Our shopping excursions and explorations to Duluth, Minnesota served as the impetus for us to take a vacation from our vacation. Although our campsite this summer on private property along a pristine lake in northern Wisconsin is beyond nice, Lake Superiors Northshore was calling. Al and I had not returned to this part of the country since the early s and the pull to return was strong. The easy thirty-minute drive northeast of Duluth made this the perfect location for our Northshore explorations.
Since our reservation was made on rather short notice, I was only able to book three nights. Next time! Once settled into our campsite, it was time to explore. Two Harbors, Minnesota is nestled along the beautiful north shore of Lake Superior. First lit in , the historic Two Harbors Light Station is the oldest operating lighthouse in Minnesota. She consists of a two-story, square, redbrick dwelling, and a twelve-foot-square light tower attached between the gables.
She no longer has her original lens unfortunately , but still boasts an interesting twenty-four-inch aerobeacon. And you can even spend the night at the lighthouse. To enlarge photos in a gallery, simply click on any image. For train enthusiasts, the Depot Museum is just down the road from the lighthouse and is housed in a historic brick building built in Today the building serves as a museum but was formerly headquarters for the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad which played a prominent role in the development of the iron ore industry throughout the region.
Although my goal was to visit the lighthouse, once I had the truck parked, my attention was drawn across Agate Bay to some strange looking structures. The structures are docks that are made out of steel. The immense size of the docks allows ships to pull alongside some chutes where the iron ore is then deposited into the hulls of the boats.
These days, about 12 million tons of taconite are shipped out yearly headed south to the lower Great Lakes where it is then unloaded, heated up in blast furnaces, and eventually converted into steel. The first dock was built in and by there were six fully operating docks.
