It was the third week in September when I was finally able to explore a couple of Duluth parks on my must-see list. Since Duluth, Minnesota is almost a two-hour drive north of my summer home base in Wisconsin, I was really hoping that the fall colors would be popping more than they were. Oh well, the parks were lovely all the same.
Even though I was slightly disappointed with the fall colors, I was very impressed with the trails. Folks around here love their outdoor recreation. Unfortunately, I was in Duluth just for the day and my time was somewhat limited, but at least I was able to take in an overview and walk the trails a little bit.
Lester Park, Duluth, MN
Located on the east side of Duluth, Lester park offers over nine miles of hiking and biking trails and sits along a creek. This is a popular park with locals since it offers picnic tables, a children’s playground, access to a great trail system, and a refreshing river complete with waterfalls. I spent almost two hours meandering trails, crossing bridges, and giving my camera a workout.
(To enlarge a photo in a gallery, simply click on any image.)
The Lakewalk Trail – Congdon Park, Duluth, MN
Also on the east side of Duluth and along the Tischer Creek is Congdon Park. The park was once part of the Glensheen Estate. Owner, Chester Congdon donated the land to the city of Duluth and paid for its development on the condition that the city would stop using the creek as an open sewer. We thank you, Mr. Congdon!🦨
The park offers beautiful hiking trails, unique bridges, and lovely waterfalls begging to be explored. However, after having spent a couple of hours at Lester Park, I found myself short on time and was only able to walk about 15 minutes out and back on The Lakewalk Trail and never did make it into the heart of Congdon Park.
Although there’s a nice size parking lot near London Road and 26th Ave, I ended up parking the truck on a side street on 32nd Ave so I could view the Tischer Creek and bridges. The Lakewalk Trail is a beautifully paved trail perfect for cyclists, moms with strollers, or anyone wanting to go on a walk and take in nature. I know I’ll be back next summer for further explorations.
Goodbye for now!
Unfortunately, with winter inching closer, my visits to Duluth have come to an end … temporarily anyway, and I’m already formulating a list of things to do and places to see next season. Hopefully, I’ll do a better job of planning for next summer by making some Duluth RV reservations well in advance. This year, my last-minute planning didn’t work in my favor. Guess my luck had to run out sometime. 😏
For Duluth lodging recommendations, you can check out this post.
Photography Challenge … Lens-Artists #117: A Photo Walk. For this week’s photo challenge, Amy asks us to share photos taken while on a walk. She encourages us to pause for a moment and observe our surroundings. Fun time!
As I sat on one of those benches looking up, I remember feeling awed by the beauty around me. This former flatlander from Illinois was overwhelmed with the unique and stunning landscape.
After our Riverside Walk, we took the shuttle bus back down the canyon to the Zion Lodge and bought a couple of lattes at the cafe.
the town sign, AND she is definitely my adventurous child. Thus, this sign seemed fitting.
breathed in the fresh scent of pine as the sound of rushing water below and singing song birds above serenaded us.
worthwhile after all.
Al and I had every intention of moving up to this location so we could explore West Yellowstone, but we had some commitments that required us to head east, thus the timing didn’t fit. Plus, I was starting to miss my beloved Colorado. We’ll save a stay at Henry’s Lake for another time.
diverse and fascinating state.
” while living in Boise, Idaho. 
Since I had a long list of shopping to do, I parked by the Best Buy on the southeast side of the bridge instead of the visitor center and stopped to watch the jumpers in between my stops into TJ Maxx, Best Buy, and Sportsman’s Warehouse.
There’s plenty of hiking opportunities along the canyon rim including a hike to the famous Evel Knievel jump site. Because of the weather, I personally didn’t see the Knievel jump site or hike any of the trails. I understand the jump site is basically a dirt ramp remnant from Knievel’s failed attempt to jump over the Snake River. I was a little disappointed the weather was so inclement. Once the raindrops started falling again, accompanied by thunder, I knew that was my cue to move on and run those errands.
This is when my day got real interesting. Remember that long shopping list? Well, I still needed to go to Walmart and Costco. I had a general idea where they were located but for some reason I turned left when I should’ve turned right. It was late afternoon on a Saturday. The rain was pouring and traffic was congested. I drove through the historic downtown area and immediately realized my faux pas. “Hmm, where to turn, where to turn?” There seemed to be a lot of traffic heading north on a particular road. Thus, I followed thinking it had to be a main road that would put me back in the right direction and help lead to the general area I was looking for.
Oops, I was almost at the plant gate showing up for second shift. I quickly did a U-turn and then another turn. I knew I needed to go in a northeast direction but with the heavy rain and dark skies, I couldn’t find the sun to verify my direction.
I pulled out the Atlas, which wasn’t much help either. It only confirmed I needed to go northeast. I sure could’ve used an Idaho Benchmark Atlas which offers a lot more detail. (We have Benchmark’s for AZ and CO)
Live Laugh RV 