The Twin Ports

We spent the last two days in the sister cities of Duluth, MN and Superior, WI, nicknamed the Twin Ports. I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't the thriving seaport and clean, prosperous cities we toured. But that just shows how little I know. The harbor is the world's farthest-inland seaport and over 1100 vessels drop anchor there each year during the April-December shipping season.

Following the recommendation of our friends who we ran into in Bayfield, we took the 1 1/2 hour harbor boat tour. It was fantastic and very reasonably priced. The narration was very informative with silly jokes thrown in for people like me who appreciate them.

Here we are about to go under the High Bridge. Counter-balanced by 450 ton concrete weights in the towers, the 917 ton roadway is raised just enough for us to pass underneath.


The town of Duluth is picturesque as we glide out of the harbor and onto Lake Superior.


Out of all the information we received on our tour, I found two things particularly fascinating. First, this just looks like another 1000 foot ship, right?


But no, the Presque Isle is actually a tug/barge combination. If you look closely, you can see where the tug fits into a notch in the barge and can be disconnected.

I thought that was incredibly clever, but I guess I'm alone in my opinion. Our tour guide said it was the only one like it ever built.

As for the other interesting fact, we learned the aforementioned High Bridge was the second version to be built. The first was a gondola built in 1905. Both Ron and I looked at each other and asked, "Did he just say gondola?" I couldn't picture that at all, but luckily the Corps of Engineers visitor center had a model. (The original is in black with the new bridge in silver.)

The gondola or transfer car carried up to 62 1/2 tons including automobiles, horses and wagons, and pedestrians. It took about 2 1/2 minutes to cross the 300 foot wide canal. In 1930 it was replaced with the new lift bridge, using major structural elements of the original bridge. How thrifty!

While we were in the COE visitor center, a ship came through the canal into the harbor. This one was only 730 feet long, but still pretty impressive. Look at all the tourists on a Tuesday!


Of course, I had to get a shot of it going under the bridge which they lifted to its maximum height (138 feet) for this baby.

The area around the canal for several blocks has obviously been through urban renewal. The old warehouses have been renovated with shops and restaurants and the place is jumping! I was very impressed.

On Wednesday, after we did our five loads of laundry, we stopped at the Superior library to see their 35 murals. Completed in 2002 by Ojibwe artist Carl Gawboy, they depict local history from the Ojibwe story of creation. . .


To the shipwreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975. . .


With lots of gorgeous scenes of the years between.

(I know this is getting long, but we're almost done.)

We also drove Skyline Parkway along the ridge overlooking the town and climbed Enger Tower for the optimum view. That's Duluth way down there with another ship about to pass through the canal.


And this is what I didn't understand. On the other side of the canal, separating Lake Superior from the harbor, is miles of what I can only think of as a sandbar with houses! Lots and lots of houses! That doesn't seem too safe to me right on the lake like that. One of the locals told us they've never had a problem, but that wouldn't reassure me.


And another load of whatever begins its journey across the Great Lakes.