Back to College 2020

Whether hunting forsweets or sharks, the Twin Ports has youcovered

By Melinda Lavine mlavine@duluthnews.com

Yeah, we’re in aglobal pandemic. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t find some safe, socially distant fun. Here are five things to do in the Northland for $15 or less. Candy! Kitchen!

Take aride up Highway 61 till you hit Great! Lakes Candy Kitchen.

Caramel and English Toffee are top picks, each running about $10 for ahalf apound at this Knife River shop. Depending on the day, you can snag (meaning, pre-order) theirtriple dipped malted milk balls, blueberrybark, key lime truffles or plain olefudge (which is far from plain).

Awhirl around the sweet-tooth haven is not allowed at this time due to the pandemic. But, they’re taking onlineorders, with pickup on the porch. Check greatlakescandy.com for what’s available.

The shop is open every day 10 a.m. to 3p.m., and closed on Tuesdays.

You can’t go wrong with ascenic mini excursion, agood podcast and snagging ahaystack to soothe your chocolate jones with goodies made from third- and fourthgeneration candy makers.

Shark hunting

Eat, drink or slurp near agiant wooden shark duringGlensheen’s Shark on the Lake.

The historic mansion hosts this shine-only event from 1-5 p.m. daily, and 5-10 p.m. on Wednesdays.

Explore the grounds,BYO-food, or order in, but no outside alcohol. Ice cream and drinkswill be available for purchase. Grounds admission of $5 or atour ticket are required, but get in for free on Wednesdays.

For the uninitiated, the mansion holds an indoor shark scavenger hunt during tours, it hosted former Shark Watching Society bonfires,and Glensheen leaders commissioned the construction of a24-foot-long, 12-foothigh wooden shark intended to burn forthe mansion’s first FireFest.

Shark on the Lake is just another excuse to eat, drink and be merry next to the water, while socially distanced.

Also, check their virtual tour. It’s free.

Head out West

If you miss seeing movies on the big screen, The West Theater is showingoldies-butgoodies and some newer flicks at areduced capacity.

From Friday-Sunday and for 7buckaroos, catch everything from “Backto the Future” and “Field of Dreams” to “1917” and “Black Panther” —ina renovated theater originally built in 1937.

Face masks are required. There will be temperature checks, and advanced reservations are preferred to ensurethe theater doesn’t exceed 25% capacity. Patrons are asked to sit two buffer seats apart. Employees will also be masked. More info: facebook.com/ westtheaterduluth or thewesttheatre.com.

Scoot, scoot

If you wanna channel your inner 9-year-old or save the tread on your tennies, take aspin on Leaf Rides electric scooters.

Spot the black scooters with agreen tag in Canal Park, downtown Duluth or Bayfront Festival Park. (Stay tuned, these may be available at UMD this fall, according to Leaf Rides co-owner Jed Irvine.)

Download the Leaf Rides app. It costs $1 to unlock, and is 35 cents per minute to ride. That’s ahalf-hour of wind blowing through your hair while swerving past the gulls for less than $15. Only one per scooter, stick to the bike lanes or watch for peddies on the sidewalks.For riders 18 and older with avalid driver’s license.

Hours are 6a.m.to10p.m.

Note: While they’re sanitized during nightly maintenance, Irvine said it’s not feasible for he and co-owner Latisha Irvine to do thisin between rides. “That’s not something we can make happen; users have to be aware of that at theirown risk.”

So, BYO-Clorox wipes. More info: leafrides.com

Explore, virtually

Created days after Minnesota’s shutdown got real, the Virtual Duluth Facebook page hosts linkstolive music,demos, art lessons, workouts and more by the Northland’s own makers and creatives.

Check out atelescope live stream from UMD’s Planetarium, an online pub quiz, or a gentle AF yoga class. If you’re new to Duluth, it’s agreat way to get acquainted with some Duluth-Superior names to know, and it’s a F-R-E-Espot to get plugged in. Perfect if you want to break to learn how to draw abird or listen to local brewers talk beer, Virtual Duluth has acornucopia of options.

More info: facebook.com/groups/ virtualduluth

By Samantha Erkkila serkkila@duluthnews.com

Bynow,half ayearinto this pandemic, you’ve probably seen all there is to see on the internet. You’ve binged every show on Netflix, Amazon and Hulu. You’ve perfected every trendy dance on TikTok. And last week you created your first reel.

Because why not?

If your feed has gotten stale, here are some fresh accounts and hashtags to follow. And if you’re in need of some Insta inspiration, go explore the TwinPorts for yourself, just make sureyou wear a mask and stay about one moose away from others.

Instagram

Here’sahandful of hashtags and accounts to follow to get you acquainted with life Up

North:

#duluthnews features posts from yours truly.The @ duluthnews account has alittle bit of everything: owls, scenic mountain biking trails, must-eat food and Bigfoot adventures.

#authenticduluth,created by @visitduluth, features some of the more touristy attractions around the city @tyschank and @ havington arestaff photographers here at the News Tribune so you will see their photos everywhere, but their feed features some of the amazing photos that don’t always get published.

@DuluthLovesLocal highlights the many small businesses in the Twin Ports.

Open 6am- 10 pm •Every

It’sa great account to look at when you are searching for

your next meal offcampus.

@GeorgeDuluth is a landscape photographer up the North Shore. His photos of Lake Superiorare breathtaking,but lately he has been capturing some pretty amazing storm photos.

@duluth_harborcam for those days you can’t get down to the lake, this account has you covered. See ships coming and going under theAerial Lift Bridge and the always hilarious seagull photobomb.

@duluth_then_and_now highlights the ways the city has changed over the years. Explore historic buildings, old train tunnels and even fashion.

@umdbathroomreviews provides you with 1-10 ratings of the bathrooms around campus. From the remote to the prestigious, you’ll want to check this out if you find yourself in need of alatrine.

Twitter

For the Twitter users in the group, @duluthnews has ahandful of knowledgeable reporters to follow for all your newsy needs:

@mattwellens has all your Bulldog hockey and misc. hockey news.

@DNTAnE has got you covered for socially distanced arts and entertainment news.

@KellyBusche has stories for all you business majors and entrepreneurs.

@JimmyLovrien mostly covers mining but if that’snot your thing his outdoors stories are must-reads.As are his runaway tortoise stories.

Other accounts to follow:

@DuluthHipster sayswhat mostare thinking. Get your hot takes on local news, tourists and the COVID-19 pandemic all in one place.

@UMDHockeygifs has all the great on-ice moments captured in, you guessed it, gifs. Let’shopethere is a season so you can watch the epic plays and saves on repeat.

@lakesuperior is the witty, spitfire lake outside your

window.Follow for beautiful images and water puns.

And of course be sure to follow your respective school accounts:

@UMNDuluth, @ StScholastica, @UW_ Superior,@LSC_Duluth

Facebook and podcasts

Of course you can always find us on Facebook: facebook.com/duluthnews

We also have aweekly podcast, Bulldog Insider,which features local hockey news and personalities.Although that may look alittle different this season due to the pandemic. And if you want to learn about atragic event that happened in Duluth over 100 years ago you can listen to our six-part podcast series “The Duluth Lynchings” wherever you listen to podcasts.

BIKINGTRAILS

Enjoythe freedom of avarietyof open roads

News Tribune

The wind in your face, the sun on your back. The whir of wheels and clicking of gears. Bicyclists experiencea freedom that few other travelers experience. The open air. The calming quiet. Whooshing past walkers, hikers, runners. Turning off the road, leaving cars behind. Here are 10 bike trails whereyou can live the adventure.

1. Munger Trail

The Duluth-to-Carlton-to-Hinckley trail is one of the more popular trails in the Northland. Wide, paved trails attract bikers, runners, walkers and inline skaters.

Rating: Easy to moderate. The climb out of Duluth is long but gradual. There are some rolling hills. Youcan ride the entire 150-mile round trip or just try a short stretch.

Highlights: The trail winds along the bed of an old railway,offering views of the Duluth-Superior Harbor,St. Louis River,bridgecrossings, bluffs and forests. There’snomotor vehicle traffic.

Cautions: Because the trail is often populated with adiv group of users, beware of the traffic, and announce yourself when you’re passing.

2. North Shore Scenic Highway

It’sasmooth ride along Scenic Minnesota Highway 61 between Duluth and Two Harbors, directly along the shore of Lake Superior

Rating: Easy to moderate (wind conditions can make things more difficult).

Highlights: Enjoy Lake Superiorinvarious river crossings nearly all the way to TwoHarbors.

It’salongride (21 miles one way,) but ambitious riders can do it in aday if they hustle.

Cautions: There’shightraffic volume in the summer.Watch out for recreation vehicles and trailer traffic —they have less room to pass bicyclists, and sometimes think they’ve passed you before they actually have.

3. Duluth Lakewalk

Perhaps the area’smostvisible bike path, the Lakewalk runs nearly 8miles from Canal Park to Brighton Beach.

Rating: Easy.There are several hills, but even more long, flat stretches.

Highlights: Because it’sonlyfeet from the shore of Lake Superior,the Lakewalk features great views of the lake. See the

city and ship traffic, and the features of Canal Park. There’snomotor vehicle traffic to contend with, but other users (walkers, runners, dog owners and inline skaters) are aconcern.

Cautions: Congestion is the real issue. It requiresbicyclists to be sensitive to others, especially young children and pets, as they’re unpredictable. Take it slow

4. Skyline Drive

As long as the city of Duluth itself, the road stretches along the hilltop from end to end. Its views of Lake Superior, as well as urban and natural parts of the city are some of the best (and highest) around.

Rating: Easy to moderate in difficulty with average to poor pavement conditions.Again, pick your length.

Highlights: The views and low traffic volume are too big bonuses.

Cautions: Despite its lighter traffic flows, beware of any car along Skyline. There’sa good chance they’re looking at the view and not at you.

5. Seven Bridges Road

This somewhat challengingride gives bicyclists alookatthe most eastern part of Duluth. It feels like it’salot fartherout of the city than it really is.

Rating: Moderate to difficult. There are some pretty big hills with some bumpy pavement. It’sa smoother ride on the way up, but be careful coming down —itcan be bone-jarring.

Highlights:Agreat view ofAmity Creek and afair amount of solitude.

Cautions: Watch that descent, and stay in control

6. Minnesota Point /Park Point

MinnesotaAvenue runs about four miles from theAerial Lift Bridge to the tip of the point.

Rating: Easy.Couldn’t be any flatter Occasional strong winds can make pedaling difficult one way and abreeze theother

Highlights: Park Point Recreation Area is aniceplace to unwindonce you’re there. The park has soccer fields, volleyball courts and aplayground plus great access to the sandy beach along Lake Superior.

Cautions: Bicyclists share asingle shoulder with skaters, joggers and walkers, so things can get alittle cramped. Traffic can also be heavy at times.

7. Martin Road to Pike Lake

It’salongerride starting from Jean Duluth Road and hits adeadend at the beach on Pike Lake.

Rating: Difficult climbing at times. It can be 10 to 15 miles one way to the beach depending on whereyou start.

Highlights: There’sa nice shoulder to keep you out of what little traffic there might be. Plus, once you get to the beach, you can cool offwith aswim or stretch out in the sand.

Cautions: This ride is generally more fun for the moderately trained rider who’s not afraid to stand up in the pedalsand crank on some hills.

8.

Becks Road

In Gary-New Duluth there’satough but rewarding ride. Take GrandAvenue to Becks, which runs west. That’swhere the hill and the challenge begin.

Rating: Moderate to difficult. Becks is agoodhillclimb. Follow it up to the St. Louis River Road and back for about a 14-mile trip.

Highlights: There are quiet roads and panoramic views of the most western portions of Duluth and the St. Louis River

Cautions: Don’t bite offmorethan you can chew.Beready to work a little harder on this ride.

9. Lester River Road

This is perhapsthe biggest hill in the city.It’sanearlysteady climb for 2miles. Once at the top, you can hit Strand Road and then take Jean Duluth Road back into town.

Rating: Difficult up the Lester River Road but gentler near the top.

Highlights: With relativelylittle traffic, the Lester River Road has views of the Lester River and Lake Superior near the top.

Cautions: Mind the steep hills, and pace yourself during the climb.

10. Amity Trail near Hawk Ridge

Youcan catch the trail near the intersection of Skyline Parkway and Seven Bridges Road. The trail, which crosses two old bridges, runs through some of the highest terrain in Duluth.

Rating: Easy to moderate difficulty because of the rolling hills and gravel.

Highlights: It’sarelatively untraveled part of the city and offers afair amount of peace and quiet.

Cautions: It is open to people on horseback, and the etiquette if you are on abike and horses approach is to stop and get offyour bike and wait for them to pass. Horses are easily spooked by bikes.

SAFETY FIRST

Whether you’re taking offonafull-day bicycle trek or an afternoon jaunt, there are some things you just can’t do without: Ahelmet. Expect to pay $50 to $100 for good head gear Lights. Aflashing red tail light and awhite headlight go along way to increasing the visibility of aperson on abike to a motorist, even in the day.Abasic set starts at about $30. Tools. Spare inner tubes, tire levers to get the tire offand on and aportable tire pump. Asmall Allen wrench also comes in handy Warm clothes. Awindbreaker does wonders when the weather turns chilly Water Replenishing fluids is important. Don’t wait until you’re already dehydrated to take notice. Sunscreen. The back of your neck will thank you. Food. Any candy bar will do for a quick snack. But don’t hesitate to pack alunch. Money. Whether it’sfor some cool drinks, film or dinner,money comes in handy even when you’re trying to get away from it all.

LEFT: Cyclists ride bikes on Duluth’sBrighton Beach Road. RIGHT: A cyclist rides through the tunnel under Minnesota Highway 61 on the LakewalkneartheLesterRiverinDuluth.

LEFT: Cyclists ride through the tunnel under Minnesota Highway 61 on the Lakewalk near the Lester River in Duluth. RIGHT: CyclistsridebikesovertheLesterRiverontheLakewalkinDuluth.

One of many signs for cyclists that can be seen along the Lakewalk in Duluth. This one is at the end of the Lakewalk near Brighton Beach.

Acyclist rides a bike on the North Shore Scenic Highway in Duluth.

Photos by ClintAustin/ caustin@ duluthnews. com

Where to go when …

ANY MOOD STRIKES

By Christa Lawler clawler@ duluthnews.com

Duluth has a place for every mood —whether you want to examine your inner Norwegian or dance to Charlie Parr without being packed intoatight venue.

Here are tips forwhere to go:

When you want live music but

When you want to see ‘weather weather’ Lake Superior, man. When it rains big or snows hard, then the wind is whipping hard enough to dredge up ghost ships on the horizon, the world’slargest freshwater lake has amagneticpullfor the peoplewho live along its shoreline. When you see the funky colors swirling on the meteorologists’ screen, get thee to asafe space with a lake view and see what sounds, shapes and spectacular splashes Gitche Gummi makes.Also, please know that the wilder the weather,the more surfers you will see playing in the swells. Best viewing of these super athletes: Stoney Point, South Lester and Park Point.

When you want to own this city

Blah blah blah, the Superior Hiking Trail. It’sthe best dang thing running through this city and beyond. That said, some parts are superior,LOL, to other parts. If you want to prove you are the Duluthiest Duluthian in Duluth’shistory,you need to hike the Ely’sPeak section. (You can take the trail, even though some people do scale it.) The route is treacherous, the vistas are (chef’s kiss), and the bragging rights are huge. While you’re there, find the old train tunnel and take the signature dark-figure-in-the-bright-cave-entry portrait.

When you want alegal fire on the beach

This will happen: Some night you will be parked out on the beach at Park Point with seven friends and, oddly,eight ukuleles and you will decide “Hey afire would be nice.” Don’t do it. Collect your instruments, pack up your hammocks, shake the sand from the leg of your pants and simply travel to Wisconsin. Unpack the snacks and tunes. Create your fire where it is legal, but stay 10 feet away from beach grass, thx.

green space between Earth Rider Brewery and the Cedar Lounge in Superior has been converted to festival grounds.

When you want to feel the feels of Norwegian royalty Enger Tower was agiftfrom Norway in the 1930s. The five story bluestone cylindrical structure looks out over the Duluth harbor and St. Louis bay —inaddition to Lake Superior It’safun and safe climb and it’swindy at the top. Take in the scene, man. This is your new city.While you’re there: check out the Zen garden and don’t forget to bong the bell, areplica of asimilarpiece in sister city Ohara, Japan. It’ssuch amust-see spot, we included it twice in this section. And we’re OK with that.

PARKS

that form along the cliff. There are many local climbing clubs that will help beginners. During the other months of the year, the park has wellmaintained trails and a nine-hole disc golf course.

Keene Creek Park

Located at Bristol Street and 63rd Avenue West in the Irving neighborhood, this park has a variety of features from tennis and basketball courts to a skate park and a short paved trail beside the creek. Most notable is the large dog park nearby, helpful when missing a four-legged friend back home.

Lincoln Park

Lincoln Park, on the corner of 25th Avenue West and Third Street, is deceptively large. Located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, it stretches to 37 acres and features a particularly beautiful walking trail with bridges, rocks and Miller Creek. It has a small stage and occasionally hosts outdoor events Fun fact: it was the site of the city’s first playground It has picnic areas and a disc golf course. It also has a winding road throughout much of the park that can be driven.

Enger Park

Maybe you’d prefer a park with a view?

Enger Park, near 16th Avenue West and Skyline Parkway, has you covered. Perched on top of the hill, the park offers views for miles. The view can been seen from the hillside pavilion or by climbing the 80-foot stone tower. Surrounding the tower is well-cultivated Japanese peace garden and pagoda, featuring the American-Japanese peace bell, a gift from Duluth’s sister city Ohara-Isumi. There’s room to picnic, hike, and bird watch. But be warned, it is also a very popular site for weddings and engagement photos on the weekends.

Take caution if you don’t want to end up an accidental photobomber.

Rose Garden

Speaking of places popular for weddings and engagement photos, the Rose Garden is also a common spot. The park sits at 13th Avenue East and London Road

and is accessible by the Lakewalk which traverses 7.5 miles of the city. It contains brick paths through its impeccable garden of roses. Be warned and an idyllic view of Lake Superior. There are several cement benches to sit along the paths.

Hartley Park Up in the Woodland neighborhood, Hartley Park features 10 miles of multi-purpose trails for everything including mountain biking, hiking, snowshoeing and cross country skiing. There’s the large Hartley Pond, which

provides easy access to canoe or kayak or fish. It has hiking trails for every level of ability, from the inexperienced to more adventurous hiker. Personal recommendation: take the tunnel trail to the segment of the trail called “The Pines” on a day with a slight breeze.

The tall pine grove waves overhead with a slight creaking sound.

Brighton Beach Park (Kitchi Gammi)

News Tribune file photos

sitting at the start of Minnesota Highway 61 and Congdon Boulevard. It’s the end of the Lakewalk, but also offers plenty of room to pull off and park. It has many picnic tables and rocks along the water’s edge. It’s a popular spot to skip rocks and access the water.

From Page H1

Hartley Park

Keene Creek Park

Quarry Park

Enger Park

Lincoln Park

Brighton Beach

Rose Garden

K&B GRILLED CHEESE

It doesn’ttake much to make agoodgrilled cheese, right? Bread, cheese, that super secret layer of mayonnaise, the butter substitute that is only whispered about among people who won’t judge you. K&B Grilled Cheese bills itself as bringing gourmet sandwiches and it deviates offthe beaten GC path with aspinach artichoke variation, one that adds buffalo chicken, or simply bacon. The bread is homemade—

owner Kevin White said he bakes up to 50 loaves per week. This food truck has been in circulation for about six years, but in the past has mostly been on the festival circuit. In the absence of festivals, you can find K&B Grilled Cheese at Duluth Cider or Cedar Lounge.Also: they don’t even need to do the mayonnaise trick.

GETTRUCKIN’

Pop-up restaurants offer gourmet grilled cheese to blueberry pizza

By Christa Lawler clawler@duluthnews.com

The food truckers adapted quickly to the new rules of mealtime in apandemic, and popup fare has been easy to find for the past few months. Here are some of the regulars with the most hustle.

LOG HOME WOOD FIRED PIZZA

This traveling wood-fired pizza stand, based out of McGregor,offers amix of pizza-pizza —ranging from classic multiple meats and mushrooms, to say,another with pesto and zucchini —and dessert pizzas, like as’mores version or one that is like ablueberry pie. Owner Rick Herman is aself-described foodie who went from working as ateacher to wielding apie peeler and lugging the 9,000 pound mobile restaurant from place to place. These are quick-hit pies —ittakes just 90 seconds to cook one. Herman sets up in McGregor,in addition to spots in Duluth and private events.

MAMA ROOTS

Mama Roots, which has ties to Juice Pharm, is Duluth’sfirst vegan food truck —which matches the latter’s claim on beingthe first local vegan restaurant. The blue bus has a beachy vibe and the menu options range from bowls to tacos to thai lettuce cups to apple butter toast, with seeds and nuts and chunks of apple. The bus tours to the usual food truck stops in the Lincoln Park area, in addition to The BackAlley

OASIS DEL NORTE

This is ahardworking pop-up food truck with Mexican fare —itsometimes shows up at two spots in one day.Eduard Sandoval Luna, the owner,grewupinMexico where his mother ran alocals-onlyrestaurant. He has set out to create her recipes here, according to his bio, but incorporates local touches, like marinades that incorporate local craft beers. He carries street tacos, quesadillas, tortas, nachos and more. Oasis Del Norte often sets up in the parkinglotsoflocal businesses.

THERAMBLER

Food trucks come and go, but The Rambler has maintained its consistent, rigorous green machine presence since the start. During the pandemic, the crew has delivered food to health care workers —inaddition to keeping regular hours with social distancing, adashof normalcy in strange times.

But enough about the do-gooder-ism.

Among the fan-favorites are Mahi Mahi Tacos, with caper tarter sauce and jicama slaw,and teriyaki pulled pork with pineapple. Don’t forget the Reuben fritters —justmore than abitesize of corned beef and sauerkraut ball with thousand island dipping sauce.

SCENIC 61

The New Scenic is a special-occasions restaurant —whether that special occasion be an anniversary or the way the wind happens to be blowingperfectly on acertain day

This longtime North Shore favorite shut down because of the pandemic, but recently polished offanairstream trailer to create Scenic 61. This pop up kitchen has amenuthat matches the unprecedented things that come out of the bricks and mortar kitchen. The airstream is sometimes on site and sometimes travels and its menu is themed according to burgers, tacos, sausages or sandwiches. During our visit to the restaurantgrounds,itwas tacosand theincacorn in the sweet potato variation was acrunchy pop of surprise. Pro tip: go for the add-ons. The house-made tortilla chips are well-seasoned and the seis leche cake was acreamy treat.

File photos /News Tribune