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.

Our Duluth bed and breakfast on Lake Superior is a good place to sit and give thanks.

Lake Superior Helicopters in Superior Wisconsin offers scenic helicopter tours of Lake Superior, Duluth, and the surrounding area. Superior is located close to our Lake Superior bed and breakfast, on the other side of Superior and Saint Louis Bays.

Soar over Lake Superior.

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Truthfully, one of the best activities here at our Duluth bed and breakfast is simply taking in the view. We never tire of it. Lake Superior is constantly changing. In the winter, when skies can be gray and winds can be strong, there is no place we would rather be than curled up inside the inn, looking out of a window. The water can be blue, green, gray, white, or black. Light dances on the waves. Skies are blue, flecked with clouds, or hidden by fog – each day brings something different, and something new to appreciate.

Rainbow over Lake Superior.

It’s cozy warm in here when it’s cold outside, and cool during summer heat. We can venture out on the deck or down to the beach, or simply look out the window at Lake Superior, Duluth Harbor, or the Aerial Lift Bridge. We like to walk a seemingly endless stretch of beach, stroll through Canal Park, and head into the heart of downtown Duluth, minutes away. But when we can, we relax in our bed and breakfast Duluth. One evening, we were lucky to spot a rainbow over the lake, pictured above.

We’d like to take a moment to thank guests of our Duluth bed and breakfast. Without you, we’d be nothing. You are without a doubt the best part of our work – we meet people from all over the world and all walks of life, and we learn much from you. We also enjoy coming up with new recipes for you, providing a comfortable environment for you, and helping you experience the best of Duluth.

This summer, we were thrilled to find ourselves featured in the Chicago Tribune; journalist Mary Bergin wrote about our location (which we have to admit is pretty spectacular), our food, and our rooms. In her article, she acknowledged our efforts to be a green bed and breakfast Duluth, for which we are grateful. She also refers to some of the best places and activities in and around Duluth. Her article may be found at the Chicago Tribune.

Our Duluth bed and breakfast on Lake Superior.

The leaves may have peeked and the wind may be chilly, but Duluth is still a wonderful place to visit. Fall is a favorite time of ours: brisk walks and bike rides along Lake Superior are invigorating, and it feels just right to curl up with a book and a hot cup of coffee or tea. We invite you to come experience our town, our inn, and our hospitality.

The Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center is a wonderful place to learn about the maritime history of Lake Superior. Stop by the next time you stay at our Duluth bed and breakfast – it’s close to us in Canal Park, at the base of the Aerial Lift Bridge.

Visit Duluth Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center.

Currently on exhibit is the historic Fresnel Lens that once lit the Inner Range Light on the South Pier of the Duluth Ship Canal. It was installed sometime at the start of the 20th century, and remained in place until it was replaced by a phenolic (plastic) lens in 1995. A visit to the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center affords a unique opportunity to get close to a Minnesota lighthouse lens.

After indulging in a gourmet breakfast at our Duluth Lake Superior bed and breakfast (ciabatta topped with ham, cheese, arugula, and egg anyone?) walk about a quarter mile up the beach to the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center. It’s free, informative, and fun. On the way back, take your time and look for beach glass, which you may take home or donate to our collection.

The Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center is open daily through December 19, 2010, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.. For more information, please visit the LSMMA website.

Our Duluth bed and breakfast sits on the longest fresh water sand bar in the world – Park Point (or Minnesota Point) is 7 miles long and Wisconsin Point, on the other side of the aerial lift bridge, spans 3 miles. It is incredible to spend time out in the middle of this narrow strip of land, where it can feel like you are floating on Lake Superior.

Enjoy the beach by our Canal Point Inn.

Park Point Trail was created by the WPA in the 1930s. The park features a boat launch, volley ball courts, a beach, and a picnic area; the trail leads two miles to the tip of Park Point and back. This is a wonderful place to enjoy a picnic while you are staying at our bed and breakfast Duluth. While on the hike, look for remnants of old growth forest and old cabins built by early settlers. Be sure to bring binoculars if you enjoy birdwatching, for it is one of the best spots for seeing birds in the area. (more…)

The last weekend of August is sure to be colorful. The seventh annual 2010 Dragon Boat Festival will take place just steps from our Lake Superior bed and breakfast, on Barkers Island in Superior Bay. The actual races will be held in the calm waters between the island and the mainland.

The Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival

Teams of 25 people man the beautiful boats: one manager, one drummer, one steersperson, 2 alternates, and 20 paddlers. These are heavy boats, but they are moved with a lot of power. It is exhilarating to hear the drums beating and watch the intense concentration of the paddlers as they glide over the water. The enthusiasm is contagious.

In addition to the dragon boat races, there will be live music and numerous food vendors. On Friday night, the entertainment begins with Brandon Scott Sellnar, who is followed by the Lamont Cranston Blues Band. Saturday night enjoy the picking and strumming of Two Many Banjos. Throughout the day Saturday there will be more bands, dance groups and even magicians.

This is a great fund raising event sponsored by the Harbortown, Superior, and Superior Sunrise Centennial Rotaries. We welcome participants and spectators alike at our Duluth bed and breakfast on Lake Superior.

Photo from the 2009 Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival.

It’s true. Duluth is the only Lake Superior port of call for eight magnificent Tall Ships making their way to six cities in the United States and Canada. We can’t wait. Our Lake Superior bed and breakfast is wonderfully positioned to witness this rare event – the ships will sail past our beach.

Stay at our Duluth b&b and have the experience of a lifetime.

The following ships are scheduled to arrive July 28, 2010: U.S. Brig Niagara, Barque EUROPA, HMS Bounty, Pride of Baltimore II, Roald Amundsen, ZEETO, S/V Denis Sullivan, Roseway, Freedom Schooner Amistad. Additional vessels may also arrive. The ships will be in Duluth until August 3. Have we said we can’t wait?

In addition to enjoying incredible views of the ships when under sail, guests of our Duluth bed and breakfast will also be quite close to the center of Tall Ship activity – we can walk to Bayfront Festival Park and Harbor Drive behind the DECC from the inn. Guests may easily stroll down to enjoy live music, stagings of the Pirates of Penzance, and ship tours.

We look forward to welcoming guests when the Tall Ships come to Duluth July 28 – August 3, 2010. We look forward to meals on the deck while watching the ships. We can’t wait to walk to the park to get close to them. What a festive occasion!

For more information about the Tall Ships in Duluth, please click here.

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.

Duluth Lighthouse

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…)

We have been living on the banks of Lake Superior in our Duluth bed and breakfast in Park Point for a good 33 years now. Over the years, we’ve taken quite a few beach walks with our children, together, alone or with friends. As we walk, we always scan the sand for beach glass.

One of our beach glass lamps.

Why? As Mary says, “They are like little treasures”, and it’s hard to pass treasures without pocketing them. (more…)