DULUTH , at the western extremity of Lake Superior 150 miles north of Minneapolis and St Paul, forms a long crescent at the base of the Arrowhead. Named for a seventeenth-century French officer, Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut, it cascades down from the granite bluffs surrounding Skyline Drive (an exhilarating thirty-mile route) to a busy harbor , shared with Superior, Wisconsin. Together these 'twin ports' constitute the largest inland port in the US. Originally the main cargo was fur; now it ships grain, lumber and ore to the Atlantic via the St Lawrence Seaway.

In the 1980s, Duluth had a face-lift and began to encourage tourism. The main drawback is that it's cold . The seaway is frozen through the winter, and even spring and fall evenings can be chilly. Temperatures are always significantly cooler near the lake - as fate would have it, the location of nearly all the attractions and activities.

A short walk down Lake Avenue from the Convention and Visitors Bureau office , 100 Lake Place Drive (tel 218/722-4011 or 1-800/4-DULUTH), leads to the free Marine Museum in Canal Park, a vantage point for watching big boats from around the world pass under the delightfully archaic Aerial Lift Bridge (June to early Sept daily 10am-9pm; rest of year times vary). Originating at Canal Park, Duluth's Lakewalk is the free way to take in the view, though in summer you can also take two-hour harbor cruises ($9.75; tel 218/722-6218, ). Also worthwhile is a visit to the stately lakeside Jacobean Revival mansion Glensheen , 3300 London Rd (May-Oct daily 9.30am-4pm; Nov-April 11am-2pm Fri-Sun only; two separate tours $10, reservations required on 218/726-8910 or 1-888/454-GLEN). Both the grounds and interior are impressive. On a grislier note, aged heiress Elisabeth Congdon was murdered on the premises in 1977, but the crisply efficient guide deflects any queries.

Rail excursions along the Superior shoreline to pretty Two Harbors (mid-May to mid-Oct; $18 for 6hr, $9.50 for 90min; tel 218/722-1273 or 1-800/423-1273, ) run from The Depot complex at 506 W Michigan St. The Depot also houses the Lake Superior Railroad Museum, a children's museum, cultural heritage center and art museum (summer 9.30am-6pm, winter 10am-5pm; $8.50), and is home to performing companies at night. The historic Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad takes a ninety-minute journey along the scenic St Louis River 11am and 2pm on weekends, mid-June to early September ($7; departs from the parking lot on Grand Ave and 71st Ave W, across from the zoo; ). Duluth's Spirit Mountain ski area (tel -800/642-6377, ) boasts the best downhill runs in the Midwest.