Does this bus go to Du-lut? Visiting Duluth, MN

November 25, 2007 3:56 PM

Visiting Duluth, MN. Any ideas for someplace unique to visit?

I'm spending the day in Duluth on my way to visit relatives, and I'm interested in finding some restaurant, art museum, movie palace, coffee shop that is unique to Duluth, some local spot with a lot of personality. I already enjoy Sven and Ole's in Grand Marais and Tobies' in Hinkley, and am looking for something with similar cache, though it doesn't have to be food related.

(Title line is first half of a groaner of a joke my father tells: "...no, it goes beep beep!" (in Norweigian accent))

posted by bullitt 5 to Travel & Transportation around Duluth, MN (12 answers total)

Lighthouses, some huge mansion called Glensheen which has swanky stuff to look at and apparently a history including murder and intrigue, some sort of shipping museum... also, there's a ginormous lift bridge which is interesting.

You may wish to check out some attractions in beautiful Superior, Wisconsin which is just across the lift bridge.
posted by Madamina at 4:11 PM on November 25, 2007

I've never been to Duluth, but I do enjoy their blog:

http://www.perfectduluthday.com

They've got tags for restaurants, art, an events calendar, and more. Hopefully there will be something in there that will interest you! Have a great visit!
posted by polyester.lumberjack at 4:30 PM on November 25, 2007

Duluth is a wonderful spot! If you are hungry, get a malt at the Portland Malt Shop and a deep-fried cheeseburger at the Pickwick. Those are pretty classic Duluth snack stops.

Shop for cold-weather gear at Duluth Pack (you can bring your dog inside if you have one; always the sign of a top-notch retailer in my book). And there's a nice art shop next door called Sivertson Gallery. They also allow dogs inside.

Keep an eye out for houses and buildings designed by my favorite architect, David Salmela, who happens to live and work in Duluth.

And more fun outdoor gear is available at a shop called Midnight Sun.

If you're driving up or down through Tofte, be sure to stop at the Coho Cafe for delicious food, too.

Have fun! Put some Low on your iPod and enjoy the trip.
posted by chippie at 4:40 PM on November 25, 2007

I dunno about cache, but it's about as Duluth as it gets.
posted by nax at 4:53 PM on November 25, 2007

Go to Fitger's Brew House. I prefer it over the Pickwick, though their peper cheese burger, which is what is roughly mentioned above, is very good. The restaurant is unique, and offers some of the finest hand crafted beer your are going to find in the United states. You ask for personality, you will not find anything in Duluth with more personality. i think they have a web page, if you are interested. it is the one place I have to hit every time I am in town.
posted by Amby72 at 5:44 PM on November 25, 2007

The S. S. Meteor, in Superior. An unusual Great Lakes shipping boat.

And if you have friends who are the sort of people who would laugh at you doing this, you could take some photos in front of the sign for the Bong Bridge.
posted by dhartung at 9:30 PM on November 25, 2007

Duluth is beautiful. But for the love of God, avoid the Grandma's establishments. A friend of mine ordered "Fish & Chips." Which contained fried fish, and... potato chips. When he brought it up, our server informed us that substituting french fries would cost another $1.50.
posted by SemiSophos at 9:40 PM on November 25, 2007

Pretty much all the establishments in canal park are owned/run by a group of people that take and take from the area, and then throw some money at the city when people get cranky. I would avoid the grandmas/little angies/belicios. to expensive, and too fake. they used to do authentic ethnic foods, but now they are just there to service the meet market crowd of college students.
posted by Amby72 at 5:43 AM on November 26, 2007

Also worth checking out, the railroad museum and the Irvin Tour if you're interested in the transportation history of the area.
posted by craven_morhead at 6:30 AM on November 26, 2007

I really like the Pizza Luce at Lake and Superior streets-- it works well as a pizza place, a bar, and a live music venue. Fitger's Brew House also has pretty good beer and food, although the atmosphere leans a little towards self-conscious urban renewal, if that makes sense.

If you're even remotely weather-tolerant, spending a few hours poking around on Park Point can be a ton of fun. It's pretty awesome to look across the water at the big-ass ore docks on the Wisconsin side.
posted by COBRA! at 7:23 AM on November 26, 2007

I'd recommend checking out Enger tower. It's a tower (obviously) at the top of the hill and named after the Norwegian businessman who donated the land for the park. Kind of cool to see the whole city from there.

Also Sammy's Pizza. I'm usually not much of a thin-crust person myself, but their thin crust pizzas are awesome.
posted by flod logic at 10:11 AM on November 26, 2007

If you feel like a hike (or a snowshoe, depending on the weather), try the Superior Hiking Trail.
posted by chippie at 3:58 PM on November 26, 2007