Duluth, Minnesota.

In September 2022 we spent a month traveling by car and cruise ship exploring the northeastern half of the United States and the eastern provinces of Canada. We spent a couple of nights in Duluth, Minnesota, our first stop on our journey. Duluth is considered the beginning of the North Shore of Lake Superior and the city attracts around six million tourists each year. It is the fourth largest city in Minnesota and the largest port on Lake Superior.

Built on hilly terrain, the roads can be quite treacherous in winter’s icy conditions, but in the summer, the views from the upper levels of the city are spectacular. On one of the highest points in the city, a park beckons tourists to overlook the city. There you will find Enger Tower.

Enger Tower is an 80-foot (24 m), five-story stone observation tower atop Enger Hill. It was built in 1939 as a tribute to Norwegian immigrant and philanthropist Bert Enger, who donated the land for the park and the money to build the tower.

From the windows you pass on your way to the top, your camera cries out for panoramic views… er, ah, at least mine does. On a clear day, you can see for miles in every direction. From the top of the tower, you can see the Aerial Lift Bridge, the Duluth Ship Canal, the Duluth skyline, and the endless expanse of Lake Superior. The five-story climb (138 steps) isn’t too challenging if you take your time, and from there small plaques embedded in the stone indicate the area of the city visible from that point. The panorama above features a view of the port area.

This bridge’s history will be featured in one of my featured bridge posts, but for now, the bridge is a popular tourist attraction. In the image above, captured with my crop-sensor zoom set to 70 mm, you can see at the base of the bridge that the roadway is down.

When a ship needs to enter or leave the port, the road across the opening is blocked and the bridge’s road surface is lifted to allow a ship to pass through the channel. Smaller vessels don’t require the bridge to go all the way to the top, but large cargo ships, many over 700 feet (213 m) long, require the bridge to rise to its maximum of 135 feet (40 m) above the channel.

I enjoy watching a YouTube channel that is run by a Duluth resident who visits the bridge area to capture the arrivals and departures of these magnificent Great Lakes ships. Here’s a sample.

There are six major bridges in the city, though the aerial lift bridge gets most of the attention. Here is a collection of bridges visible from the Enger Tower viewpoint.

Not all the views from Enger Tower feature bridges. From there you can see the long breakwater and port area.

The port mainly hosts the transport of grain, iron ore, and coal. About 900 vessels a year visit the port, about 90% of them known as Lakers, ships designed to transit the Great Lakes. The largest lakers are over 1,000 feet (300 m) in length.

Enger Tower is popular with tourists and locals alike, and it is open to the public with free admission from May to October. In future Travel Tuesday posts, I will feature more sights from our visit to Duluth and our trip along the North Shore into Canada and on to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

John Steiner