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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, December 12, 2013: Aerial Lift Bridge, Duluth, Minnesota

 

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In today's highlighted photo one can see a freighter leaving the Duluth harbor, making its way underneath the Aerial Lift Bridge, past Canal Park, and heading out to Lake Superior.  The second photo shows the road portion of the bridge back on ground level, allowing connection of an island to the mainland.  The Aerial Lift Bridge is a vertical lift bridge which is a major landmark in the port city of Duluth.  The bridge was built in 1905 and upgraded in 1929-30 to the current lifting design.  The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in May 1973.    

 

Adjoining the bridge is Canal Park, a wonderful conversion of an old warehouse district  into restaurants, shops, cafes and hotels.  A Maritime Museum maintained by the United States Army Corps of Engineers exists in Canal Park near the site of the bridge.  Other attractions found in Canal Park are The Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (which has been home to such artists as Elvis Presley, the Eagles, Bob Dylan), the Great Lakes Aquarium, and the William A. Irvin floating ship museum.

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Images (3)
  • Aerial Lift Bridge, Duluth, Minnesota: Bridge raised with freighter passing underneath.
  • Aerial Lift Bridge, Duluth, Minnesota: Bridge lowered.
  • Aerial Lift Bridge, Duluth, Minnesota: Bridge raised with freighter passing underneath.

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Comments (3)

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Hello again Theodore  

 

Sorry for the late response to your question.   Personally, I do not think it is worth the time and effort it would take for you to drive to Duluth from Minneapolis for only one day in the winter time.  The ride from Minneapolis to Duluth one way on Interstate 35 will take you 2.5 hours, and that's under good driving conditions.  In the winter, chances are you will encounter bad weather, and that will definitely add to your driving time. 

 

Duluth doesn't shut down in the winter, for it is a fairly big city, having a population (including Superior Wisconsin which is just across the bay) of approximately 100,000 people, so there is always something to do.  Although I have never been, I have heard that  Canal Park (which is located right on the waterfront) has a beautiful display at Christmas time, and offers a nice variety of restaurants, gift shops, cafes, and an aquarium year round.  Duluth also has "Spirit Mountain" which offers 22 downhill runs and 22 km of Nordic Ski Trails, and the "Snowflake Nordic Ski Center" which offers groomed trails for classic and skating skiing.

 

I would recommend you come to visit Duluth and then drive the rest of the north shore of Lake Superior to at least Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada in the summer time.  The ride offers beautiful scenery, great hiking trails, parks, campgrounds, quaint little towns, and best of all, you don't have to worry about snowy icy highways.  I think you would definitely enjoy such a trip.  Driving time from Duluth to Thunder Bay is approximately 3.5 hours (not including any stops, and there are many).  I would recommend at least a week to do a trip like this.  

 

I hope this helps you.  Enjoy your upcoming trip to Minneapolis.       

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