For those traveling to Duluth by bus, the DTA provides frequent service from the Greyhound Bus Station to downtown Duluth.  The bus trip downtown takes 10 minutes.

What to Do After You Arrive DTA public transit service can get you nearly anywhere in the Duluth and neighboring Superior, Wisconsin across the St. Louis River Bay, serving major shopping centers and visitor destinations. DTA’s base fare is $1.50 during weekday peak hours, and 75 cents other times.  $4 Day Passes are available on the bus.  Multi-day passes and stored value fare cards are available at the Downtown Transit Center, located in the heart of downtown Duluth.  DTA route and schedule information is available at www.duluthtransit.com. Planning your transit trips in Duluth is easy using the DTA website with its Google Plan & Ride feature. This Plan & Ride service makes it easy to plan each day’s itinerary.

Stay in downtown Duluth or Canal Park. During summer, use The Port Town Trolley to get around downtown Duluth and its Waterfront area. The Trolley provides summer circulator service, every half-hour between downtown Duluth, Canal Park and Bayfront.  It operates every day from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. until Labor Day. The Trolley fare is 50 cents. Unlimited ride day passes are $4.  Duluth’s Canal Park and Waterfront is a short walk from downtown Duluth and is also connected via heated skywalk system.

Enjoy the Downtown-Waterfront area’s restaurants, art galleries, attractions and the world famous Aerial Lift Bridge. The Duluth Harbor is on one side and the 7 mile long public beach is on the Lake Superior side.  Kids love to “skip rocks” on the Canal Park side of Lake Superior and thousands of visitors walk, bike or roller blade the 7.2 mile long “Lake Walk” that is everyone’s place to see the Largest of the Great Lakes from her shores line.

Here is a sampling of activities and attractions within walking distance of downtown and/or Canal Park:

• · Free Movies in the Park at Leif Erikson Park – Friday Nights throughout the summer at Sunset from mid July thru early September. Follow the Lake Walk from Canal Park or take the DTA or Trolley for a fantastic evening under the stars next to “Lake Superior”.

• Glensheen Mansion Historic Estate – Built in 1905 and 1908 for Chester and Clara Congdon, the 39-room Glensheen Mansion offers a dramatic slice of opulent life at the turn of the last century. The 7.6-acre estate includes a museum shop, a carriage house, a boat house, formal gardens, and meandering pathways, all on the shores of Lake Superior.

• Lake Superior Zoo – Located in West Duluth, the Zoo includes a wide variety of exhibit animals, a children’s zoo and education programs.  The Lake Superior Zoo is located on a bus line with direct service from downtown Duluth.  More information is available at www.lszoo.org/.

• Great Lakes Aquarium is located on the waterfront in Duluth. This hands-on discovery center encourages guests to explore animals and ecosystems found in the Great Lakes and beyond. Exhibits showcase over 70 different species of fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals providing a unique window into watery worlds.

• Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center – Film shows, model ships and exhibits featuring commercial shipping activities on Lake Superior and in the Duluth-Superior Harbor. At Canal Park, you are within yards of giant lake carriers and foreign ships as they pass under the world-famous Aerial Lift Bridge. Open year-round. No admission fee

• North Shore Scenic Railroad – A conductor checks your ticket and calls out “All Aboard!” Three short blasts of the whistle and your adventure begins.  As the train pulls out of the historic Union Depot in downtown Duluth, your narrator explains the history of our region and the role that railroads played in its development. Riding in vintage open and air-conditioned coaches, you’ll cross over North Shore streams, that splash and tumble into Lake Superior. Riding the train is great fun! Excursions run seven days a week during the summer..

• Vista Fleet Sightseeing & Dining Cruises – No trip to Duluth is complete without experiencing the majestic beauty of Lake Superior aboard the Vista Fleet! Choose Your Cruise. Experience the wonders of Lake Superior as we cruise next to 1,000-foot lake freighters and oceangoing vessels to take in the activities of the Twin Ports harbor. See lighthouses, ships, beautiful waters and more during your narrated tour aboard the Vista Fleet daily May-October.

• Area Bike Trails – Many area bike trails are accessible by bus.  DTA buses are all equipped with bike racks.  No extra fee, beyond the fare, is required. For locations of Twin Ports bike trails visit www.dsmic.org/default.asp?PageID=339.

• The Lakewalk is 7.3 miles and goes from Canal Park to 60th Avenue East. Take a leisurely stroll, hand-in-hand, stopping for ice cream or a Lakeview lunch. Strap on your skates and break a sweat. Or, rent bikes for the whole family and glide up and down the gentle hills. Eventually, the Lakewalk will extend all the way to Brighton Beach on the shore of Lake Superior just north

For help planning your visit to Duluth, visit www.visitduluth.com or call 218-722-4011 or (toll-free) 1-800-4-duluth. For public transit information, visit www.duluthtransit.com or contact 218-722-7283.

Do you have a favorite vacation spot visitors can enjoy without driving? Let us know. Perhaps, we can spotlight it in a future column. E-mail steveatlas45@yahoo.com with your comments or suggestions.