Photo by Northern Images Photography
Duluth in December? Yes, please. While some visitors may worry the port city along Lake Superior is too cold or dreary in the winter months, we say the area is at its prime during this time. The town of nearly 90,000 hardy residents offers a variety of activities to enjoy the winter weather and embrace the dipping temperatures. In fact, CNN Travel ranked Duluth as one of America’s “10 Best Towns to Visit” this year.
While Duluth’s steep streets and winding hills can get slippery in the snow and the wind from the lake a bit blustery, both the topography and the location make for exceptional outdoor activities like skiing, hiking, and even winter surfing. We recently spent a few days exploring the area to dream up a holiday itinerary.
Bentleyville’s ‘Tour of Lights’
“Oh, it’s magical,” my friend Leah Wilkes confirmed when I suggested a visit to Bentleyville. Wilkes and her husband, Greg Rohleder, moved from the Twin Cities to Duluth during the pandemic a few years ago and are fabulous ambassadors for the area. Neither grew up in the region, and thus have an unvarnished opinion.
I was surprised at how enthusiastically Wilkes embraced the popular holiday light display, expecting some cynicism and resignation to the fact that nearly half a million people visit the attraction each year. But this nature lover and community activist loves how Bentleyville shines a spotlight (so to speak) on the area.
Photo by Bryan Hansel
Now in its 22nd year, Bentleyville’s origin story is a point of pride for residents, one that is repeated often: What started as holiday decorations in the front lawn of founder Nathan Bentley’s home in Esko, Minnesota, in 2001 has expanded to an extravagant 5 million light display in Bayfront Festival Park along Lake Superior with the iconic Aerial Lift Bridge as a background. The fact that it’s free is a huge draw, but it’s also worth the effort even on cold nights for some authentic holiday cheer. The walk-through displays open before Thanksgiving and close right after Christmas (this year’s dates are Nov. 23 through Dec. 28), making for an ideal family outing throughout the holidays. The illuminated displays include tunnels and pathways, large vignettes, and holiday figures like a gigantic Christmas tree and oversized snowmen. There is, of course, Santa and Mrs. Claus, as well as free snacks like hot chocolate and cookies for the stroll. Arrive early or right before the 5 p.m. opening each night for a celebratory countdown before the millions of lights switch on and doors open. Parking is $10, but a number of businesses offer shuttle buses and easy ways to arrive to the grounds.
Sauna Plunge
“If you’re really brave, you can jump from the rooftop into Lake Superior,” Lindsey Rasmussen, our Cedar + Stone Nordic Sauna guide told us during an introduction to the floating sauna anchored in the Duluth Harbor next to Pier B Resort Hotel. Challenge accepted. Rasmussen welcomed us into the inner room, pointing out the tiered seating in front of the two wood-fired stoves, the back deck patio area, and the rooftop deck that I would later jump from into chilly Lake Superior.
The health benefits of saunas have been well-documented, and Duluth is embracing the “saunapreneur” mindset. The sauna experience is a staple in Scandinavian countries, familiar to Minnesota’s high count of Scandinavian Americans. The Finnish tradition goes beyond sweating in a room, though. A true sauna session includes heating up, cooling down, resting, and staying hydrated. Modest Minnesotans may feel uncomfortable sitting next to strangers in their bathing suits, which is why many of the sauna outlets offer private options as well as public sessions.
Courtesy of Cedar + Stone Nordic Sauna
Rasmussen started our experience by stoking the wood-burning stove and adding water to the adjacent stones for a blast of steam that sent us scurrying from the upper cedar built-in benches where temperatures shot past 185 degrees to the lower level, where it was still toasty but about 15 degrees cooler and easier to breathe. Throughout the session, she explained the process and added essential oils for aromatherapy. My favorite was the eucalyptus scent, reminding me of Christmas trees and pine forests.
Photo by Nia Sayler
After about 15 minutes of sweating in the sauna, detoxifying while we drank lemon water, we walked out to the houseboat’s back deck and jumped straight into the chilly lake’s swimming area marked off by ropes. After another round, I emerged from the heat to climb the houseboat’s ladder and jump 15 feet into the water from the rooftop. As a strong swimmer, I was comfortable with the jolt, jump, and swim back to the boat’s ladder, but urge some caution.
While saunas are popular year-round, they are especially appealing when the lake develops a crackled layer of ice to break through. “Winter is perhaps the quintessential season for sauna use,” writes Cedar + Stone’s co-owner Justin Juntunen on the company’s blog. “As the temperatures drop and snow blankets the ground, stepping into a warm sauna feels like a much-needed embrace. The contrast between the icy outdoors and the inviting heat inside the sauna creates a deeply relaxing experience.”
Glensheen Mansion
“It’s really gorgeous in the winter with all of the decorations,” my travel buddy, Renee Miller, remarked as we walked the expansive estate grounds up to Glensheen, the 39-room historic family estate of lumber entrepreneur and politician Chester Congdon. The mansion spans 27,000 square feet and is now operated by the University of Minnesota Duluth as a museum. Construction of the mansion started in 1905 and finished in 1908, costing $854,000 (nearly $29 million today).
Architecture fans likely already know (and admire) the design by Clarence H. Johnston Sr. with interiors by William A. French Co. It was my first visit to the popular tourist site, but at least my friend’s eighth time, giving her enough knowledge for our self-guided tour and to point out some intricate details, like the gorgeous turquoise porcelain tiles in the breakfast room and multiple showerheads in the first-of-its-kind walk-in shower.
For the holidays, the mansion is decked out with 25 Christmas trees and offers candlelit tours. The estate also sits on 12 acres of Lake Superior waterfront with spectacular views from the shore and a landscape that changes with snow cover and budding blooms. A visit to Glensheen provides an opulent look at the wealthy lifestyle and history in Duluth in the early 20th century.
Courtesy of Visit Duluth
Christmas City Express Train Ride
“We’ve got the greatest Santa Claus in town,” says Ken Buehler, executive director of North Shore Scenic Railroad, which offers a holiday-themed train ride each winter. The Christmas City Express Train ride, this year running through Dec. 22, is based on a story that Buehler and his family created specifically for the themed 30-minute ride. Not unlike the popular “The Polar Express” storyline but with a twist, this live event is aimed at children under age 10. The event starts at the railroad museum that is filled with engines and train memorabilia and includes live music performances, Christmas decorations, a dramatic reading of the “Christmas City Express,” and time with Santa before boarding the train for a 30-minute journey on the rails along Lake Superior.
Courtesy of Visit Duluth
Other Outdoor Activities
For more outdoor thrills, Spirit Mountain Recreation Area offers 20 downhill ski runs and three terrain parks, plus four aerial lifts, two tow ropes, and one “magic carpet” conveyor. Spirit Mountain also has fat biking trails, day tubing, and night glow tubing. There’s also cross-country skiing, hiking, and snowshoeing along the Superior Hiking Trail, ice climbing at Quarry Park, and ice fishing along Park Point, Canal Park, and inland lakes.
