Advice on Places to Elope in Duluth

My fiance and I are from Southern Minnesota and are planning on eloping on May 30 in the Duluth area. Our immediate family is coming as well. We were thinking we would either want to be married on a beach or on an overlook on Superior Hiking Trail. I really like the idea of an overlook but I don’t want all of us to have to hike two hours to reach it. Do any of you have any ideas of which beaches would be best and where some of the best overlooks in Duluth are (preferably with a view of the water) within a reasonable walking distance? We also are looking for a plan B if it rains. Somewhere outside but with a gazebo or a nice looking building etc. Both of us want to get married outside and don’t want the rain to ruin our plans! Suggestions?

Recommendations

Duluth has a lot to answer for

I do not sit comfortably with publicly rebuking the City of Duluth whether or not I am half a continent and an ocean away. I tried discretion to no avail. While I accept that nobody owes me answers, there is somehow justification in demanding them.
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Bitching
Lake Superior Writers: NEMBA 2026
Vision Pro: Year End 2026

Denfeld Lip Dub 2014: “It’s Always a Good Time”

VideosDenfeld High School

Duluth Depot

Videos
Pier B Resort: Thanksgiving Buffet

Duluth Mystery Photo #13: Aunt Ella Jackman

The woman seated in this photo is identified on the back as “Aunt Ella Jackman.” So, of course, inquiring minds want to know: Who was this Ella Jackman and what about the woman standing over her?
(more…)

History, PhotosMystery Photos, Penny Arcade

Video Archive: How many geeks can you fit into a Kia Rio?

The third iteration of Geek Prom was held in 2004 at the Great Lakes Aquarium. As a publicity stunt, the prom committee decided to find out how many geeks could be crammed into a Kia Rio. Answer: 21. The more important question, however, was: Would the sight of it make WDIO-TV Eyewitness News anchor Dennis Anderson lose his composure? Answer: Yes.

VideosDennis Anderson, Geek Prom, Geeky, Video Archive
Pier B Resort: Thanksgiving Buffet

Neighborhood book burner strikes Little Free Library

“Well I never!” What a way to start the day. Here at Loaves & Fishes on Jefferson Street, someone decided to set our Little Free Book Library on fire this morning! An officer happened to be driving by and she noticed flames emanating from the library so she stopped, grabbed her fire extinguisher, and extinguished the flames. Who thinks it’s a good idea to burn free books? Seriously. (more…)

RandomBitching, Books, Creepy, Little Free Library, Loaves and Fishes, louise erdrich, sad world, stupid

Public lecture season…

Universities in our region rarely schedule as many public lectures in the dead of winter the way they schedule them in the spring. Driving is safer for regional guests, while longer daylight means more community members will brave the parking hazards of campuses.

As a result, then, I’ve been to too many public lectures lately. (more…)

Random
Weis Eye Center
Lake Superior Writers: NEMBA 2026

From the PDD Archive: Leave a Message at the Beep — Jan and Wes Edition

Ten years ago Starfire amassed a collection of tapes from answering machines that ended up in local thrift stores. This is post number two of two featuring the old audio clips. The previous post featured the messages of the Twice But Nice store. Today we resurrect the audio files from the answering machine of Jan and Wes.

Jan

Bowlers

Have fun

Woods

History

Duluth Band Profile: Saint Anyway

Saint Anyway delivers driving stompgrass. Tony Petersen talks about how the band is in the process of changing its sound. Click on the image above to hear the interview.

MusicBand Profiles
Pizza Luce: White Rabbit
Pier B Resort: Thanksgiving Buffet

Trampled by Turtles – Wild Animals – Drops July 15

Trampled by Turtles are releasing their new album, Wild Animals, on July 15. The album was produced by Duluth’s own Alan Sparhawk of Low and recorded at Pachyderm Studios in Cannon Falls. Check out the first single, “Are You Behind the Shining Star?,” below. TBT will be missed at Homegrown this year.


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MusicAlbum Releases, Trampled by Turtles

Help in identifying a Duluth location

I believe this is Garfield Avenue and Superior Street. A relative once had a grocery store directly to the left of Garfield in the photo. I’m pretty sure it is the store with the canopy or the one to the right (west) of that one. Charles Atol was the “original?” owner then later Jimmy Atol. Any information would be appreciated.

History, PhotosQueries
Lake Superior Writers: NEMBA 2026
Glensheen Christmas tours 2026

Abominable Snowman Costume

Does anyone know where I could get ahold of an abominable snowman costume? Any leads would be greatly appreciated.

Queries, Weird

Leave a Message at the Beep — Twice But Nice Edition

In 2004, Scott “Starfire” Lunt amassed a collection of tapes from answering machines that ended up in thrift stores.

“These are spectacular glimpses into people’s lives and I can’t believe they get so casually discarded,” Starfire wrote at the time.

Today we resurrect the audio files from the answering machine of the old Twice But Nice store.

Outgoing message

Lamps

Disgusted

Las Vegas

Missy

Bettie Mae

HistoryPDD Shop Talk
Lake Superior Writers: NEMBA 2026

The streak is over! A level III predatory offender has been released to a Duluth neighborhood that isn’t the West End

The Duluth Police Dept. announced on Tuesday a level III predatory offender has been released and is living on the 700 block of Boundary Avenue in Duluth’s Bayview Heights neighborhood, on the Duluth/Proctor border. It marks the end of a streak in which eight consecutive sex offenders released in Duluth chose to live in the West End neighborhood. This was over a span of exactly one year, going by the dates of DPD news releases — April 8, 2013 to April 8, 2014.
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News and Current AffairsBitching, Lincoln Park Neighborhood / The Friendly West End

R.I.P. Memorial Community Center

The community center building at Memorial Park in West Duluth is no more. The PDD Drone did a fly through on Sunday for posterity.
(more…)

History, R.I.P., VideosMemorial Park, West Duluth
Pizza Luce: White Rabbit
Weis Eye Center

Where not in Duluth?

In a twist on our usual game of “Where in Duluth?” we note this time the image was not shot in Duluth, yet the flag references Duluth’s Enger Park. Ready? Set? Describe the location where this photo was shot.

PhotosWhere in Duluth?

Duluth Band Profile: Maddy Siiter

Maddy Sitter adds a youthful approach to song writing. She explains how music has aided her in addressing issues that few young adults address. Click on the image above to hear her interview.

MusicBand Profiles, Maddy Siiter
Pizza Luce: White Rabbit
Weis Eye Center

Duluth Denfeld Sing-along Drone Video

Footage by Liftoff Aerials.

The Halls of Denfeld (alma mater)

Oh, we love the halls of Denfeld
That surround us here today.
And we will not forget,
Though we be near or far away. (more…)

VideosDenfeld High School, Drone Videos, PDD Drone

My Duluth: Short film about saying goodbye

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnhhwBA4cys

If you enjoyed it, please help me out and vote for this short film at rodemic.com. The grand prize is a bunch of really great film equipment, which would help me make more short films in the area and another feature! Thank you for your time. I hope you enjoy it!

Videos
Lake Superior Writers: NEMBA 2026
Pier B Resort: Thanksgiving Buffet

Usual pot hole complaint: What’s the deal?

Is there a schedule that I’m not aware of for pot hole filling? I feel like the weather has been warm enough lately for filling, but I have yet to see a single crew out. Are they waiting for all the snow to melt? Do they fear another snow storm and the plows it will bring? Have we decided to simply switch to gravel roads because they would be smoother?

My already fragile and poorly designed suspension is crying.

Bitching

R.I.P. Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome

R.I.P., Videos
Matinee Musicale: Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass Quartet
Pier B Resort: Thanksgiving Buffet

This week: Don Ness vs. Jim Carlson

  

Here’s a sampling of what you have to look forward to this week on the PDD Calendar.

The public schools are on “spring break” this week and there’s open ice skating, kickball, lacrosse and more at the Duluth Heritage Sports Center and movies (including Catching Fire and 47 Ronin) at the Public Library this week.

Eat Downtown Week, with its prix fixe lunch and dinner menus at participating restaurants, ends this Friday.

Hero/Villain/Savior/Scoundrel is an exhibition of portraits featuring Don Ness and Jim Carlson by various local artists. It opens at the Zeitgeist on Thursday.

Think of it as a catered yoga sing-along. There will be a Kirtan at Beaner’s Central on Friday.

“Inuksuit” is an environmental musical piece in which 66 musicians will be spread over the grounds of Glensheen Mansion and the audience wanders through the piece. This happens on Saturday.

Daniel Tobin performs “An Iliad: A One-Man Odyssey” at Mitchell Auditorium on Sunday.

So what are you doing this week? Can we tag along? Any upcoming events that you want to promote? Let us know.

Events

Enger Tower inside and out

The PDD Drone takes an up-close and faraway look at a Duluth icon.

VideosDrone Videos, Enger Park
Pier B Resort: Thanksgiving Buffet
Pizza Luce: White Rabbit

Duluth Mystery Photo #12: Holt Caterpillar

This week’s mystery photo is an illustration, really, but the small print indicates it’s a “drawing from photograph.” The text of this 1922 advertisement in the Saturday Evening Post refers to Duluth, which leads one to assume the illustration is based on a photo shot in Duluth. Is it? Does anyone recognize this location 92 years later?

History, PhotosMystery Photos