wow...U.S. Steel finally built an ore boat that's just shy of 2 and a half miles long...betcha can see that sucker from space.

I'm not sure if it's the author's fault, or an editor's mistake, but I'm guessing the line was supposed to read "13 1,000-foot-long ships" (would that be right?)

An error that jumped out at me was his apparent belief that grain drives shipping in the the Twin Ports, when in reality it is far, far behind taconite and related iron ore shipments. I did think the whole sailors-gallivanting-around-town bit was kind of corny.

Errors and all, though, it's still interesting to see how others perceive our town. And if you want to set the record straight, there is a comment option at the end of the article.

giggle 

*snort*

Well, now we know how McClelland perceived Duluth: as a ridiculous caricature.

As others have noted, the old cliche of ships docking and rowdy sailors spreading out into the city is completely wrong. Even when foreign sailors left the ships, pre-Patriot Act, I rarely saw them do any carousing. Often they would beeline to Walmart or Best Buy to load up on consumer electronics. 

Also, "Beyond Duluth, Minnesota 61 is a rugged road following the narrow verge between Lake Superior and a vast forest of birches." You'd think he was lurching along in a covered wagon, gnawing on pemmican, not sailing down a four-lane highway that thousands of people drive on daily. When he talks about the "vast forest of birches" I think he means the birches he saw growing next to the road. I've seen those, too.

Clearly, this article is the work of an untrustworthy individual.

wow...U.S. Steel finally built an ore boat that's just shy of 2 and a half miles long...betcha can see that sucker from space.

You can see some of the smaller ones from space, too....

Guess that's your answer WildGoose! As a relative newcomer in town, I also wonder. Seeing the old photos of tour vehicles on Skyline drive make me wonder why the entire length isn't marked and paved better. It would also be an awesome bike route (again with fewer potholes and bike lanes), walkers route, etc.

When my wife and I were frequently visiting from the Twin Cities, we stumbled on Chester Park and the Chester Park Cafe and that made us want to live here. Well, plus the other more obvious amenities.

Skyline Parkway is marked with some nice signs, but not enough of them. There used to be a green stripe painted along the shoulder the entire length, too. Technically, it runs from Seven Bridges road out to Spirit Mountain. It isn't called Skyline the entire length, but it used to be marked the whole way.

we did the piedmont > spirit > becks section of skyline yesterday in search of abandoned tires for our taters, to no avail. pretty clean up that way.