Duluth, Minnesota

For a city like Duluth, Minnesota, a title like “The Zenith City of the Unsalted Seas” doesn’t seem too lofty. Part of what makes Duluth great is its resilience. It was founded as a mining town and port city. When the iron ore gave out, much of Duluth’s wealth evaporated. But the redoubtable city survived to become a tourism hub for Minnesota, reclaiming waterfront areas and building skywalks to attract visitors from all over the country.

Located on the very edge of the North Shore of Lake Superior, Duluth, you could say, has some natural advantages. A pristine body of water never hurt any city’s tourism industry, and Duluth is the perfect jumping off point for road trips along the North Shore towards Ontario.

But if you find yourself in Duluth, there is no need to push on toward Canada. Among much else, the city boasts the nation’s only exclusively freshwater aquarium. The Great Lakes Aquarium is set on the waterfront, and its exhibits include the animals found in and around the Great Lakes and other freshwater habitats (the Amazon River, for instance).

And Duluth’s transformation is nowhere more evident than in Canal Park, which was once an industrial district. Its recent past is still visible, contributing to the remarkable architecture of the warehouse district turned tourist hotspot. Here you will find the Great Lakes Aquarium, a long lake-walk, a lighthouse pier, and a floating ship museum, along with shops, restaurants, and hotels.

Worth Checking Out

• Great Lakes Aquarium
• Canal Park
• North Shore of Lake Superior