Amy and Dave Freeman’s Big Adventure
Amy and Dave Freeman of Grand Marais are among ten finalists for National Geographic’s Adventurers of the Year. The couple paddled, dogsledded, and hiked 11,647 miles across North America from April 22, 2010 to April 4, 2013.
Instead of work holiday party, seeking volunteering ideas
That awkward holiday work party — where no one really wants to go, but feels obligated. Well, we want to do something different this year and need ideas! Last year, instead of apps and drinks while milling about awkwardly, we got to do a blitz build with Habitat for Humanity. It was a blast, and it really brought us together, while helping a family in need. Do you have any ideas for this year? There would be roughly 16 of us, and we would want to be able to work together for the most part. We could take a half day to work, or even a couple hours. The tough thing would be to try to schedule this activity on a Monday-Friday, sometime around the holiday season. Any suggestions welcome!
Northern Lights Over Hawk Ridge
This past Sunday night the Northern Lights shown over Duluth. This photo was taken at about 2:30 a.m. from the Hawk Ridge Viewing Platform. Hawk Ridge is a great place for watching the Aurora Borealis as the viewing platform gives an unobstructed view of the northern and northeast skies over rolling hills with very few lights to ruin the experience.
(more…)
Old Howard Mill and the (Possibly) Incendiary Howard Boys
Back in 2009, some folks on PDD wondered about the Old Howard Mill Road, where it went, and who the heck the Howards were. I just wrote an article that sheds some light on that subject, for your reading pleasure.
Above is a photo of the Howard family marker at Forest Hill, with an annoying late afternoon shadow across it.
Duluth Guitar Instructor Recommendations
My husband and I just moved to Duluth and want to start taking guitar lessons after the holidays. Our interests are rock, blues, and traditional country, both acoustic and electric. We took lessons for a little while a zillion years ago, but need to start over at the beginning. Proficiency in guitar is on our lifetime to-do lists, so we need to get going on that. Who do you recommend? Thanks.
Wanted: Urbanism blogging about Duluth
I’ve been a fan of this site, and your city, for many years. I’m also the “editor” (unpaid) of Streets.mn, a website trying to start conversations about urban design and transportation issues in Minnesota cities. We need people from Duluth who might be willing to blog about things up there … things like new developments, freeways, Duluth skyways, bike lanes, how to cross Superior Street, the bus system, etc.
If you or anyone you know is interested, or if you have any ideas / hate mail, please e-mail me at blindeke @ gmail.com. Streets.mn is about two years old, and has grown to over 40,000 hits per month. We really want to include more of Minnesota’s urban areas, and Duluth is my personal favorite.
Thanks for your help and understanding, and may the Duluth Family Sauna always be a weird place straight out of Twin Peaks (c. 1991).
P.S. Here are some of my posts about Duluth, just to prove that I’ve been there before: Sidewalk of the Week: Canal Park, Duluth and Other City Sidewalks: Morgan Park, Duluth.
Perfect Burger Restaurant: Anchor Bar
There is no shortage of great burger joints in the Duluth area, but the undisputed king of them all for the past three decades has been the Anchor Bar. Among the other dozen nominees in Perfect Duluth Day’s poll, only the Fitger’s Brewhouse pulled a significant chunk of the vote. When the two went head to head, the Anchor took 61 percent, and the Brewhouse took 39.
(more…)
Snazzy Winter-time Stationery
Perched on the scandalously beautiful hillside of Duluth – where winter can reign – this winter-time stationery was cooked up out of a love for the quirky side of life and the delight it brings. It also was designed and printed in our Zenith City and even features a design of our harbor, illustrated with pizazz by moi.
(more…)
Help get Locally Laid at the Super Bowl
Locally Laid Egg Co. is one of the top four finalists in a nationwide contest to win a free commercial during the Super Bowl. (Vote here.)
Twelve Years a Slave
Does anybody else think that the local Marcus Theater movie selection blows?
I was really hoping to see Twelve Years a Slave on the big screen, and I was waiting patiently. Apparently it isn’t going to be shown in Duluth/Hermantown because we need Thor to be shown on seven screens instead, and because Jackass Grandpa needs to run for a month.
Did I just totally miss it or something? I at least hoped Zinema 2 would pick it up, but I haven’t seen it there either.
Hero in the Hallways: UMD senior Marie Havrilla’s story of service
Our veterans both fight wars and personal battles. Read about this UMD senior’s experiences saving lives in Afghanistan and battling PTSD back in the States.
UMD Statesman: “Hero in the Hallways“
Medical Marijuana
My colleague and friend Shane Courtland pulled a great event together. I hope you’ll read the stories and advance the conversation.
Minnesota medical marijuana bill forum draws huge crowd
Legislation by an Iron Range DFL’er is drawing big attention in Duluth.
More than 200 people attended a public forum at UMD Monday on a bill to legalize marijuana introduced this spring with help from Rep. Carly Melin, DFL-Hibbing. Since then she’s been getting input and feedback from the public.
Melin said medical marijuana will offer pain relief with fewer side effects. She also said there are stiff penalties should anyone misuse the system.
See also: Minnesota lawmakers, experts debate legalizing medical marijuana
Did JFK have a ball in Duluth?
Well, this is a pretty big anniversary. Not two months after his 1963 stay in the Hotel Duluth, Jack found a bullet, or three, in Dallas. I’ve been reading up on the frothy array of differing assassination opinions and greatly look forward to another go around with the subject this week on PBS. The more you get into it, the deeper and messier it gets, the more suspects there are, and on and on. I doubt the fine bloggers of PDD are closer to the truth than anyone, but please, offer your ideas or memories.
Jim Heffernan’s Blog: “A Kennedy affair to remember — even in Duluth“
The Swinging Bridge at Jay Cooke
It’s back, as of Nov. 1.
(more…)
This week: marijuana, mountain movies and Monroe
Here’s a sampling of what you have to look forward to this week on the PDD Calendar.
Tonight there’s a discussion on the medical use of marijuana in Minnesota at UMD.
There is still lots of theater going on in town with Guys & Dolls opening at Marshall on Thursday and Memory of Water opening on Friday at UWS. Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Frozen, and Last Summer at Bluefish Cove continue their runs.
Hartley Nature Center celebrates its tenth anniversary on Thursday with an open house.
Give to the Max Day is Thursday to encourage people to give to their favorite charities. Any you want to promote? Link it in the comments below.
Chris Monroe opens a new exhibition, “Look Again,” at Red Mug Coffeehouse on Friday.
The Banff Mountain Film Festival comes to town with two different presentations on Saturday and Sunday at Marshall.
So what are you doing this week? Can we tag along? Any upcoming events that you want to promote? Let us know.
“Awareness Now”
I’m looking for information about a public activist campaign from the 1960s called “Awareness Now,” or something like it, possibly co-sponsored or sponsored by the Duluth chapter of the NAACP.
If you can help, post below or email!
Milk Prices
First of all, it’s a little ridiculous that milk costs different prices at different fat contents. This is not standard throughout the rest of the state (I do, however, find it quite humorous that most of us are willing to pay more for better tasting beer, but not better tasting milk). Does anyone know why 2% has been so much cheaper than other kinds of milk lately? Usually milk here gets progressively more expensive at higher fat contents, but the past few times I have gone grocery shopping 2% has been almost a dollar cheaper per gallon than even skim milk.
Wood rings?
Does anyone know of a local jeweler/craftsperson who makes wood engagement rings? A friend has a loose diamond that he’d like made into a ring for his sweetie, preferably in wood.
Miss Dorothy Crawford’s Duluth Adventure
There’s a fun piece on the Glensheen Blog called “No Outdoor Sports Until it Warms Up to Zero.” It’s a 101-year-old letter from a Vassar College student named Dorothy Crawford, who traveled to Duluth to visit her classmate, Helen Congdon, and stayed at the Congdon mansion. She writes about the comforts of Glensheen, going to the bonspiel, going to a show at the Orpheum (now the NorShor), eating caviar sandwiches at the Hotel Spaulding, skating on the lake, etc., and concludes with a tobogganing party at Chester Bowl.
(more…)
Chipotle and Qdoba coming to Duluth
Chipotle Mexican Grill | Qdoba Mexican Grill
Apparently it’s really happening.
- Chipotle will open at Miller Hill Mall.
- Qdoba has announced it’s coming, but not when or where.
Big Burrito will be locating in the BlueStone Lofts area by UMD, according to the Statesman.
Update: The UMD Statesman report seems to have been in error. Numerous other sources have reported it is Qdoba that is locating in Bluestone Commons. Both Qdoba and Chipolte are expected to open in summer 2014.
So here’s one more post where folks can comment about how having chain burrito joints come to Duluth either completely fulfills us as people and as a city, or how everyone who gets excited about it is some kind of rube. Get it all out of your system now, if you haven’t already on Facebook.
Duluth News Tribune: Chipotle, Qdoba restaurant chains plan to open locations in Duluth
Fox 21 News: Qdoba and Chipotle both coming to Duluth
Eyewitness News: “Two burrito chains coming to Duluth”
Northland’s NewsCenter: Chipotle to open at Miller Hill Mall in March of 2014
Perfect Asian Restaurant: Hanabi Japanese Cuisine
Duluth was a late adopter to sushi. Although sumptuous vinegared rice rolls showed up as a special menu item at a few places around town in prior decades, it wasn’t until 2006 that Zen House opened on the city’s border, technically in Hermantown, and became the first consistent, daily sushi source. Zen House added a second location in Downtown Duluth in 2009, but Hanabi Japanese Cuisine opened at the start of 2010, immediately becoming Duluth’s sushi king. It’s also the best Asian restaurant in town, having garnered 36.6 percent of the vote in Perfect Duluth Day’s poll.
(more…)
Duluth Woodworking Club
There is a small woodworking club here in town that started last fall. It had a good amount of interest and we had a handful of meetings and demos over the winter. There was a hiatus over the summer and now it’s time to get things going again.
(more…)