WHAT WE’RE INTO FUN

I am spending time on my mountain bike lately exploring different areas of Duluth’s ridgeline on the Duluth Traverse. The trail gives access to forests, creeks and vistas where nature integrates within our unique urban setting. It is peak mountain bike season in Duluth. Time to grab a bike and find adventure not far from your backyard. Lester Park, Spirit Mountain and Hartley Park are all great starting points.

The nearly complete 40-mile mountain bike trail through Duluth is a joint effort between COGGS and the city of Duluth and features a single-track trail easy enough for novice mountain bikers, but it’s open to walkers, too. Be sure to visit coggs.com for more information and trail maps.

CLINT AUSTIN, Duluth News Tribune photographer

I’ve been going on a lot of road trips as I teach my 16-yearold to drive. It’s a great time of year to fill the tank and hit the road. Make a special playlist of songs, buy some snacks and look for funny things to photograph. People-watching also is allowed.

We bought fudge in Grand Marais, root beer in Finland, and a bomber hat in Ely — because winter is never far away. I also bought a candle that smells like campfires. I realized later that I basically bought a candle that smells like smoke, and that doesn’t make a lot of sense, but I still love how it smells.

(Beth’s Fudge and Gifts and the Finland Cooperative can be found on Facebook. Isle of Pines Root Beer, rootbeerlady. com; Steger Mukluks & Moccasins, Mukluks.com; Cozy Nest Candle Company, Cozynestcreations.com)

BEVERLY GODFREY, features editor

I’ve started running on the Superior Hiking Trail, specifically sections in or near West Duluth. There are parts that are so hard — I’m looking at you, 100ish log steps at a wicked incline near Spirit Mountain — that you have no choice but to stop everything and laugh, so gorgeous that you have to whoop from its highest points, and so interesting that it’s a wonder the trail isn’t more crowded. (Thank goodness it isn’t.) Trail running sort of feels like being a character in a video game and it’s a great way to think about absolutely nothing but trail running — or else you’ll take a mega-digger. Recently an entire storm happened while I was in the woods and I didn’t even know.

I have been taking yoga-on-the-lake classes, hosted by Evolve, near Endion Station on weekend mornings in July. While I’m not spectacular at the yoga part, doing yoga on a Saturday morning in the grass looking out at the sun shining on Lake Superior provides a unique way to interact with the lake that provides an alternative to my usual walks along the Lakewalk. Classes like yoga on the lake or at Glensheen or Enger Park have popped up this summer — and provide good reminders to step out of the day-to-day rut and try new things outside my comfort zone.

LISA KACZKE, Duluth News Tribune reporter

I’ve been interested in podcasts for a couple of years, but now that I’ve started driving more for my job, my collection of podcasts has grown. When I’m looking for reality, I turn to “You Must Remember This” to learn more about Hollywood’s first century. When I want a laugh, I cue up “How Did This Get Made?” to revel in the enjoyment of bad movies with the show’s comedians. I’ve also found a wealth of scripted science fiction and mystery with “RABBITS,” “The Message” and “Life After.” And I’ve even found musical theater in podcast form with the short but sweet “36 Questions” and the hilariously improvised “Off Book.” It’s nice to have a variety to choose from when I drive up and down the North Shore.

TERI CADEAU, Lake County News Chronicle reporter

The Duluth area has seduced my palate once again. Love Creamery opened in June in Lincoln Park, and while I’d tried their fare before, I was happy to step into their dedicated space. There are eco-friendly tastetesting spoons and cups, and their sweets were even better than the delightful, scoop-like tiles on the wall. The salted caramel is a potent force to be reckoned with, and a clerk said it’s a Duluth favorite. Each bite is full, hitting squarely the flavors in its name, leaving you wanting more. I will be back.

First time also at Great! Lakes Candy Kitchen in Knife River. You can smell the sweet when you walk through the door. Behind the intimate and cozy candyscape, I caught a glimpse behind the scenes, where there are tables of apron-clad people hard at work. The clerk was charming, sharing a brief history of the candy shop, and each person behind the counter I asked knew their sugary go-tos. I tried four or five different treats, and the blueberry almond bark was tops. More recommendations: something with toffee and something with mint.

MELINDA LAVINE, Duluth News Tribune reporter