The holidays are fast approaching. This tends to be a busy time for many people. If you are hosting this year, friends and family will visit; the house must be cleaned, the pantry stocked, and meals prepared. If you are traveling this year, plans must be made: the car cleaned, tickets purchased, bags packed.

Those of you spending Thanksgiving in Duluth may choose to stay at our Lake Superior bed and breakfast. Staying at our inn rather than with family or friends has many benefits. You can visit the people you love for as long as you like, and then return to your own space. See each other when you’re at your best, and give each other just a little space. Of course you may spend as much or as little time as you like at the inn – you’ll feel good just knowing you can come here whenever you want.

Take a long walk on the beach before heading over to be with friends and family on Thanksgiving. Our Duluth bed and breakfast is in Canal Park, on the shores of Lake Superior; you can walk out the door and walk seven miles along the beach and walking trail to the end of the Park Point. It’s a wonderful way to stimulate the appetite and invigorate the senses. After such a morning, you’ll be ready to sit, give thanks, and enjoy a feast.

The Aerial Lift Bridge is a remarkable feat of engineering. It has been known to go up and down dozens of times a day to allow shipping traffic through, and still it works. It is also beautiful. During the summer, crowds form to watch the ships line up and the bridge rise. There is something strangely uplifting about witnessing this event – as the bridge slowly climbs upward so do our spirits. We find ourselves awed by human creativity and ingenuity. We feel inspired.

The Aerial Lift Bridge is located in the Duluth neighborhoods of Canal Park and Park Point, as is our Lake Superior bed and breakfast. Guests may watch the shipping traffic from the inn, and in some cases from their rooms. It’s a short stroll to down the beach to watch the ships glide through the Canal and under the bridge – their enormity can be downright astonishing.

(more…)

Guests of our Duluth bed and breakfast this weekend  are in luck. The Duluth Lakefront Festival takes place just steps from our door in Canal Park, and stretches almost fifty blocks up the lake to Kelso Park, at 47th Avenue East. This is a perfect excuse to put on some solid walking shoes and spend a few hours stretching your legs by the lake. If you are in town to participate in one of the numerous races throughout the weekend (such as the Minnesota Mile or Grandma’s Marathon), you’ll be thankful you won’t have far to travel after your race.

A host of fun activities will be offered for people of all ages. Friday evening (Sept 10, 2010), a tribute to 9/11 will be held at Leif Erickson Park. It will be followed by an outdoor screening of The Wizard of Oz. Spectators are encouraged to dress as their favorite character and enter the costume contest. After the film, stretch your legs with a leisurely stroll back to our Lake Superior lodging.

Saturday morning we’ll feed you well, with fresh fruits, locally brewed coffee, and a sinfully good main plate; you’ll have plenty of energy for whatever the day holds for you. Perhaps you’ll take part in Treasure Quest between Canal Park and Fitzger’s, which is guaranteed to expand your knowledge of the Lakewalk. If you tire, the North Shore Scenic Railroad is offering free rides.

The best part of the Duluth Lakefront Festival is simply the festive atmosphere it creates. It is great to see people out and about, enjoying the expansive Lake Superior waterfront. Whenever you wish a reprieve from the crowds, just come back to Solglimt. Sit on our deck and gaze out at the water, soak in the tub, or curl up in front of the fire. The weekend is yours.

Our Duluth Minnesota bed and breakfast benefits from a fantastic location (if we do say so ourselves). Actually, the location is what first attracted us to this home, so many years ago. We loved that seven miles of sandy beach was steps away, and that we could walk to all the amenities of Canal Park. I guess that’s why we’re still here. (more…)

The Lighthouse is an icon of the Great Lakes. For more than a century, sailors have depended on them to guide them through darkness, fog and storms. Their light has prevented more than one shipwreck and saved more than one life.

We are fortunate to have two lighthouses quite close to our bed and breakfast Duluth. The North Breakwater Lighthouse and the South Breakwater Lighthouse were used to mark the entrance to the canal and the Lift Bridge. Only one is still operational, but they both remain significant Duluth landmarks. (more…)

While snow might prevent us from gardening at our Duluth bed and breakfast any time soon, there is still a way for us to experience the joy of a garden’s rebirth and growth. The Duluth Playhouse is preparing a production of The Secret Garden, which will run from February 18 through March 7, 2010.

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 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.

Called ‘the best restaurant in Canal Park” on Trip Advisor, Lake Avenue Cafe is literally our neighbor and a unique place for lunch or dinner. The menu is varied and presents options from several different cultural palettes: Mediterranean, American,  Thai and even Latin.  They are one block farther from the lake than our Minnesota Bed and Breakfast, but the atmosphere is still light and airy. The menu items are as distinct as Thai Chili, Falafel, Enchilada, Eggplant Pizza and Ratatoullie.

So if you are looking for a delicious local eatery within walking distance from our Duluth MN B&B, try Lake Avenue Cafe or ask us for our recommendations along Canal Park.

Most of the decorations are up at Solglimt and the other seven bed and breakfasts in Duluth as we get near to the annual Bed and Breakfast Holiday Tour on Sunday, December 7th. The Holiday Tour will feature all 8 historic bed and breakfast inns from 1:00 to 6:00 pm with music, holiday snacks and all of the Christmas decorations that help make the season festive. We have our newly renovated Harbor View Suite available this coming weekend and will give complimentary tickets to the tour when you make a reservation! Start your Holiday Season off right with a get-a-way to Solglimt, enjoy the new fireplace and spa tub and tour the rest of the inns on Sunday!

The weather today is hot! The weather tomorrow will be cooler so if you are looking for a great place to escape the heat… come to Solglimt, A Lakeshore Bed and Breakfast, Jewel on the Water. Dip your toes or take a plunge and swim in the cool waters of Lake Superior right out our back door to cool off. All of our suites are air conditioned and what could be better than a delicious breakfast on our back deck!

This past weekend was a wonderful opportunity for our guests to explore the beach and visit Canal Park on foot because of warm temperatures. There was a lot of shipping traffic to watch coming and going from the harbor and also from the lake. Our guests visited Glensheen and the Great Lakes Aquarium. Sunday was a glorious sunny morning and we were able to have our first breakfast outside on the back deck overlooking Lake Superior.

One thing that is always for certain when staying at Solglimt, the views are all stunning no matter what the weather brings: sun, clouds, rain, rainbows, calm, breezy or stormy.