I decided its time to go on a mini-vacation and since i love duluth, i'd spend a few days there. I just booked a hotel for the 29th and 30th so i have a few days to hang around. Mostly i just plan on sitting by the shore line and visiting some of the small shops, but what else is there to do in Duluth? I've probably already hit all the main attractions (the lift bridge, william irvin, split rock, etc.) but what is there that are little known destinations?

I love the town... lately i've been thinking about moving there almost daily.

Jitter's coffee shop for morning coffee or lunch (1st & Superior St. downtown)

Beaner's for evening coffee/ beer/ bottled micro brews.  they usually have a pretty good live music, and sometimes have an open mic night for anybody. (accross from Sammy's Pizza in west duluth)

New Scenic Cafe great modern eclectic food.  it's a few miles up Old 61 along the lake.  go up a little further towards  Two Harbours and there is a good place to get fresh smoked fish.

Puglisi Gun Emporium  it's the old bank building out in Gary new Duluth (can't miss it with the bars on the windows)  old custom rifles, winchester 21s, and nitro express double rifles.

i like hitting the I-Max also

advntrjnky

You should go to the aquarium. It's kinda cheezy... but it's got some neat otters and an eagle.

Ski trails and grouse hunting are always an option.

I love visting Duluth but when I lived there I hated it to me it was like the worst of living in the city combined with the worst of living in the country.

Enger tower (it's similar to the witches tower in Minneapolis except you can still go up in it though it may be closed in the winter).  Great view.

Hawk Ridge is a nice view as well (probably can't drive up all the way in the winter but you can get close and hoof it.


Addresses of resturaunts

Bellisio's Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar
A little more on the upscale side but you could get away with a T shirt and jeans too.

Louis' Cafe & Restaurant
Serves up a great breakfast anytime of the day.  Their pancakes are second only to the ones from Trail Center up on the Gunflint Trail.

Hacienda Del Sol
Good Mexican food, beats the pants off that Little Angies place.

Jim's Hamburgers
This is a classic for the area though I've never actually been there I'm told its a decent place to get a bite to eat.

Saigon Cafe
As good as oriental food gets in Duluth (which isn't great but it's nice for a change).  Garlic Chicken and Cream Cheese Wontons are my staple entree's there


edited for clarification and to add
The Glensheen Mansion.  Old house with some interesting murder mystery history.  The guides won't talk about the murders but if you read up on them it's kind of interesting.

Eat at the Brewhouse in Fitgers and partake of the best beer in Minnesota.

Quoted: edited for clarification and to add The Glensheen Mansion.  Old house with some interesting murder mystery history.  The guides won't talk about the murders but if you read up on them it's kind of interesting.

Oh I didn't like visiting that Glensheen mansion when I was a kid.  They showed you every room except the murder room.    That's like going to Las Vegas for the museums.

Spirit mtn. Best skiing in MN, except lutsen. Or if youre cool like me, best snowboading in MN, except lutsen.

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Quoted: Oh I didn't like visiting that Glensheen mansion when I was a kid.  They showed you every room except the murder room.  hat

To be fair there were multiple murders so you got to see one of the murder places just not the main one.

And now they've relaxed a bit and re-enforced the building, so you can go on the 'expanded' tour which covers the whole house as well as the attic.

Still I'll admit it's a lot of walking around an old house.

Belissios food- yumm best Fettichini (sp) i have had yet- steak is great there too.

Fitgers brewpub for the beer and food is pretty dang good

Grandmas garden for the cheap drinks

Two harbors for the lighthouse

Goosberry falls for the falls-who wudda thunk....

and my NEW favorite.. Sir Benedicts- just UP from fitgers complex  happy hours every day i think from 4-6 or something  cozy/ relaxing but gets very crowded - hippie crowd, but beer is cheap

Casino- might as well climb into a smokestak for some fresh air
\
and the Last Place on Earth for all of your "tobbacco" pipes and water bongs....

The Saratoga

Quoted: The Saratoga

Can we say:  Beaver tails?

Is there a museum anywhere in that area for Richard Bong?

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Quoted: Is there a museum anywhere in that area for Richard Bong?

In Superior WI
www.bongheritagecenter.org/home_visit/

I don't know the name, but there is a revolving restaurant at the top of one of the buildings downtown.  Nice place but not up to Stratosphere of Vegas (or their prices).

That's the Radisson.  Food is very hit or miss there.

+1 on the Bong museum

Quoted: I love visting Duluth but when I lived there I hated it to me it was like the worst of living in the city combined with the worst of living in the country.

Care to elaborate?

Being currently stuck in Duluth I'll comment for what its worth.

Food:
Sir Bens has good sandwiches and nifty import beers.  Sometimes live music and in general a bit of a lefty/hippie deal going on with the patrons.  I like to get sandwiches there, although they aren't as good as they used to be.

Pickwick: Probably the best, quality wise, restaurant in town.  Its close to Sir Bens.  

Radisson:  Yeah it spins around.  The food can be good or bad, service is usually worthless for the most part.

Portland Malte Shop: Great malts, probably some of the best anywhere.  Also closed right now.  Bad luck.

Pizza Luce:  Strange pizza abounds.  If you are into that, its not a bad place.

Sights
Hawks Ridge: Just a mile or so from where I'm at right now you can drive to the lower overlook, but the upper overlook is closed to traffic so you'll have to hike it out, but its not that far.  

Brighton Beach: Usually home to piles and piles of ice now, but its not cold enough so you can still get down and see some waves without leaving your car.

Canal Park/Lakewalk area:  Probably a bit cold, but you can get right down by the lake.  

Bars & Stuff
College bars: Grandmas (formerly Grandmas Sports Garden), Duluth Athletic Club, 21 North
Normal Bars: Dublins, Sir Bens, Grandma's Saloon, Brewhouse
Not worthwhile strip clubs: Saratoga, Fuzzys, Pink Palace (I think it has a new name)
Worthwhile strip clubs: (none)

x156

Quoted: Quoted: I love visting Duluth but when I lived there I hated it to me it was like the worst of living in the city combined with the worst of living in the country. Care to elaborate?

Its just big enough to have annoying stuff like too much road construction, crime, bad traffic spots, but too small to have any benefits such as a good fri/sat night life area or great restaurants or entertainment options.  

It's sort of stuck in city purgatory.  Just my opinion, but that's why I left.  Great place to visit (especially in July), not so great place to live.  

x156

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Quoted: X156 hit the nail on the head.  In addition it's got a healty criminal population along with people living on top of each other.  Also there is really no middle class, just poor and rich.

Quoted: Quoted: Care to elaborate? X156 hit the nail on the head.  In addition it's got a healty criminal population along with people living on top of each other.  Also there is really no middle class, just poor and rich.

Also note that you cannot carry in Duluth with the Minnesota permit. The city has passed legislation exempting itself from the law.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Care to elaborate? X156 hit the nail on the head.  In addition it's got a healty criminal population along with people living on top of each other.  Also there is really no middle class, just poor and rich. Also note that you cannot carry in Duluth with the Minnesota permit. The city has passed legislation exempting itself from the law.

That I didn't know.  Are you sure?

Oh yeah, and you can't smoke in bars in Duluth.  If you smoke that might piss you off.

x156

Quoted: Also note that you cannot carry in Duluth with the Minnesota permit. The city has passed legislation exempting itself from the law.

That is incorrect.

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Quoted: height=8 Quoted: Also note that you cannot carry in Duluth with the Minnesota permit. The city has passed legislation exempting itself from the law. That is incorrect.

Specifically it is incorrect because there is a state preemption law meaning the city cannot pass a law to further restrict the states law.  They did anyway, the law itself is illegal and cannot be lawfully enforced.

I'm looking more at nature things etc. for this trip, hopefully there is some snow by this weekend.

Thanks for the heads up on the population.. maybe i can find a secluded cabin in the area that wont break the bank. A little back woods home would be nice!

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Also note that you cannot carry in Duluth with the Minnesota permit. The city has passed legislation exempting itself from the law. That is incorrect. Specifically it is incorrect because there is a state preemption law meaning the city cannot pass a law to further restrict the states law.  They did anyway, the law itself is illegal and cannot be lawfully enforced.

We need a test case. I just don't have the money to take it on.

Quoted: Specifically it is incorrect because there is a state preemption law meaning the city cannot pass a law to further restrict the states law.  They did anyway, the law itself is illegal and cannot be lawfully enforced.

And also there is no such ordinance in Duluth.  They passed one saying "no carry in city buildings," but I think there's a number of cities in Minnesota that have done that.  There is no ordinance that says you can't carry in the entire city.

Duluth was a "no carry" city under the old CCW laws.  that has changed.  they have to follow the rules like everyone else now.  Rochester was the same.

advntrjnky

www.twincitiescarry.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2983&sid=b6477be84b3388e49b75c2bf13d2bb7b

This is probably too late but;

The Superior Hiking Trail starts just past Bettys Pies north of Two Harbors.  IMO, besides the hunting/fishing, it's the best nature activity up here.

Some of the restraunts listed aren't even open anymore (last time I checked anyway, and I live/work here).  

For food I would hit the Anchor Bar in Superior.  Expect to wait, but that place is packed with weird shipping crap ..it looks like something out of a National Geographic magazine.  

The Bong museum is great, I volunteered there when it first opened.

Jay Cooke State Park (near Carlton -south of Duluth off 35w) is a great park to go hiking in, I was there this afternoon.

We have no decent gun shops up here, I wouldn't even waste the time to look for them if I were you.

The William A. Irving (ore boat) is pretty neat, but I'm not sure if they do tours in the winter.

You could also go curling at the DECC, I havn't done it yet..but you can drink and walk around on the ice and lob those big rocks around...sounds pretty kick ass.

For bars, stay away from the Red Lion, and pretty much anything on 1st street and you should be alright.  I like Pizza Luce', but it's really smokey and the hippies that work there always mess up or forget your orders..but the food is good,