1 of 3
Bob Berg / Lake Superior Magazine
Pier B Resort
Pier B Resort draws its name from the land's former use as an industrial site. It's now part of a vibrant waterfront scene in the Twin Ports.
2 of 3
Bob Berg / Lake Superior Magazine
Pier B Resort
Finishing touches continue on a few parts of the resort (like the restaurant, opening July 1), but it's now open for guests.
3 of 3
Courtesy Holiday Inn Express & Suites
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Duluth North
Duluth's new Holiday Inn Express & Suites is near the mall and the city's international airport.
Two new hotels open in Duluth just in time for summer
The Duluth area has added two new lodging options this week, ahead of the influx of guests connected to Saturday’s Grandma’s Marathon.
Close to the city’s international airport, the new Holiday Inn Express & Suites Duluth North added 80 rooms to the local lodging mix. Owned and operated by Duluth-based Lion Hotel Group, the five-story Holiday Inn Express & Suites is located near the intersection of Highway 53 and Haines Road. Besides 56 individual rooms, there are 24 suites. The hotel provides park-and-stay options for those flying out of town. It features an outdoor patio, indoor pool, hot tub, fitness center, business center and guest laundry. Breakfast and WiFi are complimentary. The most exciting news, though, may be that as of this morning, there were rooms available for Thursday (August 18), Saturday (August 20) and Sunday (August 21) of the Tall Ships Duluth 2016 festival weekend. Friday that weekend is full.
Meanwhile, the much-anticipated project turning a former industrial site into a hospitality oasis has opened for guests on the Duluth waterfront. Pier B Resort touts a surround-sound of Lake Superior, with views of the water from every side. Construction activity continues, but when fully up and running, it will offer 140 rooms, a waterfront restaurant (scheduled to open July 1) and an event center.
The complex is located beside a former cement silo (in fact, its restaurant is called The Silos at Pier B). Eventually, the site will also have 20+ boat slips and a boat ramp, making it easily accessible for visiting boaters and with transient boat slips. Its website gives a fine concise history of the former LaFarge Cement Company site. There’s a webcam set up to view the space, including the retired Coast Guard cutter Sundew docked there. Landscaping and development plans include public walking, sitting and retail spaces and 8,000 square feet of outdoor events space. It also has rooms available during the tall ships weekend in August.
+ On the topic of Grandma’s Marathon: From Duluth News Tribune reporter Christa Lawler, meet the woman who plays the part of Grandma each year.
Courtesy Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
Great Lakes poetry project
Great Lakes poetry project comes to Lake Superior
Visitors to three national parks in the Lake Superior region will find a subtle but powerful public art project, installed just ahead of the summer season. Artist Moheb Soliman worked with staff at Apostle Islands and Pictured Rocks national lakeshores and Isle Royale National Park to write site-specific poems that masquerade as official park signs.
“They also collaborated on each particular location,” according to a news release, “as the signs speak to special types of places and natural-cultural spaces and experiences such as beaches, or hiking, or technology in relation. Park visitors can encounter the signs as they tour major destination spots, or can pick up a pamphlet at visitor centers.”
The poetry is part of Moheb’s larger interdisciplinary project, “HOMES” (an acronym for the five Great Lakes).
+ During this centennial year of the National Park Service, the Boston Globe turned its attention to our own Isle Royale National Park, the least-visited national park in the contiguous 48 states. Join Globe reporter Michael J. Bailey on his Lake Superior adventure.
Keeping Lake Superior and swimmers healthy: “Jesse Schomberg, an educator with the University of Minnesota Sea Grant Program, says just because the lake is vast doesn't mean it's immune to dangerous pollutants and bacteria,” reports Michelle Alfini for KBJR in Duluth.
Sault Ste. Marie 11-year-old accepted by Canada’s National Ballet School: Katelyn Tull earned a spot in the summer program, with the hope of next getting into the full-time program, says SooToday.
Fish disease affects trout stocking: “The strain of brook trout that would normally be stocked in northeastern Minnesota will not be available until at least 2019 due to statewide shortages created by the depopulation of Crystal Springs hatchery to control furunculosis,” writes Angie Riebe of the Mesabi Daily News. Other varieties of trout will make up the difference.
A calliope hummingbird visits Duluth: It’s only the second time this species has been seen in Minnesota. They typically spend their summers in the western mountains. Local birder Rich Hoeg posted some video and photos on his website. (Bonus link for birders: Hear Minnesota bird songs.)
Ashland’s latest mural project in final stages: The Pedestrian Underpass project will “weave together the natural stories and cycles of the region into a stunning artistic display,” writes Amber Mullen for the Ashland Daily Press. You can donate to the project online.
Copper Peak upgrades continue: The ski-flying hill near Ironwood, Michigan, was in good condition, but needed improvements to host international competitions again. The Ironwood Daily Globe’s Richard Jenkins reports on the progress.