My favorite gift card from my daughter is from Barnes & Noble~~~I can go there for browsing and coffee and find a book or magazine (or yummy Godiva chocolate) that I can buy as a special gift from her.  Any Duluth bookstore would work for me too, but she has used B&N because she has access to one in her town.  Good luck!

I'd consider getting a gift cert from The New Scenic (hands down best restaurant in the area). Depending on her interests, you could get cards/certificates at most businesses. Sivertson Gallery has nice stuff as does Waters of Superior, both in Canal Park. You probably could get one from Northern Waters Smokehaus too for some tasty smoked fish, meat, and lovely cheeses.

Yes, Barnes and Noble. What an original Duluth institution...

The American Booksellers Association's national gift card program is ending soon, so Northern Lights Bookstore's gift cards can only be used at Northern Lights now. But they can order most books in print, so lack of selection is not a reason to avoid them.

The Bookstore at Fitgers is also a fantastic bookstore, I enjoy going there, not sure if they have gift cards. I think any local restaurant would make a great gift. Also another idea is a membership for somewhere that someone likes to go. A museum, a rec center, the co-op, etc.

The bookstore at Fitgers is very nice.

The hottest ticket in town right now are replica's of the Aerial Lift Bridge made of recycled parts of the bridge.  They are made by the MSP artist John Poole and can be purchased at the Marine Museum, and the South Pier Inn.  Food gift cards can mostly be purchased online if you're out of the area.  Mt. Royal, while often high on prices if you get off the advertised specials, does have different products than the run of the mill and may be a nice Christmas treat for you mom.

The Wabash Bookstore has gift certificates, too.

You can get a copy of "Raisin Cake" at the Fitger's Bookstore. This book is written by Rod Raymond and tells of his lessons learned from his Grandma.

That's gotta be one of the funniest comments in the history of PDD.  And I don't even know what "Raisin Cake" is a euphemisim for. (or if it even IS a euphemism?!)

Oh...it's real. I see..not sure what to...ok.  Raisin Cake.