Some attractions that can't be missed in Duluth, MN?

My family and I are going to Duluth, MN this Independence Day Weekend, just on Saturday and Sunday. My mom wants to see the Rose Garden. Is it really beautiful? We need some cheap, entertaining ways to have fun while we're there. We are staying at Edgewater Express. There is a waterpark across the street, so we might spend Sunday morning there, go other places later on in the day, and drive a few hours back in the evening. We plan to get there around 3 pm, so...yeah! Thank you for all the answers. Oh, and my mom really wants to go on a boat tour thing, kind of like in Wisconsin Dells. Thanks!!! Remember, think cheap, but fun! This is our first vacation in a very, LONG time. :D

Some attractions that can't be missed in Duluth, MN?
I'm cheating on answering this as I just said these comments below to others last week, so I'm just copying and pasting...



Canal Park is pretty much the highlight of the area that visitors come to see. It's directly on Lake Superior and has the Aerial Lift Bridge where the big barges go through carrying loads to and from other countries. You can drive or walk over the bridge, under, etc. There's a free boat museum down there too. The Lakewalk is about 2 miles long depending on where you want to start and end. On one end is the Canal area and the other end is the Rose Garden. In the middle there's a place called the Portland Malt Shop that is perfect for a mid-way rest and treat. Back to Canal, there are boat excursions on the Vista Fleet that can take you out onto the lake and under the bridge. Besides that, there are lots of little shops, restaurants, hotels, etc down there that you can walk to. There's an area for wading in the water, etc or if you drive a couple miles over the bridge, at the end is Park Point which is a long stretch of beach where people swim, play volleyball, etc. Beware that the lake is so large, that it never really warms up in the summer. But if it's one of our hot, muggy 80 degree days, it feels pretty damn good!



I live in Duluth and agree with the last writer that the Aquarium isn't very exciting. Our zoo has 3 new lion cubs which are cute to see. They're getting bigger, but still are quite playful. The zoo also has a polar bear and tigers, etc. Of course the zoo costs money, but certainly not anywhere near the Aquarium's price. For free activities..walking around Canal Park and the bridge, walking through Rose Garden, walking around Enger Tower, spend a day at Park Point (beware..water is cold!). Park Point also has volleyball nets and picnic tables, etc. Since you're here on the holiday, obviously watching the fireworks are a must, plus I believe at Bayfront they have tents of snacks, arts and crafts, etc. Usually the week of July 4th is when the carnival comes to town too. They set up in the DECC parking lot. Again, rides and whatnot will cost money though. If you have time, driving up the shore to Gooseberry Falls for a picnic would be another good idea.



There are many restaurants down there. Ones I can think of off-hand are Grandmas (Restaurant, not the Sportsgarden... has kindof everything, good burgers and spaghetti), Little Angies (Mexican), Timberlodge (steakhouse), Green Mill (pizza/pasta), Bellissios (higher-end Italian), Old Chicago (pizza), Red Lobster (given), Famous Daves (BBQ) and Hell's Kitchen (new one, only have eaten there once, but it was good). If you're looking for something different, I'd go with Hell's Kitchen. It definitely has a different look to it with black walls! We're also kindof partial to Grandmas and Little Angies. Little Angies has an outdoor eating area which is nice on hot days to watch people and all the activity down there.



As far as the water park at the Edgewater, it's really fun. It will be packed being that it's a holiday weekend, but worth it. There is a Vietnamese restaurant in the little Canal Park mall. Truthfully I'm not sure what the difference is between that and Chinese, but we really like it. It's called Taste of Saigon. We do take-out from them probably once a month. Good stuff! Hope you guys have a good time here!