Not letting the rain stop ruin my trip, I still had a amazingly fun time visiting with friends.
The drive into Duluth is one of the most incredible views you'll probably take in, rain or shine. On this day, the fog was just beginning to float in and you saw this cozy little town going about its business, ignoring the ominous fog hanging above. It looked so peaceful. The perfect place for a weekend getaway. I drove in with a big smile and quickly navigated my way to my friend Claire's house.
After quick hellos and a long conversation about the weather (a necessary midwest greeting), we decided no rain will stop us and we headed out to explore. We swung by UMD (Go Bulldogs) and snagged Molly to join us on our adventures. With my Oprah Chai in hand, we headed up the hill (Duluth technical term) to Enger Park. The Park is home to Enger Tower, a quaint four-story tower that sits high in the sky and is suppose to offer some amazing views of Duluth. As you might notice, the nice white fog hides the view. This fog quickly became the back drop for my trip.
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| The fog didn't let me take a great photo, so here's what it looks like on a beautiful day. Source: SuperiorTrails.com |
When Claire was trying to describe the park, she mentioned a tower and then she went, "And there's a gong!" What? Apparently Duluth has a sister city in Japan and they kindly donated a beautiful bell that is a part of a lovely Japanese Garden in the park. Not quite a gong, but pretty darn close.
It's actually quite fun. Any one (tall enough) can go up and give it a ring. So we all gave it a shot!
The garden was very zen and look beautiful despite the rain.
The park also has an observation deck and some nice looking trails for anyone fancying a hike.
While we were on the hill, we heard the bell ring signaling that the lift bridge would be lifted. Apparently, it's one of the quintessencial Duluth sites to see. Can you see it? Yeah, us neither.
Once we had our fill of white out sights, we headed back down and got a closer view of the bridge.
After a very failed attempt to drive out to Gooseberry Falls/Split Rock, we turned in. The rest of the day was spent eating lunch, going shopping, and playing a few games (mystery date anyone?) back at Claire's house. It was fun to catch up with everyone and enjoy each other's company. At night we headed out to bar to get some beer before turning in for the next day's adventure. Stay tuned!
