CnC: Day 13 - By The Shores of Gitche Gumee

Today was explore Duluth day. With a a good nights sleep and lazy start to the day, we eventually headed out with no real set plans. From the truck load of brochures we received yesterday from the tourist information centre, we found one that was Duluth specific.

We decided to follow the Skyline Parkway, a 25 mile system of roads that provides opportunity to overlook the township and the lake. The condition of the road in places is in desperate need of repair but generally it was an interesting drive through some of the suburban areas.

A tower off in the distance caught our attention. We spent a good hour here taking photos and generally just getting a feel for the layout of the city. The tower is known as the Enger Tower, named in dedication to Bert Enger who found success as an immigrant. He dedicated the parklands around the tower to the people of Duluth. The tower has 85 steps in a staggered spiral formation.

Duluth panorama

From there we found our way to Hawk Point where there were a lot of people standing around with binoculars. There was a platform on a high part of the bush that had six or so people on it with very impressive scopes.
We decided to pull up and have a look at what was going on. The local bird watching society was conducting the annual count of the number of birds of prey that were on their migration south. To greet us was a very enthusiastic naturalist whose job it is six days a week to explain and educate people about the differences between the various birds of prey that fly past. The group receive no funding from the authorities and rely on donations and their own fund raising ventures. We helped out with purchasing two tee shirts. While we were there we saw a little hawk, a turkey buzzard and a bald eagle flying by. We'd spent a bit of time having a look at the display when there was a little presentation explaining the Sharp-shinned hawk. There were three female birds that had been captured and tagged being displayed. Next came the offer, for a small fee anyone could adopt one of the birds. This meant being the one to release the bird back into the wild, and to receive information about the bird and should it return to the area and be captured again, receive more news about the bird. Clint and I agreed this would a good thing to do. I got to hold and then release the little bird who I've called Saffron due to her yellow markings. What a special way to remember Duluth.

Serious bird watchers

Charleen's Sharp-shinned Hawk - "Saffron"

The people have to pretend to be trees. Lousy method actors!

Time to move on as there was a couple of ships coming into the harbour. A couple of ladies from the birdwatchers said that it would take the ships about an hour, that's about how long it would take us to get near the bridge, too.

On approach to the Aerial Lift Bridge, the ships sound their horns and the bridge operator responds. We were in the line of traffic waiting for the bridge to reset itself when we heard the blasts.

We drove out to Point Park to see how far we could travel out on the spit. The weather was closing in as we decided to walk onto the beach. The sand is course and reddish. I saw Clint taking his sandals off. He's not going into the water is he? Yes, sure enough he's dipping his toes in Lake Superior. Cold? You betcha! Ok it's my turn. I walked in to ankle deep. Wow, that's cold. My ankles are freezing, they are starting to ache. Our time at the beach was cut short as it started to rain. We also were wanting to find somewhere for lunch.

Superior Cold water

Interesting to taste the water too - it was fresh.

1000ft coal carrier under the lift bridge

Back along the spit road, across the lift bridge again. It's one with a mesh surface. Very scary riding a motorcycle in the wet on this. We found a carpark. $1.50 for 2 hours - good price for a prime tourist area. The marine museum beckoned. While we were waiting our turn to pay for parking, the bells of the bridge sounded. It's raising! I made a bee line for the canal with camera at the ready while Clint parked the car. There was a 1,000 ft long coal carrying ship making it's way out of the harbour. It was powered by 4 twenty cylinder engines producing 16,000 horsepower. Clint made it in time to see the ship under the bridge and through the canal.

A wander around the museum which had displays of how the harbour and shipping lanes are maintained and the various vessels that have worked the waterways and their cargo.

A quick bite to eat and then a final visit to Aerostich to pick up a pair of gloves for my cousin. Sadly, they only had one pair left and the Internet orders had not yet been completed. Oh well, we'll look elsewhere on our journey.

Back to our room to have a Skype chat with my cousin and to catch up on the laundry. Soon it would be dark and time to try our hand at some night time shots at the Enger Tower. We've been spoilt with very comfortable day time temperatures. Night time was a different matter - 60 degrees and a stiff breeze blowing made for rather chilly conditions. Still we managed to get a few shots.