August 9-13, 2017
The Skyline Parkway parallels Lake Superior for 28 miles and gave us a wonderful introduction to the Duluth area. Its elevation a few hundred feet above the lake provides for excellent views. The oldest sections of the Parkway are over a hundred years old.
Along the Parkway itself are parks and streams and the 5-story Enger Tower, built in 1939.
We could see Duluth’s Aerial Bridge from the Skyway Parkway and felt it deserved a closer look. In 1905 a suspended gondola ferried people and vehicles across the Duluth Ship Canal but by 1929 more capacity was needed and the structure was converted to a lift bridge. It rises some 5000 times a year to a height of 135 feet, allowing ships to pass beneath.
Duluth Depot
This 1892 depot is home to several museums and performing arts organizations.
Unfortunately, our visit coincided with that Thomas the Tank Engine and thousands of his friends. Thomas and the children were kind of fun, but the constant loud music was oppressive. Here is Thomas’s friend Percy.
We enjoyed several of the Historical Society’s exhibits, especially the recreation of an immigrant waiting room and the film about the processing of European immigrants in New York. The rolling stock and its environment were not well maintained and information was inconsistent, but several locomotives and other pieces of equipment were obvious treasures.
The Minnetonka was the first locomotive on the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1870. It performed various jobs until its retirement in 1928. It was recovered from the woods in 1930 and restored.
The device above straddled rail cars to lift timbers on and off.
1 Comment
Roberta Virta · October 1, 2017 at 8:53 pm
Really enjoyed seeing your pictures from my old neighborhood. Winnipeg was always a fun vacation trip and Itasca was also. Cheryl was born in St. Paul in St. Joseph’s hospital just up the street from the Fitzgerald Theater. We lived off Rice Street about a mile north of the Capitol Building. Heather was born in Minneapolis in a hospital across the river. Glad to know the true meaning of Minnehaha. I was told it meant laughing waters, but the story doesn’t matter. Just glad to see it still exists. Love your posts, keep; them coming.
Miss you bunches and know you are enjoying life! Hugs, Roberta
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