Category: Inside Fun

Because, lets face it Duluth doesn’t have the best weather all the time.

New Hotel on Park Point

The Fairfield Inn & Suites just opened their Duluth Waterfront location. The three story hotel is just past the lift bridge and has a little over 80 rooms. The third floor rooms are all suites with beautiful vistas overlooking Duluth.

Most importantly for us Duluthians is the addition of a small convenience store. This store is not just for guests. With the Bayside store now gone, the local franchise owner knew that we were missing something. Now, this will not be a replacement for your trips to Super One or Mt. Royal Fine Foods, but if you are short on a cup of milk you can go down the street instead of across the bridge. The owners also own the adjacent marina and rv park so, while the back side of the hotel features a laundry for guests, there is also a separate laundry for marina and RV’ers. The laundry room also has a shower in the bathroom which (I’m sure) is way bigger than the shower you have on your boat! Don’t worry hotel goers, the pool and fitness area for hotel guests only.

With windows facing the Lift Bridge, hillside, and neighboring marina, the views from these rooms are amazing. We may be needing a staycation pretty soon. . . Well maybe after the summer rates change! 😉

Getting Vertical!

All right, let’s face it, even though we live in the “Greatest Outdoor Town in the US” we don’t always want to be outside. For instance, when it’s -15 out, going out for a quick jog doesn’t sound that appealing to most.

We have limited options: 1. binge watch the latest installment of whatever new series is on Netflix; or 2. search around for something active to do while staying warm and toasty indoors. One unique activity for option 2 would be Vertical Endeavors! It’s located in the back of the Adventure Zone in Canal Park. They have everything you need to scale the tallest peak (around 4 stories!). Their climbing walls are fantastic and it doesn’t matter what your experience level (or lack thereof). They have options for intermediate to expert, with options for the kids as well! Want a really unique challenge? Check out the awesome bouldering cave! Shorter walls where the intent is to move horizontally and around obstacles as well as vertically!

The staff there is also wonderful! They are extremely knowledgeable and you can tell they just love climbing and want to share their excitement of the thrill of the climb. They will help with your rentals, give you pointers, and belay as you climb. (Belaying is the person that assists ropes up with you so you have a safe climb.) There are also auto-belay courses as well.

Take it from someone who can be a little scared of heights; reaching the top of one of the walls is exhilarating! It’s challenging, rewarding, and a BLAST!

So while the Duluth City Council is debating on creating an outside climbing park, rope up and get some practice!