Duluth in a Day

The Duluth area is very big and there is so much to see. We were only able to spend a few hours there but we did enjoy a few things and there were some things that would have been cool to do if we had more time.

Canal Park is a must. It can take 5 minutes or 5 hours, I don’t recommend 5 minutes. Take a walk or just sit and enjoy the view. What ever you do stop and take some pictures and you can say you have seen it. We enjoyed just hanging out and watching our son chase the birds.

The Lift Bridge is also a must see. You can find out the shipping schedule from the visitor shop on Canal Park, I suggest finding out when the ships are going to be passing through and try to catch one. It really is a neat sight to see, both the bridge lifting and the boat coming through.

Shopping, there are tons of shops, stores and markets. Spend some time walking around and seeing what all there is. We walked into a building that had several shops and restaurants and it was very neat. The downtown area also had lots to see and do, just drive across the highway and walk around up there too.

Duluth had lots of restaurants. We did not have great luck picking a place but there are several to choose from. Pick up a map and a brochure of what all is in the area and go from there. I do not recommend Grandma’s (read review) we were very unhappy.

There is also a Vietnam Veterans Memorial with lots of boats and ships. You can go on the boats and walk around. These boats are on the other side of Canal Park. We did not get to do this but we did see it and it was neat looking.

Quick Tips:

Get a map or a brochure that tells you what all is in the area and what all there is to do. We got one as soon as we got out of the car to help guide our adventure. There is a lot to do and there is stuff on both sides of the highway. Downtown is on one side and Lake Superior and The Canal are on the other side.

Hopefully you will have more time to spend then us, but I suggest spending more time there than we got too. I would have loved to stay for a few more hours and check out more of the downtown area.

Parking is free at several locations. There seemed to be plenty of parking as well.

Bring money to feed the birds.

Bring a camera; there is so much to take pictures of.

Best Way To Get Around:

Walking is defiantly the best. I think you can get from downtown to the bay side by foot walking over a bridge that crosses the highway. Everything is so close and it is usually a nice temperature outside that walking would not be a problem. I think there is so much to see and do that is makes it more convenient and easier to just walk rather than try to take it all in by car.

Grandma’s is big and well know in Duluth. Almost the whole downtown lake area is some sort of Grandma’s relation. There is a Grandma’s Market place, Grandma’s Bar and Grill, Grandma’s Sports Garden, and there is even a Grandma’s marathon. We chose to eat at Grandma’s Bar and Grill. It was this huge building that sat right on the water, on the cove side. When we went in to eat we were the only ones in the restaurant. It was of course 2 in the afternoon. We got seated, and ordered our food. It seemed like it took forever to get our food. Once we got our food, it was a big disappointment. The food was not very good at all. I ordered a hamburger and I really think I have had better at McDonald's. My husband ordered a pizza and the pizza was reasonably priced I think like $5.00 or something and then they charged like $3.00 for an extra topping and they places one piece of sausage on each piece of pizza. It was not worth the extra $3.00 they charged and his pizza also was not very good.

Once we got done eating we were ready to get on our way and explore more of Duluth. So we waited and we waited and we waited for out check. I waiter was standing 10 feet away from us with her back to us talking to the other waiters while we just sitting there waiting and keep in mind we were the only ones in the restaurant so she could not have been too busy. I think after like 10 minutes she finally came over and got us a check. It was about 10 minutes later that we finally got to leave. I would say the service was terrible and the food was not worth the terrible service to make the experience even worse it was pretty pricey for a pizza and a hamburger.

The décor and atmosphere of the place was neat. There was sports paraphernalia through out the whole restaurant and several flat screen TVs with the World Cup showing on it. Grandma’s had a bar area and an arcade. It looks like it would be a great place to come and enjoy watching a sporting event but not necessarily for a dinner.

Canal Park is a main highlight in the Downtown Duluth area. It is a huge area of land that lines Lake Superior, provides a walking trail and tons of space for kids to run wild. Canal Park is located at the end of the peninsula where the lift bridge connects with another piece of land. The Lake walk, which starts at Bayfront Park goes for three miles and end in Canal Park.

Canal Park is a great place to watch big ships come through the bay. The Bridge that crosses the bay lifts up and people flock to the waterway that leads the boats through. The boats that come through are some of the biggest I have ever seen (see pictures)

Also in Canal Park is a visitor center where you can find all kinds of info on the area. The grassy area attracts tons of pigeons and birds, which can be, feed and make for tons of fun with the kids. There are a few vendors around that sell popcorn for a very cheap price. The birds will flock to you and fight for the popcorn. We had tons of fun with our son who chased the birds forever.

Canal Park had a few lighthouses and some great scenery. It is a great place to sit and enjoy the view, ride a bike, take a walk or chase the birds. This Park is a hot spot in the area as it provided cheap entertainment and a great atmosphere. I enjoyed staying in the area for a while.

The Lift bridge is a major land mark in the city of Duluth. It has been around since the 1900’s. When it was first built is carries people across by way of gondola. Over the years it turned into a bridge that cars could access and cross from Canal Park to Park Point. The bridge crosses the bay canal, which provides a way for shipping and cargo. The bridge is also lifted for smaller boats that give tours or small cruises.

I found this bridge to bee unique in that it is a road, which crosses the water, but the only way ANY boat can cross is to lift the whole road up into the air. It is not like most lift bridges you see over the water that lifts up and makes an opening at the top, splitting the road in half. This bridge just lifts up in one piece.

We were lucky enough to be there when a huge shipping liner came through. It was very cool seeing the huge boat drive right by our face and go under the bridge. We also got to watch the bridge come back down. It truly is a sight to see. The way the canal is set up people are able to stand right next to the wall and watch the boats come through.

Duluth is the last stop before you loose any sight of Lake Superior. North Shore Drive begins in Duluth and travels all the way north till you reach the border of Minnesota. The road travels along Lake Superior all the way and is a beautiful sight to see.

Once you leave the Duluth area you can plan on not seeing another big town till you get to Thunder Bay Canada. All that is along the North Shore are small towns with camping, skiing, fishing, waterfalls, and other out door activities. There area several state parks right off the road and each one offers something different.

The scenery is unbelievable through this area and there is always something new to see. I would compare it to driving from Miami to Key West in that there is so much to see and every thing you see is gorgeous (of course these are two total different sceneries, but still the same concept) I really enjoyed how blue the water was and how green everything that surrounded it was.