Well, I'm not gonna lie. I'm going to be a little selfish today. I really need this post to be light-duty and fun. Why? Because, it recalls a truly enjoyable road trip to Duluth. After losing my essay yesterday, and still being two posts behind today, it will be refreshing to just go back to my picture album format.
We left around noon from Plymouth, headed to Duluth. Now, my only knowledge about Duluth was the Duluth Trading catalog I used to get when I lived in Maine. I didn't realize that it was right on Lake Superior (the largest freshwater lake in the world in area, and the second largest in volume), and I didn't realize it was so city-like. I somehow erroneously assumed it was inland and rural.
Here is the route we took (the solid blue line)...
Plymouth to Duluth, Minnesota.
GPS told us it was about a two hour and twenty five minute drive. That's nothing for me (nor Allyson and her husband, who have made several drives between Maine and Minnesota). The time went by quickly, and we got to enjoy the rolling and beautiful hills, woods, meadows, lakes and marshes of the land in this majestic state along the way.
Driving up and over the southern hills, in the elevations just above Duluth, we were struck by the sight of that enormous body of water that is Lake Superior. It was the first time I'd ever been to a lake that I couldn't see the other side of.
We found great place to park, right near Canal Park, and started our little self-guided tour...
This was a neat place. A great variety of stuff, including old license plates,
political buttons, comic books, and even ancient Atari game cartridges.
The Duluth Conference Center.
You betcha!!
My mom will appreciate this. It is what she has called me over the years.
I must be back in the Midwest. The last time I saw a
Ten Commandments memorial was in Jefferson City, Missouri.
There is something magical about staring into the horizon where the water meets the sky.
Perhaps it makes infinity a little bit easier to imagine?
Perhaps it makes infinity a little bit easier to imagine?
“Uncle Harvey’s Mausoleum,” also known as “The Cribs”.
For an excellent historical overview of the old waterfront
As I'd seen in Salem, Oregon, we discovered these love locks, left by couples to symbolize their eternal devotion to each other...
Tourist season has gone by. These lonely pedal carts will wait for next year's throngs.
We were primarily exploring the Lakewalk path, and came upon this old ship anchoring gear...
This anchor weighs fifteen tons.
An old capstan winch. These were ratcheted winches.
Strong wooden boards, or metal bars were inserted into the square holes,
where men would then push in one circular direction to raise these large anchors.
Interesting anchor design.
The Aerial Lift Bridge.
The North Pier Lighthouse. It reminded me of Portland's Bug Light,
This is a very straight and steep hill. It demonstrates the zoom power of my new little camera.
This is especially evident when you realize that this same street can barely
be seen in the previous panorama (1/3 of the way from the left in the previous photo).
We saw that the Lake Superior Marine Museum on one of the tourist maps, and thought it might be cool. But, we didn't know if they would charge for entry. We were delighted to see that it is always free to the public. Check it out, if you are ever in Duluth. It is well-worth the visit, having many fascinating historic displays, stuffed with information...
A wooden model of the Fresnel Lens used in thousands of lighthouses around the country.
This design can project and amplify an enormous amount of light over a vast distance.
It was a brilliant design, both literally and figuratively. Mainers can appreciate these.
A dual piston steam engine from an old tug boat.
A small two cylinder engine. Check out the old pair of dual spark plugs!
Yes, Champion was around over 100 years ago.
Who needs digital displays in the wheelhouse?
A heavy duty straight eight engine.
The wooden-reinforced housing that passed steam from the
high energy cylinder to the low energy cylinder, cranking the ship's propeller
shaft, which was once attached below...
Boatbuilder's toolbox.
An image of the Edmund Fitzgerald, imagined on that fateful day, November 10, 1975...
This diorama gives some idea about the relative depth of the water
where she sank, and how it broke apart.
Of course the classic Gordon Lightfoot song was playing in my head. His unforgettable lyrics are worth reprinting in this context...
THE WRECK OF THE EDMUND FITZGERALD
Words and Music by Gordon Lightfoot (c) 1976
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy
With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty
That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of November came early
The ship was the pride of the American side
Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
With a crew and good captain well seasoned
Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
When they left fully loaded for Cleveland
Then later that night when the ship's bell rang
Could it be the north wind they'd been feelin'?
The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound
When the wave broke over the railing
And every man knew, as the captain did too
'Twas the witch of November come stealin'
The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
When the gales of November came slashin'
When afternoon came it was freezing rain
In the face of a hurricane west wind
When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck
Sayin' "Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya"
At seven PM a main hatchway caved in
He said, "Fellas, it's been good to know ya"
The captain wired in he had water comin' in
And the good ship and crew was in peril
And later that night when his lights went out of sight
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Does anyone know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?
The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay
If they'd put fifteen more miles behind her
They might have split up or they might have capsized
They may have broke deep and took water
And all that remains is the faces and the names
Of the wives and the sons and the daughters
Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
In the rooms of her ice-water mansion
Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams
The islands and bays are for sportsmen
And farther below, Lake Ontario
Takes in what Lake Erie can send her
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
With the gales of November remembered
In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayedAs we examined items recovered from other older wrecks, my interest in marine history came to life after many years of distractions...
In the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral
The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
Superior, they said, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early
This is a hypodermic needle recovered from a wreck in the late 1800's.
It had only just been invented and has since remained one of the
most profoundly useful tools in the history of medicine.
These were really great to see! They are actual staterooms from the Eastland...
Captain's quarters. He got his own woodstove.
A Third Class cabin.
A Second Class cabin. I thought it looked quite cozy,
but Allyson and I also agreed that the white figures were a bit creepy.
A model of the MV Stewart J. Cort; the first of the 1,000-foot (300 m) oreboats.
Just the model alone was so long I had to step back 15 feet, just to fit it into picture.
A 3D topological map of Lake Superior. It is not exaggerated.
Those deep dark patches in the blue, give some idea just how
incredibly deep these great lakes can be.
Ever wondered what a ginormous pile of coal looks like?
This was low sulfur coal--photo from 1973.
My attempt at a panoramic shot of the ship. I was just a bit too close,
which caused the deformation and bulging in the middle.
I liked this sculpture, simply because of the symmetry, but I don't know its back story.
The covered walkway leading along the William A. Irvin vessel museum pier.
We'd done pretty well! Duluth was such a pleasant surprise to us. We'd had no idea what to expect, and the city gave a great cursory experience. In only three hours, we'd pretty much seen the entire north part of the waterfront.
Now it was time to reward our hard-working bellies and enjoy some BBQ at Famous Dave's. I order the burnt brisket ends sandwich, made southern style with a spoonful of coleslaw on top. It was absolutely delicious, with red skinned mashed potato on the side...
Didn't think to take a picture of the food. Duh!
We were back on the road and headed south along Interstate 35, just before sunset...
This has to be one of my favorite sunset shots from this journey.
And, it was taken at 65 mph.
We got back around 7:30 and hung out, relaxing and talking over the wonderful day we'd had. Now I really had a better sense about the diversity of natural and manmade places this state has to offer. I believe Allyson and I will be taking a couple other road trips before I leave on October 21st. Now, after this? I can't wait! I will bring you all the details as they happen.
Grateful you included the route map and "3D topological map of Lake Superior.", Alex. (My Grampa Fitz used to talk about Duluth, so this was a Grand Tour of what I remember of him referring to. --ell)
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