Oh, the great north summons once again…
![[Image: img_2015-10_aerial-bridge-winter-sunset--duluth_X.jpg]](http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/Travel-Minnesota/16-Fun-and-Festive-Ways-to-Celebrate-Winter-in-Minnesota/img_2015-10_aerial-bridge-winter-sunset--duluth_X.jpg)
Here’s what you need to know about Duluth/Two Harbors
Small town mentality at play here, so I hope your day game is good.
Food
Grandma’s runs this town. From the increasingly popular marathon, to the signs everywhere, to the two restaurants within the town itself (there are five McDonald’s if that gives you any scale), Duluth may as well change its name. Food is ok. The burgers are about as American as it gets - two beef pattys and sloppy with grease. Wild rice burgers are… interesting, but good.
![[Image: fitgers-wild-rice-burger_crystal-grobe.jpg]](https://cbsminnesota.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/fitgers-wild-rice-burger_crystal-grobe.jpg)
Northern Water Smokehaus might have the best food in town. Sandwiches made by someone who has actually eaten somewhere other than Subway in their life. Smoked fish for sale that’s delicious. Place is overrun by hipsters - two of the four guys working there were wearing fedoras (I shit you not) and the chick behind the fish counter had the big coke bottle retro glasses.
About half an hour drive directly from downtown Duluth is Betty’s Pies over in Two Harbor. Food is ok, but there are about 12 flavors of pies available at any given time.
Taste of Saigon is about as “exotic” as you’ll get up here, typical Americanized-Asian fare.
Nightlife
Not much…
Fitger’s is alright. Massive beer/cider/ale selection. Brewery on site that you can tour during the day. Something to brag about/investigate when the snows fall a hundred feet deep and the ice wind comes howling out of the north.
Blackwoods is clearly the winner foodwise, but it wouldn’t be anything to brag about in a tier two or tier one city. It is next door to a hotel, so that might work in your favor.
Heard good things about the Brewhouse but I didn’t get there this time. Apparently Little Angies has a “wall of tequila” I wish someone had told me about before I was driving back to the Twin Cities…
Stuff to do?
Lots of camping and fishing opportunities immediately outside the city. Makes for a good weekend getaway from the Twin Cities. Take a walk down the pier and scope the light houses. Check out Enger Tower. Check out the lift bridge.
You can charter a boat and head out to fish for the day on the largest freshwater lake in the world. I'm thinking this might be a fun thing to do with the boys some weekend.
![[Image: lake-superior-fishing.jpg]](http://duluthcharterfishingguides.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/lake-superior-fishing.jpg)
Girls...
![[Image: d82bd307860385aa411e2ca9432b7c09.jpg]](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/d8/2b/d3/d82bd307860385aa411e2ca9432b7c09.jpg)
Snow cows. Nothing but snow cows and hikers. My advice? Go to the Twin Cities, and bring a girl up her for a weekend (but know that you may get a couple wtf looks from people if you’re black guy with an Asian girl in tow, I sure as hell did). The lack of anything to do at night makes daygame essential here. Lots of girls out jogging, hiking, and shopping around Canal Park. UMD might be a worthwhile endeavor to scope out September/October or April/May when school is in session and the weather hasn’t driven everyone inside. Competition seems like it's non-existent, most of the dudes I saw were decked out in flannel, skinny jeans, and white socks.
Don’t bother heading to “Castle Danger”. Quite possibly the most misleading name in history. It’s an unincorporated township with a greater population of moose than people. However, Castle Danger Brewery in Two Harbors is supposed to be pretty cool, beer aint bad either.
![[Image: img_2015-10_aerial-bridge-winter-sunset--duluth_X.jpg]](http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/Travel-Minnesota/16-Fun-and-Festive-Ways-to-Celebrate-Winter-in-Minnesota/img_2015-10_aerial-bridge-winter-sunset--duluth_X.jpg)
Here’s what you need to know about Duluth/Two Harbors
Small town mentality at play here, so I hope your day game is good.
Food
Grandma’s runs this town. From the increasingly popular marathon, to the signs everywhere, to the two restaurants within the town itself (there are five McDonald’s if that gives you any scale), Duluth may as well change its name. Food is ok. The burgers are about as American as it gets - two beef pattys and sloppy with grease. Wild rice burgers are… interesting, but good.
![[Image: fitgers-wild-rice-burger_crystal-grobe.jpg]](https://cbsminnesota.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/fitgers-wild-rice-burger_crystal-grobe.jpg)
Northern Water Smokehaus might have the best food in town. Sandwiches made by someone who has actually eaten somewhere other than Subway in their life. Smoked fish for sale that’s delicious. Place is overrun by hipsters - two of the four guys working there were wearing fedoras (I shit you not) and the chick behind the fish counter had the big coke bottle retro glasses.
About half an hour drive directly from downtown Duluth is Betty’s Pies over in Two Harbor. Food is ok, but there are about 12 flavors of pies available at any given time.
Taste of Saigon is about as “exotic” as you’ll get up here, typical Americanized-Asian fare.
Nightlife
Not much…
Fitger’s is alright. Massive beer/cider/ale selection. Brewery on site that you can tour during the day. Something to brag about/investigate when the snows fall a hundred feet deep and the ice wind comes howling out of the north.
Blackwoods is clearly the winner foodwise, but it wouldn’t be anything to brag about in a tier two or tier one city. It is next door to a hotel, so that might work in your favor.
Heard good things about the Brewhouse but I didn’t get there this time. Apparently Little Angies has a “wall of tequila” I wish someone had told me about before I was driving back to the Twin Cities…
Stuff to do?
Lots of camping and fishing opportunities immediately outside the city. Makes for a good weekend getaway from the Twin Cities. Take a walk down the pier and scope the light houses. Check out Enger Tower. Check out the lift bridge.
You can charter a boat and head out to fish for the day on the largest freshwater lake in the world. I'm thinking this might be a fun thing to do with the boys some weekend.
![[Image: lake-superior-fishing.jpg]](http://duluthcharterfishingguides.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/lake-superior-fishing.jpg)
Girls...
![[Image: d82bd307860385aa411e2ca9432b7c09.jpg]](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/d8/2b/d3/d82bd307860385aa411e2ca9432b7c09.jpg)
Snow cows. Nothing but snow cows and hikers. My advice? Go to the Twin Cities, and bring a girl up her for a weekend (but know that you may get a couple wtf looks from people if you’re black guy with an Asian girl in tow, I sure as hell did). The lack of anything to do at night makes daygame essential here. Lots of girls out jogging, hiking, and shopping around Canal Park. UMD might be a worthwhile endeavor to scope out September/October or April/May when school is in session and the weather hasn’t driven everyone inside. Competition seems like it's non-existent, most of the dudes I saw were decked out in flannel, skinny jeans, and white socks.
Don’t bother heading to “Castle Danger”. Quite possibly the most misleading name in history. It’s an unincorporated township with a greater population of moose than people. However, Castle Danger Brewery in Two Harbors is supposed to be pretty cool, beer aint bad either.
If you are going to impose your will on the world, you must have control over what you believe.
Data Sheet Minneapolis / Data Sheet St. Paul / Data Sheet Northern MN/BWCA / Data Sheet Duluth