DULUTH , at the western extremity of Lake Superior 150 miles north of Minneapolis and St Paul, forms a long crescent at the base of the Arrowhead. Named for a seventeenth-century French officer, Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut, it cascades down from the granite bluffs surrounding Skyline Drive (an exhilarating thirty-mile route) to a busy harbor , shared with Superior, Wisconsin. Together these 'twin ports' constitute the largest inland port in the US. Originally the main cargo was fur; now it ships grain, lumber and ore to the Atlantic via the St Lawrence Seaway.

In the 1980s, Duluth had a face-lift and began to encourage tourism. The main drawback is that it's cold . The seaway is frozen through the winter, and even spring and fall evenings can be chilly. Temperatures are always significantly cooler near the lake - as fate would have it, the location of nearly all the attractions and activities.

A short walk down Lake Avenue from the Convention and Visitors Bureau office , 100 Lake Place Drive (tel 218/722-4011 or 1-800/4-DULUTH), leads to the free Marine Museum in Canal Park, a vantage point for watching big boats from around the world pass under the delightfully archaic Aerial Lift Bridge (June to early Sept daily 10am-9pm; rest of year times vary). Originating at Canal Park, Duluth's Lakewalk is the free way to take in the view, though in summer you can also take two-hour harbor cruises ($9.75; tel 218/722-6218, ). Also worthwhile is a visit to the stately lakeside Jacobean Revival mansion Glensheen , 3300 London Rd (May-Oct daily 9.30am-4pm; Nov-April 11am-2pm Fri-Sun only; two separate tours $10, reservations required on 218/726-8910 or 1-888/454-GLEN). Both the grounds and interior are impressive.

Rail excursions along the Superior shoreline to pretty Two Harbors (mid-May to mid-Oct; $18 for 6hr, $9.50 for 90min; tel 218/722-1273 or 1-800/423-1273, ) run from The Depot complex at 506 W Michigan St. The Depot also houses the Lake Superior Railroad Museum, a children's museum, cultural heritage center and art museum (summer 9.30am-6pm, winter 10am-5pm; $8.50), and is home to performing companies at night. The historic Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad takes a ninety-minute journey along the scenic St Louis River 11am and 2pm on weekends, mid-June to early September ($7; departs from the parking lot on Grand Ave and 71st Ave W, across from the zoo; ). Duluth's Spirit Mountain ski area (tel -800/642-6377, ) boasts the best downhill runs in the Midwest.

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