Minnesota Day Trips by Theme - Mary M. Bauer Day Trip Series

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      353 Harbor Drive; 218-740-3474; www.glaquarium.org

      The Great Lakes Aquarium features a unique 120,000-gallon display. Captain an ore freighter and learn about the unpredictable weather patterns responsible for sinking ships. Experience over 30 interactive exhibits including glaciers, lava flows and wave creation. Otters, frogs, fish, birds and mammals throughout. Changing exhibits and special programs. Open daily. Fee charged. Children 2 and under free.

      NOTE: Separate fee for parking.

      On the waterfront in Canal Park next to the Aerial Lift Bridge; 218-720-5260, ext. 1; www.lsmma.com

      The Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center features full-scale replicas of ship cabins, recovered artifacts from sunken ships, film presentations, sightseeing information and posted arrival and departure times of huge 1,000-foot freighters that pass within yards of the building. Open daily. Wheelchair accessible. Free.

      NOTE: For more shipping information, call the Boatwatcher’s Hotline at 218-722-6489 (closed February to mid-March), or the Duluth Shipping News at 218-722-3119; www.duluthshippingnews.com.

      7210 Fremont Street; 218-730-4500; www.lszooduluth.org

      More than 25 endangered and threatened species from around the world live at the zoo, including Snow Leopards, Black-Footed Ferrets, Bald Eagles, and an Amur Tiger. Primate Conservation Center, gift shop and cafe. Open year-round. Check website for days and hours. Wheelchair accessible. Fee charged. Children 2 and under free.

      3212 River Gate Avenue, Scanlon. Located 18 miles south of Duluth on the St. Louis River in Scanlon; 218-522-4446; www.minnesotawhitewater.com

      Does your family crave action-packed adventure? Then take them whitewater rafting. Minnesota Whitewater supplies the equipment, shuttle service and guides you need for a wet and wild ride down 4 miles of the St. Louis River. No experience necessary, but must be age 12 or older. Daily May–Sep. Fee charged. Call ahead for a list of recommended clothing and gear.

      OPTION

      Jay Cooke State Park, 780 Highway 210, Carlton (eastern edge of town); 218-384-4610. More than 14 miles of scenic biking and hiking from Carlton to Duluth. The park’s focal point is a swinging suspension bridge overlooking an awesome gorge. Keep in mind that the bike or hike back is uphill!

      The Depot (downtown Duluth), 506 West Michigan Street; 218-722-1273 or 800-423-1273; www.northshorescenicrailroad.org

      Enjoy a 2½-hour trip aboard a vintage train as it rumbles over tall trestles spanning deep river gorges, but you won’t have to ride on an empty stomach. This adventure includes Domino’s Pizza and fun! Check website for days and hours. Wheelchair accessible. Reservations required by 2 p.m. the day of the excursion. Fee charged.

      Bayfront Festival Park at the base of 5th Avenue West (on the waterfront by the Great Lakes Aquarium)

      Take a picnic lunch to the Playfront at Bayfront Festival Park and let the kids run wild. They’ll have a blast on all the cool playground equipment, giving you a chance to put your feet up and relax. By the way, you’re in a perfect position for watching giant ore freighters cruise into the harbor.

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      5797 North Shore Drive (16 miles northeast of Duluth on scenic Highway 61); 218-525-4120; www.tomsloggingcamp.com

      At Tom’s Logging Camp, you’ll learn how the Minnesota loggers lived and worked before the chainsaw. Try your hand at blacksmithing or feed pygmy goats, bunnies and rainbow trout. Step inside the gravity house and watch a ball mysteriously roll uphill! Open daily May–Oct. Gift shop. Fee charged. Children age 5 and under free.

      323 Harbor Drive; 218-722-6218 or 877-883-4002; www.vistafleet.com

      For a close-up view of a huge lake freighter, take a Vista Harbor Cruise. They offer an interesting, narrated 1½-hour tour of the harbor and information about the ships at port. Mid-May to mid-Oct. Wheelchair accessible. Fee charged.

      NOTE: Vista Fleet also offers a variety of cruises which include meals. Call or check the website for more information.

      From gorgeous works of art, to the world’s only historic whaleback freighter, to murder—Duluth’s museums have it all!

      906 East 2nd Street, Superior, WI (adjacent to Barker’s Island); 715-394-5712; www.superiorpublicmuseums.org

      Tour this nineteenth-century Victorian, 42-room house, which was once the home of lumber baron Martin Pattison. A 1998 renovation returned the house to its original splendor—carved wood, marble, silver trim, brass and English tile. Open year-round. Wheelchair accessible on first floor. Fee charged.

      NOTE: Tour guides are not all the same—some are energetic, some are serious, but most are at least alive. Tourists have reported a very pleasant young servant gal guiding them through the museum. Trouble is, the servant gal is a ghost!

      600 East Superior Street; 218-722-8826; www.fitgers.com

      Fitger’s is a Minnesota brewing legend. Established in 1857, it survived the Prohibition years by producing soda pop and candy bars. The museum specializes in northern Minnesota brewing history and memorabilia from what was once one of the most successful breweries in the state. Open when staff is available. Wheelchair accessible. Free.

      NOTE: Fitger’s Brewhouse serves sandwiches, soups, burgers and has its own handcrafted ales on tap.

      3300 London Road (five miles east of downtown Duluth); 218-726-8910 or 888-454-GLEN (888-454-4536); glensheen.wp.d.umn.edu

      Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this luxurious, 39-room Jacobean-style mansion completed in 1908 showcases custom-designed furnishings original to the house. In 1977, an upstairs bedroom was the scene of the brutal double murder of heiress Elisabeth Congdon and her nurse. Congdon’s daughter and son-in-law were tried for the crime, and the son-in-law was found guilty.

      Grounds include formal gardens, carriage

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