The Tweeds had a fondness for the work of French painter Jean-Francois Millet, and there are several Millets at the Tweed. His work is now considered to be some of the finest examples of the French Barbizon School, named for the small village outside Paris that inspired Millet and his peers.

Mark Twain also had a fondness for Jean-Francois Millet, and wrote a farce about him. Is He Dead? lay in obscurity until Berkeley professors rescued it and helped it find its way to Broadway in 2007.

This spring, enjoy the art of Millet and the entertaining Twain play about him at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. The art is already on display at the Tweed, and Is He Dead? will be at the Mainstage Theatre of the Marshall Performing Arts Center April 22 through May 1, 2010. It’s a good reason to head to our Duluth MN inn.

The Tweed Museum of Art is just a few miles from our Duluth bed and breakfast. If you are coming to town to see your student, check out the Tweed. Should be here at the end of April, you won’t want to miss Is He Dead?.

You'll think you woke up in heaven...

Do you need another reason to drop everything, get in your car, and drive to our Duluth bed and breakfast? Just imagine tucking into these after a great night’s sleep.

We serve these tasty tidbits with coffee blended just for us by local coffee roaster Alakef.

See you soon!

It's worth waking up for these

Read on for the recipe.

PANCAKES

1 cup flour, & 1 T. sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 eggs, separated, 2 T. oil

1 cup milk, 1/2 cup cooked pumpkin

HOT CIDER SYRUP

3/4 cup apple cider or juice

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

2 T. butter or margarine

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

For pancakes, combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl whisk the egg yolks, milk, pumpkin and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold into the batter.

In a small saucepan combine the syrup ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook uncovered about 25 minutes or until slightly thickened. Let stand for 30 minutes before serving.

The only thing better than eating these tasty cakes at home is eating them at our Minnesota inn overlooking Lake Superior!

When the lake looks like this, it is time to bring your skis to Duluth

The mountain is open from 9am to 8pm Sunday through Thursday, and stays open an additional hour on Fridays and Saturdays. Hours will be shorter toward the end of March, when the season starts to wind down, so come ski in Duluth now.

There are 22 downhill ski runs on Spirit Mountain; with five chairlifts, one rope tow, one handle tow and one ski carpet, the mountain is easy to negotiate and never feels too crowded. In addition, 22 kilometers of trails are available for cross-country skiing, and they are groomed for both classic and skate skiing.

So grab your skis and head to our Duluth lodging on Lake Superior. Enjoy fantastic views of Lake Superior and St. Louis Bay while you are up on the slopes, and take in intimate views of the lake from our inn.

Come watch the ice shift in front of our Duluth inn.

Indeed, winter is a contemplative time here on the shores of Lake Superior. It is a time to bundle up and pick your way along the shore. At night, when skies are clear, the clarity of the stars is amazing. We find ourselves appreciating small things, like a warm cup of tea between our hands, a hot fire in the hearth, and a good conversation.

It’s also a time to indulge in comfort foods. We have fun creating satisfying, hearty breakfasts at our bed and breakfast MN during the winter. The kitchen is cozy and sparks creativity. And it is so satisfying to bite into something warm and freshly baked.

Our guests enjoy eating their way through many Duluth restaurants during their stay. Some are drawn to the creamy, aromatic foods at India Palace, just a few blocks from our MN inn. Winter is the best time to drink buckets of Chai! Other guests love to unwind at nearby Fitger’s Brewery, where there is almost always live music.

So come stay at our inn and watch the ice shift on Lake Superior. It’s fun.

They are so very big. They are so very close.

It is a great reminder of how our goods travel about the globe. It is also great fun to witness. We reminisce about the ships during the January – April freeze, when the waters are impassable to shipping traffic.

See you in the spring, ships!

Quietly they slip by, then comes the crash of waves.

IMG_0094

Originally uploaded by sol_glimt

Being Green is important to us. Living where we do, on the shores of majestic Lake Superior, the impact of everyday decisions is clear to us. We don’t use chemical herbicides or pesticides that would run off our grounds into the water of the lake. The same goes for our cleaning products in the home – we want to be clean, but we strive to use products that are not harmful to our surroundings.

We walk and bike whenever we can, since it makes us feel better and it helps our air quality. Fortunately for us, we reside in an area where amenities are close at hand. We are happy to share favorite routes with guests of our Duluth lodging, though we certainly don’t begrudge anyone who prefers to drive.

Since our business is also our home, we feel that it is essential to incorporate green practices into our Duluth b&b as much as possible. We support other local businesses whenever possible; Minnesota may not have the longest growing season of the year, but if we can find fresh, preferably organic, locally grown food, we buy it. Then we prepare it ourselves, to ensure that when you stay at our Minnesota bed and breakfast, you are eating delicious, whole foods.

Our commitment to this issue is evidenced by the photo above: worms. Yes, we allow worms at the inn. They happily munch their way through (literally) our fruit and vegetable scraps, creating healthy compost as they go.

We know we aren’t alone out there – many, many of you travel green whenever you can. We hope you’ll stop by Duluth.

Based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden tells the story of Mary Lennox, sent to live in the mysterious, austere, English country home of an uncle after the death of her parents. Little Mary has little happiness in her life until she discovers a long neglected garden, and sets to work bringing it back to life.

The Duluth Playhouse is close to our Duluth Inn

The production at the Duluth Playhouse is the Tony award-winning musical (1991), which seamlessly incorporates music by Lucy Simon and lyrics by Marsha Norman. The result is an entirely uplifting experience for all ages.

It is worth traveling to Duluth to see this show, and while you are here, why not stay at our Lake Superior inn? We are just over a mile from the Duluth Playhouse – an easy walk in any weather. On the way, enjoy dinner before the meal or drinks afterward at one of the establishments in Canal Park.

Let’s face it, many of us are not motivated to do much at all when the days are short and the nights are long. But what if we were at a Lake Superior bed and breakfast? We’d don sweaters, hats and gortex and walk for miles and miles on the beach, hearing nothing but the wind, water and intrepid gulls.

After dark, we’d curl up in front of the fire and read a book from cover to cover. Or we’d get gussied up and head out for a great meal at one of the Duluth restaurants near the inn. In the morning, we’d either sleep late or head out to the beach again to stimulate the appetite before a tasty breakfast made by someone else (when was the last time that happened?).

So before you get too deeply into that garage project, take a moment to look at your calendar and book a couple of nights at our Duluth bed and breakfast. Start the New Year with your priorities in order.

The time has come to bid farewell to 2009, and we can’t let it go without saying thanks to all of you who supported Solglimt over the past twelve months.

Your Innkeepers, Brian and Mary

Happy New Year!