Video: Red Fox at Sunrise on Park Point
Richard Hoeg captured video of this red fox at sunrise this morning on Park Point. “Twas neat to watch the fox do its morning grooming and occasionally play with some sticks,” he wrote on his 365 Days of Birds blog.
Kaszuba leaves Brewhouse for Bev-Craft
Frank Kaszuba announced recently on Facebook he is leaving his position as head brewer at Fitger’s Brewhouse. His new employment is with Bev-Craft, a Superior-based consulting firm that helps new breweries by providing “development assistance, brewhouse planning, recipe formulation, ingredient selection, brand creation, and sales planning and assistance.” (more…)
St. Louis River Estuary National Water Trail Master Plan (Draft)
Duluth’s Parks and Recreation division is inviting the public to comment on a revised draft of the St. Louis River Estuary National Water Trail Master Plan. The plan seeks to recognize “one of the world’s largest freshwater estuaries as a premier paddle destination that targets a wide range of skill and interest levels,” according to a news release. “The rich history of this river as a significant waterway for Native Americans and Voyageurs and as a working river serving the twin ports of Duluth and Superior, combined with the expansive natural resources surrounding the estuary, provide a tremendous opportunity to showcase this amazing resource to the community.”
The draft plan was created during a nine-month planning process. It will be open for comment until Oct. 28. A revised plan will be presented to the Parks Commission on Nov. 9.
Waterfalls with Wern
Video by Kyle Zirbes.
GinStrings from Minneapolis at the Gunflint Tavern
GinStrings killed it last night at Gunflint Tavern in Grand Marais. (more…)
Sixteen Years on the Superior Hiking Trail: Cascade River to Temperance River
The second leg of my Superior Hiking Trail journey began Sept. 14, 2001, at Cascade River State Park. Two friends dropped me off that Friday night at a campsite in the dark, then immediately turned around and drove back to Duluth. My first job was to get out a flashlight and put up my tent.
The big clumsy contraption I slept in the previous year had now been replaced with a fancy Marmot model I could scrunch into a tight bundle, which would make hiking a bit easier. This tent has gone on to serve me well for 15 years and counting, but I wasn’t impressed the first time I set it up. Yes, I broke a tent pole before I ever slept in the thing. Perhaps setting it up for the first time in the dark led me to force things too much. Whatever the case, a single broken pole is not a big deal and did little to hamper my experience.
The next morning I was up early and on my way. Maybe an hour into the hike, a bit of morning mucus had built up and I did what anyone alone in the woods in such a situation would do: I pushed one finger against the side of my nose, turned my head and blew snot out the other nostril. It was at that moment I noticed a female hiker was right behind me, and this would be how we would get to know each other. (more…)
The truth about Shakespeare in Duluth

2016 has been full of 400th anniversary observations of Shakespeare’s 1616 death. Having first read Shakespeare in Duluth, I was thrilled to return for my hometown’s own First Folio celebrations, from the exhibit at the Tweed Museum to an early music concert. It was an honor to speak at St. Scholastica, where I was once part of the crew for Cymbeline, with librarian Todd White as the baddie Iachimo. At the Marshall School, I did the lighting for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, starring Maria Bamford (Titania) and Katie McGee (Puck) under the direction of Tim Blackburn. (Our Marshall librarian Louis Jenkins recently teamed up with Shakespearean actor Mark Rylance.) (more…)
Selective Focus: Ken Zakovich

Ken has been working for many years as a designer for print, interactive and other projects that typically make their way through the ad agency where he works. Recently, he’s been applying his design skills to some innovative 3-d and other projects. (more…)
Bob Dylan Nobel Prize for Lit.?
Did this happen? Is everyone shocked in a happy way? Hi to all hugs and kisses from Cali.
Matt Ray launches Kickstarter campaign
Matt Ray has launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the release of his upcoming album, Minnesota Moon, produced by Ian Alexy of Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank and recorded/engineered by Ryan Young of Trampled by Turtles.
218-955-3416 | Breckenridge MN
The PDD Headquarters has been flooded with calls from this number. I’ve answered twice and no one responded.
In a meeting yesterday my cell phone rang with the same number. “Breckenridge again,” I said.
“I just got that call five minutes ago on my cell,” was the response from across the table.
Duluth-area happy hour food and drink deals to last the week
After a busy day, it’s tough to muster up the energy to cook a meal. But going out to eat and drink regularly is expensive. The good news? If you plan it right, you can drink and dine at plenty of local places any day of the week for 10 bucks or less. Here’s a daily planner for sampling of some of the best happy hour specials in Duluth and Superior. (more…)
How to Talk Minnesotan (Mocumentary)
Visiting or moving to Minnesota? Learn the native language and customs and feel right at home with simple lessons from the 1993 Twin Cities Public Television documentary “How to Talk Minnesotan.”
Haley Bonar Tiny Desk Concert
Former Duluthian Haley Bonar is MPR’s featured Tiny Desk Concert performer today. She sings three new songs — “Hometown,” “Jealous Girls” and “Called You Queen” — from her album Impossible Dream.
Trail construction around Enger Golf Course?
I live near the Enger Golf Course and this summer I noticed what appeared to be construction of a trail or small road on the edge of parts of the golf course. Since I couldn’t find anything about this online I figured this was probably some kind of service road for the golf course but I thought I would make this post and see if anyone out there has any info about the purpose of the recent road/trail created on the parameter of the Enger Golf Course.
Manitou River Falls Minnesota North Shore
Here are some shots from the seldom seen Manitou River falls on Lake Superior near Highway 61. There are two main sets of falls between Highway 61 and the lake, the last set drops 40 to 50 feet directly into Lake Superior, making it one of only a few waterfalls that drop directly into Lake Superior. (more…)
Twin Ports Best Kept Dining Secret
One of the best kept secrets of the Twin Ports is Sclavi’s Italian Restaurant at 1106 Tower Ave. in Superior. I am amazed that more people do not know about it. We live in Minneapolis and it is better Italian food than anything we can think of in the Twin Cities. But as the best things in Suptown are, it is quirky. (more…)
Mystery Photo: SS Columbia of Duluth
This postcard image bears the ink stamp of the Russell Photo Co. of Fond du Lac, Minn. on the back, along with a handwritten note: “The ‘Columbia’ of Duluth, Minn.” There have been numerous S.S. Columbia’s throughout the world, but this one seems likely to be the same as the one profiled on Zenith City Online, which was launched in 1885 as the Mascotte. There are numerous physical differences between the ship in the image shown there and the one shown here, but the article notes “in 1912 Duluth’s Clow & Nicholsen purchased the vessel, lengthened it by over thirty feet, and renamed it Columbia.” If they are the same SS Columbia, why do both images (presumably before and after the redesign of the ship) bear the name Columbia and neither Mascotte?
Mystery Photo: Family Portrait from the Zweifel Studio
Quick internet searches indicate John Rudolph Zweifel was a Duluth-based photographer from the very late 1800s to the mid 1900s. He had a few different offices on West Superior Street and was in the Phoenix Building circa 1918-’20. His home was at 4231 McCulloch St.
Who are the round-faced darlings in the photo? Well, that’s the Hail Mary pass being thrown here for the hell of it, just to see if anyone can figure it out.
Call for Halloween Banners

We want to see your Halloween photos at the top of this page as banners. Keep in mind the hauntingly horizontal format, it can be tricky to work with, but a treat when it works well.
Sorry, that was terrible.
Click here for complete submission guidelines, but the basics are: 1135 pixels wide by 197 pixels high, e-mail them to banners@perfectduluthday.com. We’ll put them in rotation near the end of the month.












