BACK TO college

First impressions of a recent college grad Best Bets for a fun time September events Find your new city on social media ... Cool stuff that’s new to town ... How to be as Duluth-y as possible ... It’s Twin Ports Bingo! ... Sunrise, sunset

Twin Ports entertainment for $10 or less

By Melinda Lavine mlavine@duluthnews.com

Whether it’s ax-throwing or hitting the roller rink, there’s promising entertainment for pennypinchers in the Twin Ports. Here’s a glimpse of things to do for 10 bucks or less. Get axed (not really)

For the Paul Bunyan or Gimli inclined, there’s competitive ax-throwing in downtown Duluth.

Ten bucks gets you 30 minutes whipping an ax over your head at a wooden target at Blacklist Artisan Ales. (One hour is $18 per person.) Equipment is provided, as is training on how to throw, score — and how to do it all safely.

If you’re younger than 18, you need a guardian, and waivers are signed beforehand. They recommend booking a time slot, and keep those tootsies intact — no open-toe shoes.

► Blacklist Artisan Ales,

120 E Superior St. More info: blacklistbrewco.com

A scoop and a stroll

At the The Portland Malt Shoppe, you can have your view and eat it, too. Located at 716 E. Superior St., it overlooks Lake Superior, and you can grab a scoop, float or banana sundae for less than $8. From the malt shoppe, it’s just a few feet to a Lakewalk entrance, where you can stroll the shore, ship-watch and let the sugar and sounds of the waves lull you to bliss.

Good for group dates, regular dates and flying solo.

Highly recommended at dusk.

► Portland Malt Shoppe, 716 E. Superior St. Open for the season until Oct. 21. More info: portlandmaltshoppe. com, duluthmn.gov/parks/ parks-listing/lakewalk/

Late-night laughs

In the vein of Upright Citizens Brigade, Duluth improvisers team up in a spontaneous, fast-paced game of make-the-audience-laughthe-hardest. It’s $6 at the door and spoiler: Everybody wins. Catch shows at 10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays at Teatro Zuccone.

Good for definite, consistent laughs and maybeembarrassing moments with your folks.

► Teatro Zuccone, 222 E Superior St. More info: zeitgeistarts.com/ renegade/#improv

Grab your skates

If you’re in for a junior high throwback or you wanna bone up for the hockey rink, hit up the World of Wheels Skate Center in Superior. If you BYO-skates, the cost is $6.50$8 for admission. Flash your college ID from 7:30-10 p.m. Wednesdays for the lower rate. Rent skates for $3 and blades for $4.50.

Good for groups, laughs and side ponies.

► World of Wheels Skate Center, 1218 Oakes Ave, Superior. More info: wowskatecenter.com

ENTERTAINMENT: Page 10

College students, these first few weeks, you’re going to be bombarded with thousands of tips on how to make your college experience the “best years of your life.”

This column is here to do just the same — but my insight isn’t coming from someone 20 years out of school. Instead, here’s a list of the best things if you’re looking to experience more than what campus offers — made by a young adult for young adults.

I’m a recent graduate of the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities. I moved to Duluth after a college experience that was made up of late nights in Dinkytown; a never-ending list of new restaurants, bars and concert venues to check out; and a campus of more than 50,000 students that literally never slept After four years of that, I worried that Duluth might be a bit … sleepy.

Thankfully, this wasn’t the case. With a summer of exploring trails, restaurants and all corners of Duluth, I have a quick list of my favorite ways to experience the town.

Please note: When winter hits, I can’t guarantee that many — or all — of my recommendations will hold up.

Get outside

What I assumed was great scenery in Minneapolis doesn’t compare to what Duluth has. While you can experience Duluth outdoors any number of ways, I preferred hiking. It’s an easy workout and offers some of the best photo ops for the gram.

Duluth’s trails snake along steep hillsides, over rivers and through dense forests — all while Lake Superior fills the eastern horizon.

My go-to hiking trail was at Hawk’s Ridge, which I headed to several times a month for both quick and long hikes. The park’s trails climb along the edge of one of the hills that frame Duluth. It’s a 10-minute drive from the University of Minnesota Duluth and College of St. Scholastica campuses, making for a quick trip to get away from school.

And if you have time (and a vehicle), head up the North Shore and stop at any of the numerous parks: Gooseberry Falls State Park, Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, Tettegouche State Park. They’re all great.

Be a tourist, seriously

For many residents, Duluth’s Canal Park is completely off limits until the slow-walking, street-clogging tourists leave for the season.

But you should embrace the chaos.

Canal Park exists and continues to exist because people — including myself — enjoy it. While exploring the small businesses and waterfront to cute small businesses and various notable restaurants. In my opinion, spending an afternoon in the Lincoln Park craft district devouring ice cream and/or tacos and then shopping in local businesses would be the best way to bond with new friends.

Take on live events paths may be cheesy, it’s guaranteed to be fun. And grabbing Leaf electric scooters to zip around the bustling neighborhood would make it even better.

When in doubt, go to an event.

“Events” extends to concerts, festivals, farmers’ markets, brewery tours, fairs, speeches and so much more. A lot of them are free, and you’ll meet people who live outside the campus bubble.

Attending an event involving something you’re passionate about, whether it’s music or politics, will make it even more memorable, and you’ll likely meet people who have similar interests. There’s no shortage of things to do if you hop on Facebook events and look at what’s happening in the Duluth area. Just pick one and show up; it’s that easy.

Want to eat good? Eat local OK, this extends to drinking, too. Many of the best meals and drinks I had this summer were from local restaurants. And the atmosphere of these places only added to the experience.

Experiencing food beyond chain restaurants like Chipotle and Domino’s Pizza — although still tasty — is one of my favorite ways to dive into a community. You can experience an important part of a community and something that drives people together (food) by dining local.

Duluth’s tourist areas aren’t confined to Canal, however. Make sure you wander around downtown and Lincoln Park, too.

Lincoln Park is a quickly developing area, home

Some of my favorite places were Sir Benedict’s Tavern, Duluth Cider, Bent Paddle Brewing, Hoops Brewing, At Sara’s Table Chester Creek Cafe and the list goes on. They all had great atmospheres and memorable food and/or drinks. And make sure you’re dining at places with outdoor seating — it’s only patio season for a few short months, folks.

University of

By Melinda Lavine mlavine@duluthnews.com

K, so if you’re new to the Twin Ports, you’ve hit the jackpot for hills, lake and woods. That also means outstanding peaks to view all of Mother Nature’s mischief. Check out these four locales to view a sunset, sunrise, full moon, you name it.

SKYLINE PARKWAY is one of Duluth’s treasures, uniquely showcasing the city from end to end while providing spectacular views of Lake Superior and the St. Louis River Bay. Skyline Parkway offers many overlooks along the way. Many of the neighboring parks and trails offer recreational activities such as hiking, crosscountry skiing, bird watching and more.

BRIGHTON BEACH. This rocky beach gets you up close and personal with the shore and waves. Set your seat on the billionyear-old basalt rock and enjoy.

PARK POINT. This sandy beach stretches the distance with awesome views of Duluth. There’s plenty of beach to share with the gulls — just please don’t feed them.

CLIFFTOP GAZEBO AT ENGER TOWER. Walk past the gothic tower, through the Japanese garden and Peace Bell to emerge on this hefty overlook.

Share your fave spots, email features@duluthnews.com.