your DIY project or a larger job to be performed by its highly experienced staff.
Stop by the Barkers Island Inn, with its lounge and restaurant, and wander through the popular farmers market, which is open every Saturday morning between June and October. The farmers market sprawls right outside the SS Meteor Whaleback ship, the last remaining above-water Whaleback ship in the world. Designed by Captain Alexander McDougall and built in Superior, this torpedo-shaped boat has a steel hull that rode low in the water when fully loaded. It hauled iron ore, oil, grain, gravel, sand and even cars, before finding its permanent land-based home on Barkers Island in 1972. You can tour the ship during the summer months as long as the temperature stays below 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Any hotter than that and it’s unbearable inside!
Across from the Meteor, you’ll find the Lake Superior Estuarium, a newly opened public science and interpretive learning center that hails the ecology and communities of the St. Louis River Estuary and Lake Superior watershed. The space was developed in an old building with support from NOAA and the University of Wisconsin Superior. The Estuarium is part of the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve, a member of the National Estuarine Reserve System network, one of 29 reserves across the country devoted to research on coastal resources. This reserve encompasses more than 16,000 acres on the Wisconsin side of the confluence of the St. Louis River and Lake Superior and is one of only two reserves located in the Great Lakes.
On the third Sunday in July, the Lake Superior Reserve hosts the annual Lake Superior Day, with free activities including live music, vendors, arts and crafts, kayaking, canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding, a rain garden workshop, native plant sale and fun, educational activities.
At the entrance to Barkers Island stands one of the most popular historic sites in the area, the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center. This amazingly comprehensive center pays tribute to the veterans who served in our country’s wars from WWII up through the Vietnam War. It’s named for Richard “Dick” Bong, a local WWII war hero who piloted a P-38 Lightning in more than 200 missions over the Southwest Pacific, destroying 40 enemy planes. Standing in a replica WWII control tower, you can peer down at the center’s showpiece, a restored P-38 Lightning in a South Pacific setting, complete with Richard Bong’s “Marge” markings. The rest of the museum is just as impressive, with exhibits, displays and films that tell the stories of those who served in all branches of the military, as well as the family’s sacrifices on the home front. You can view a WWI trench display, a nuclear rocket replica, military vehicles, interactive and interpretative displays, and hundreds of original artifacts.
History buffs will also revel in the Old Firehouse and Police Museum, the last of Superior’s 1890s fire halls, which originally held five horse-drawn rigs. In this self-guided tour, you can peruse historic fire fighting equipment and wander among the fire chief’s horse-drawn buggy, a 1906 Ahrens Steam Pumper, a 1919 LaFrance Ladder Truck and a 1944 L Model Mack with a Hale pump.
A tour of Superior’s historic downtown Tower Avenue begins with the Superior Public Library, a vibrant community resource with a collection of historic murals completed by Carl Gawboy, a native artist who lives near Duluth. The child of an Ojibwe father and a Finnish mother (he spoke three languages as a kid: Ojibwe, Finnish and English), Gawboy knew as a young child that he wanted to be a professional artist. One day while harvesting rice, he knew his work would express his heritage through the everyday experiences of native people.
Walking north into the Tower Avenue downtown district will bring you to unique shops and plenty of local restaurants, like Vintage Italian Pizza, 7 West Taphouse and Empire Coffee, a café with art by local artists and a delicious menu. This café is housed in the historic Empire Block building, which first opened in 1892 and has just undergone a detailed three-year, $6 million restoration.
PHOTO COURTESY OF GREAT LAKES AQUARIUM
Beyond Tower Avenue, there are more local restaurant favorites you won’t want to miss. Thirsty Pagan Brewing, which has recently moved to the renovated, historic Soo Line Train Depot, is known for its gourmet pizza and its seven-barrel brewery system, producing “wild” beer. The Red Mug Coffeehouse is a staple in the community for its excellent coffee, friendly staff, healthy, delicious meals and local artwork. And of course, you won’t want to miss the legendary Anchor Bar, a popular fixture for its burgers and fries.
To walk off those calories, explore the Superior Municipal Forest, a hidden treasure of 4,400 acres of forest right in town. It’s the third largest forest within a city in the U.S. Bring your mountain bike, hiking shoes, kayak or canoe to explore this boreal forest with conifers and hardwoods.
Superior is also an ideal starting point for waterfall enthusiasts. Pattison State Park, just south of the city, features Big Manitou Falls, the tallest waterfall in Wisconsin, and its cousin, Little Manitou Falls. While in the park, you can also explore the Gitche Gumee Nature Center, hike more than nine miles of trails, and swim along the popular sand beach on Interfalls Lake. Driving just outside of Superior on Highway 2, you’ll find Amnicon Falls State Park, with its diverse collection of waterfalls and rapids, whose easy access and scenic viewing points make it popular among people of all ages and abilities.
As you make your way back to Superior, be sure to explore Wisconsin Point. With Park Point on the Minnesota side, Wisconsin Point makes up one of the longest freshwater sandbars in the world. The century-old Superior Lighthouse at the point was bought by a private owner this past summer, and will continue within historic preservation standards. With almost three miles of sandy beach, you can indulge in bird watching, hiking, picnicking and swimming in the big lake.
With so much to explore in the Twin Ports, you may find your vessel and crew ready to make the long trek more than once — or maybe begging to stay the whole season!
Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival
One of the most exciting events on the water, the Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival is held in August in the Superior Bay off Barkers Island. Up to 100 teams participate in this traditional dragon boat race, with each boat holding 22 paddlers, one drummer and one person to steer. Teams raise pledges for their selected charities in this annual event organized by the Superior and Duluth Harbortown Rotary Clubs. In addition to the dragon boat race, there are also fireworks and other festivities. Teams put up tents for the weekend, turning this into a community celebration of goodwill and fun competition.
The Fairlawn Mansion
Across the road from Barkers Island, you’ll find the Fairlawn Mansion, a restored 1891 Victorian House and Museum. The Fairlawn Mansion has always loved having guests, and its visitors today are welcome to tour the mansion as it’s open to the public as a Superior Public Museum (along with the Meteor and the old firehouse). Originally built for mining and lumber baron Martin Pattison and his family, it later became the “Children’s Home,” serving as a home for 2,200 children from 1920 to 1962. It was scheduled for demolition in 1962, and a year later, the Douglas County Historical Society took ownership. The first floor has been restored to its Victorian state, with elaborate woodwork in each room, ceiling murals, unique fireplaces of marble, tile and Mexican onyx, and a grand front hall and staircase. The second floor serves multiple functions, with some displays and a master bedroom suite similar to the family’s use in the 1890s. The third floor — which once held the family’s ballroom, billiards and card room — now serves as a museum to the Children’s Home era, when up to 50 children lived at the home at any given time. The gardens are maintained and open to the public. In mid-July, the museum puts on a grand ice cream social with an old-fashioned cake walk on the front lawn.
