I’ve lived in Minnesota almost my entire life. This past month, my husband Luke and I have been lucky enough to go on a couple weekend trips across the state. It’s been our tradition since we started dating over 11 years ago, to go on “Spring Break” to Duluth. While many of our friends during our senior year spring break were going on vacation to beaches and Europe, we found ourselves hitting 35E with our buddy Sarah and staying at Black Bear Casino for a night.Here is an embarrassing throwback pic of us from sophomore year of college at the Great Lakes Aquarium:
Duluth has always held a special place in our hearts as a place to explore, relax and refresh. We try to get up there at least once a year for a weekend and it’s wonderful to see how much the town has flourished over the years. Our favorite place to stay, which is where we spent our mini-moon is Beacon Pointe. It’s a short 5 minute drive outside the Canal Park area and sits right on Lake Superior. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more relaxed than the first morning of our mini-moon waking up to the sounds of the lake outside our window. Here was the view from our porch:
One thing I am ashamed to admit is, I’ve never really explored the North Shore area of Minnesota (until recently). I had a fabulous bachelorette weekend at Larsmont Cottages in Two Harbors with my best gal pals, but that’s as far north I’ve ventured on the North Shore. During our last trip to Duluth, we woke up early on Friday morning and ventured up scenic North Shorth Drive to Split Rock Lighthouse. Since it was still early in the season, the lighthouse wasn’t open, but the views were spectacular. Although it was late March, it was a gorgeous day to be outside and see the snow/ice start to melt away for summers arrival.
Our original plan was just to hike around the lighthouse, but since it was so nice out, we pulled into Gooseberry Falls for stop #2. This is another place I’ve admittedly never been which makes me feel sad for missing out all these years! At least I know now 🙂 We spent the day hiking through the park, checking out the falls and hiking all the way to the lakeshore.
After our hiking adventure, we were famished! We decided to stop at the famous Betty’s Pies for lunch. I’ll admit, I’m not the biggest fan of pie, but Luke insisted it’s the best pie in the land and he was definitely right! It’s the cutest little diner right off the lake. We ordered a couple sandwiches and topped it off with a slice of berry pie & vanilla ice cream. I will definitely be back next time we’re in the area.
After lunch, we headed back to Duluth for a quick refresh at the hotel and back out again for a walk around Canal Park before the sun went down. I love walking around Canal Park and perusing the shops. They always have the same kitschy inventory year after year, but I can’t help myself. We stopped into the Duluth Pack flagship store (one of my favorite local brands) and I found a Patagonia head warmer on winter clearance for $9–score! After a little shopping, we stumbled upon Vikre Distillery which is cozied right up to the lift bridge.
Luke was familiar with their spirits and was excited to see we had arrived right in time for their free once a day tour at 5:30PM. We found a seat at their bar and perused their cocktail menu. I’ve always detested the taste of gin (which is what they specialize in, along with vodka and aquavit). After speaking with the lovely bartender, she bluntly explained that I’ve probably just had really crappy gin – which is entirely the cold, hard truth. She recommended a cocktail and promised I wouldn’t think of gin the same way, and boy was she right! It didn’t have the slightest hint of pine needles! 😀
The tour was very informative (very heavy on the science of distilling) and included a lot of sniffing of alcohol in its different stages. Not something I’d recommend if you’re hungover or sensitive to the smell of poison. It was very cool to see the evolution of this brand and how much they’ve grown. At the end of the tour, our guide pointed out the bottling machine which was about the size of a mini-fridge and explained that every bottle you see (anywhere) was bottled with that machine. This tiny little machine really resonated with me and was an uplifting reminder that anything is possible.
After the tour, a couple of friends who came into town for the night, met up with us for a few more cocktails and conversation. We mozied over to a Vitta Pizza in Canal Park for a couple za’s and topped the night off at another one of our fave stops – Canal Park Brewing.
This is a great spot right in Canal Park with lake views and refreshing brews. We’re hoping to head back in late July for the All Pints North Festival which is a beer tasting event right in Canal Park. The brewmaster of Canal Park Brewing recommended it to us as the best beer festival in the state after talking to him about our love for the Summer Beer Dabbler in Saint Paul.
The next morning was a stark contrast to the day before with a fresh cover of snow covering the ground and trees. As we headed out of town, we made a quick detour to Cloquet to have lunch at my all-time favorite burger joint, Gordy’s Hi-Hat. They had opened for the season the previous weekend, and I will admit the timing of our Duluth trip may or may not have had to do with Gordy’s opening.
Gordy’s is our must-stop spot on the drive to my family cabin. It’s the exact halfway point between Minneapolis and Burntside Lake. The first stop at Gordy’s (in my mind) means summer has arrived. Although it was a bit premature this time around, there was something beautiful about dining there in the snow. I had never experienced Gordy’s in the snow, so that was yet another first for that weekend.
This was a perfect ending to a weekend of first’s exploring MN and I cannot wait to see what summer 2016 will hold. Lessons of the weekend – it’s never too late to experience new things and maybe pie & gin aren’t so bad. Until next time, Gallivanters.
-j.
