07/08 to 07/11 - Indian Point Campground - Duluth, MN

 07/08 to 07/11

Indian Point Campground

Duluth, Minnesota

Another 4-hour trip. Seems long but it's the only way to get from here to there.

For the next three nights, we'll be at the Duluth Indian Point Campground, a city run campground just a few miles from downtown Duluth. The well kept open spaces is a refreshing change of scenery. Our sites 45 and 46 with water and electric with the St. Louis reiver behind us made for a delightful stay.

Dan, Melanie and I were neighbors once again on sites 45 and 46. Just water and electric.

Not quite filled to capacity, it was relaxing and quiet.

Our sites were back-ins

Two sites down, a similar version of my Winnebago View.

While preparing the campfire this evening, I laid my walking stick down on the ground. 

Lucky for me, Gizmo was nearby to guard it. Guess he remembered where his treats come from. 

Wildlife (Gizmodo Rex) was captured in this shot on the walking path behind our campsites. Running around the perimeter of the campground on the western shoreline of the St. Louis River is the 3.3 mile segment of the Waabizheshikana, which means marten in Anishinaabe. The Marten Trail was previously known as the Western Waterfront Trail.  Duluth has extended it to create a roughly 10-mile recreational trail stretching from 63rd Ave W in the Irving Park Neighborhood to Chambers Grove Park in Fond du Lac. (Photo credits, Melanie)

At the tip near our campsite is the fishing dock. The Marten Trail was named after the purple marten that has become rare due to the loss of its habitat. 

From the MN DNR:  The American (or pine) marten is a predator (meat eater) species that belongs to the weasel family. Before the late 1800s, the marten was common in northern Minnesota. Because of logging, most of its wooded habitat was lost. By 1920 pine martens had almost disappeared from Minnesota. Another source mentions the trail in honor of the Marten Clan that settled in this part of the St. Louis River.

 

The St. Louis River is the largest tributary to Lake Superior in the United States, spanning approximately 192 miles. It flows from northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin, eventually emptying into Lake Superior at the Duluth-Superior Harbor. The river was historically significant for the indigenous Ojibwe people, who used it for transportation, fishing, and trade.

We visited Love's Creamery in Canal Park; the line was out the door. Check the website for their flavors.

In front, for those chilly nights, a huge Yukon Solo Stove with a 27" diameter. 

Inside the brightly colored 'scoop shop', 4 employees took care of the long lines.

82º outside, a vanilla malted hit the spot for me.

For dinner, it was down to W. Superior St to the OMC Smokehouse.

The outdoor seating area was full so we enjoyed our dinner inside with the AC.

And a good thing we did. By the time we finished, it was pouring outside. No sign of those outdoor patrons. Wonder where they went.

Tonight it’s smoked pulled pork rubbed in spice and smoked tender with a side of candied sweet potato bake with pecan topping and two corn muffins.

Delicious and perfect with BBQ

In keeping with our squeezing as many activities as our short stays permit, the next day Mel ordered tickets on line for the North Shore Scenic Railroad Tour.  We drove to the depot on W. Michigan Street to board The Duluth Zephyr. The Duluth Zephyr is the most popular trip. It travels about 35 miles for the 75-minute trip through downtown, along the shoreline of Lake Superior, through the historic Congdon Neighborhood wooded area. When it reaches a side-track stopping point, the train stops briefly, disconnects and travels the side track to the other end of the train, reconnects and returns to the Depot.

A near empty depot when we arrived about 30 minutes early for the 11 a.m. departure. At boarding time, the area was packed.

What looked to be a brand new engine, the railcars were also in tip-top shape, clean and updated.

From the many photos taken, a few shots taken along the way through the window interspersed with some research regarding little know facts about Lake Superior.

Lake Superior covers approximately 31,700 square miles making it the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. It has an average depth of about 483 feet and a maximum depth of 1,333 feet. This depth makes it the third deepest lake in North America.

Lake Superior contains about 2,900 cubic miles of water, which is more than enough to cover all of North and South America in one foot of water. The lake’s water is extremely cold and clear. On calm days, visibility can reach up to 100 feet below the surface. The lake also has a retention time of approximately 191 years, meaning that water entering the lake will remain there for nearly two centuries before flowing out.

Lake Superior has a reputation for its dangerous waters, with over 350 shipwrecks recorded. The most famous is the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, which sank in 1975. Lake Superior has over 400 islands, with Isle Royale being the largest. Isle Royale is a national park known for its wilderness and wolf-moose ecosystem studies.

On this day, we observed hundreds of runners along the shoreline's walkway...

...and some residents under a roadway bridge.

Intrigued by my walking stick. Yes, mommy and daddy seated behind us

For lunch on the way back to the campground, we stopped at nearby Tappa Keg Inn and Restaurant, an Italian restaurant. 

My New York state of mind craved pizza. Visions swirled, taste buds were awakened as its been awhile since I had one. So, I ordered a large (14") pie with hopes that some would come home with me. And just in case, make it well done and crispy. Don't you hate soggy bottoms?

"In pizza we crust."

For asking for well done and crispy. For knowing I was, after all, in Minnesota.

And just like that, it's time to pack up and move on. Yes, my take home pizza will be tasty in the days to come. My company and the cold draft once again made my day. Next stop? Bemidji, Minnesota. I can't wait to research the derivation of that city. See you there. Stay cool, safe and happy.

"The city of Duluth is a miniature of all the qualities and all the failings of the Midwest." Sinclair Lewis (from his novel "Main Street"):