Lake Gitche Gumee

Today we had to return to Duluth for an errand, so we went to Canal Park to see the early 1900's Aerial Lift Bridge.  First we drove across the bridge and back.  The 386 foot, 900 ton span lifts up to allow boats to proceed through the canal.  When we got to Canal Park the white-board said a boat would go through at 11:45 a.m. and then at 8:45 p.m.  Just our luck because we arrived at 1:00 p.m.!😞  We were bummed, and then they announced a test boat was going through so we got to watch after all.

 

The bridge as we were getting ready to drive on it.

The Duluth Harbor North Breakwater Lighthouse, built in the early 1900's, is also located at canal park and is still used and operated by the U.S Coastguard.  From the lighthouse you could get a good view of Duluth.  Lots of older buildings in this town.  Pat probably was holding his breath that I didn't make him stop for pictures of some of them!

Have you ever heard of Lake Gitche Gumee?  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "Song of Hiawatha" mentions it as "the shining-big-sea water."  Gordon Lightfoot also talks about Lake Gitche Gumee in his song, "Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald," which is based on a true story. Native Americans called Lake Superior Gitche Gumee which meant "large water."  We took the scenic river road back to our campground and saw this Inn.

Further down the road we came to a historical marker for the seat of the Land Office of the Northeastern District of Minnesota. The site, Buchanan, was named after President Buchanan.  It was formed in 1856 and ceased to exist after the Land Office closed in 1859.  It had some beautiful views of Lake Superior and the coastline.  Tomorrow we will head north to see some sites there.