Bentleyville & Beyond, Take a Family Getaway to Duluth Before the Holidays

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Imagine telling bedtime stories to your children by the glow of millions of twinkling holiday lights. Talk about creating a memory – and you can do just that when you plan a three-day getaway for the family on the Duluth waterfront.

Being the Duluth mom of two elementary-age children, I’d like to offer some advice to help make it three days of forever memories.

It’s no surprise that any Duluth family vacation between Thanksgiving and Christmas likely will center

on Bentleyville, billed as the largest free walk-through holiday light display in the nation and open from November 18 through December 26. For that reason, although the waterfront and Canal Park region are a true treasure trove of lodging, I am choosing Pier B as a base camp for this itinerary, just a short stroll from the lights and action.

“Families like to stay at Pier B because they can live in the magic of Bentleyville their whole stay, watching the lights go on, easily walking over to it, and then returning to see it all again from their hotel room,” reports Marki Carlson, the hotel’s director of revenue and guest services.

I’ve designed this family-friendly itinerary around a weekend getaway, but if you can come mid-week, Pier B offers a buy one, get one half-off Sunday-Thursday Bentleyville special.

Day 1: Let the Fun Begin

To start your family getaway, arrive in Duluth late morning. As a registered guest at Pier B, even before afternoon registration, you can park your car for free there and either walk across to the heart of Canal Park shopping and eating or you can take the free shuttle.

Because we’re talking children’s ever-hungry bellies, head straight off to the DeWitt-Seitz Marketplace in Canal Park. This historic building was originally a mattress factory in the early 1900s and today hosts

enough lively shops and eateries to easily consume much of a day (especially good if the weather is testy). It has four places to eat, including a personal kid-friendly favorite, Amazing Grace Bakery and Café, where the motto is, “Be brave. Be kind. Don’t eat bad bread.” The café serves sandwiches on fresh breads in a relaxed atmosphere with a fish tank, toy bin and kids books to keep the youngest customers entertained. As with lodgings, though, you can’t walk more than a few dozen paces without finding food stops (more than 20) in Canal Park, from ethnic Asian, Mexican or Italian to a quick stop at Subway, so savor your options.

After lunch, explore the unique, local shops in the district. Climb DeWitt-Seitz’ wide wooden staircase to J Skylark, a children’s toy store paradise with cool retro toys, often with no batteries required for fun. My daughter and I head straight for their extra-large checkerboard tucked in the back corner to enjoy a rousing game. Also on the second floor, Two & Co. has irresistible gifts, clothes and jewelry geared more toward Mom, but features a functioning coin-operated vintage horse that gives kids a ride for only a quarter.

Before leaving the building, be sure to indulge in an ore boat-shaped chocolate at Hebzibah’s Sweet Shoppe or choose from the retro candy selection and fresh treats. Or take your sweet tooth across the street for a chocolate-covered strawberry or made-on-site caramel apple at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. (With more treats on the horizon, though, you might want a take-home package.)

A stroll down Canal Park Drive will take you past many boutique shops and Duluth Pack, where you can pick up a locally made canvas backpack to add urban style to your school gear or some hardy camping-ready equipment. Just beyond, Toys for Keeps will provide your kids lots of ideas for their Santa list.

With the time remaining before the 4 p.m. check-in, you have a couple of good afternoon options.

To nurture your budding boat fanatic, visit the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center (10 a.m.-4:30 every day until Dec. 17 this year, then only on weekends). It’s free. From there you can watch the last big ships arrive in the harbor. My kiddos love to pretend they are ship captains in the mock wheelhouse.

If your future zoologist would prefer, head to observe frolicking river otters, float a boat on the Great Lakes interactive water table and pet a sturgeon or two in the new huge touch tank at the Great Lakes Aquarium. This is a hands-on facility, ready for expending energy. Plan to spend at least a couple of hours or more to enjoy everything. Entry for a family of two adults and two children ages 3 to 12 will be nearly $60. (My tip: If you’ll be visiting more than once in a year, consider a $95 family membership with free entry for a year.)

After an active afternoon, check in after 4 p.m. at Pier B Resort. Before entering, take in the towering 110-year-old silos that originally held powdered cement. Inside, the resort preserved its industrial waterfront heritage with rust and gray tones, recycled concrete counters and wood reminiscent of the old piers. The two-queen-bed rooms offer either a harbor view of the Aerial Lift Bridge or a classic view of the St. Louis River estuary and Sundew, a decommissioned U.S. Coast Guard cutter docked at the hotel. Family suites – two connecting rooms with two queen beds in one and two sets of bunk beds in the other – can sleep eight.

After settling into the room, get ready to roll again for a night at Bentleyville. If you worry about sweets before supper, by the way, now is the time to pass out the healthy snacks because you’re heading into the sugar lands.

Walk along the path (plowed if needed) from the hotel to the village of lights, arriving a few minutes before 5 p.m. to catch the communal countdown to full illumination. As you stroll, you’ll come upon snack huts, each serving cookies, hot cocoa or popcorn. It’s all free. You’ll also find open fires for roasting marshmallows.

Be sure to bring your camera for a family photo with Santa. While the line is often long on weekends, kids 10 and younger will score a coveted Bentleyville hat and a treat from Santa. Other photo ops include Mrs. Claus and costumed characters strolling the grounds, such as Rudolph.

After taking your time to enjoy the sights, sounds and toasty smells of the campfires, it’s an easy walk back to the hotel.

If you and the kids are still hungry, try the onsite Silos Restaurant, maybe just appetizers for you and something from the kids menu for the little ones.

Before tucking everyone in, enjoy the glimmering of Bentleyville once more from the hotel’s outdoor hot tub, surrounded by glass to keep you cozy.

Day 2: Fun, Inside & Out

Send a grown up downtown to grab a few from-scratch blueberry muffins and savory ham-and-cheese brioches – along with good coffee – to bring back to the hotel from the Lake Superior Bakehouse. You can get a leisurely start, letting the kids enjoy the pool until mid-morning.

Start Saturday by driving or shuttling to the Fitger’s building on Superior Street.

This former brewery is on the National Register of Historic Places as the site of Duluth’s first brewery in 1857 and is filled with shops (open at 10) for everyone on your holiday list: stocking stuffers for outdoor enthusiasts at Trailfitters, organic children’s clothing for wee-ones at Whimsy, local stories for little bibliophiles at the Bookstore at Fitger’s, kitchen gadgets for the budding chef at Duluth Kitchen Company, and even a dog toy for your fur child at A Place for Fido. (The building allows well-mannered dogs to visit inside on-leash.)

Be sure to visit Santa, who brings along his live reindeer in the courtyard on Saturdays.

Just like at DeWitt-Seitz, there are multiple dining options in Fitger’s from a sit-down at The Boat Club to grabbing a wrap or a snack at the Vanilla Bean coffee stand. Or put together a take-back-to-the-hotel picnic with items from The Market, a gourmet food store. Or if you don’t mind cooler temperatures, find a bench overlooking Lake Superior to eat al fresco. Our family finds that time at the lakeshore has a calming effect. And my kids can’t resist throwing rocks into the water – if the water isn’t frozen.

After lunch there are several active options.

For indoor entertainment, head to Canal Park’s Adventure Zone with its 50,000 square feet of amusement featuring laser tag, batting cages, mini golf, an arcade, an inflatable fire truck slide and Vertical Endeavor’s rock climbing wall.

For young learners, Duluth Children’s Museum (on the west side of town) provides a chance to dig for dinosaur bones. Train lovers can travel from Fitger’s to the Duluth Depot on the Christmas City Express train, culminating with a special reading, carolers and a visit from Santa. First departure is at 4:15 p.m.

If you prefer the outdoors, adjacent to Bentleyville, the Bayfront Family Center opens at 1 p.m. This city-run center provides free ice skates for use on the outdoor skating rink as well as a warming house with restrooms. It’s right next to the Playfront Park with plenty of swings and climbing sets.

If your kids have always wanted to try Alpine skiing, nearby Spirit Mountain offers lessons designed especially for first-time little shredders ages 4 to 12.

Or you can simply spend the afternoon at Pier B’s heated yurt to drink hot cocoa and play board games. If weather allows, the resort floods an ice rink for boot hockey and ice golf.

As you head into the evening, consider getting a bird’s-eye view of Bentleyville’s bright colors by dining at JJ Astor, the rotating restaurant at the top of the round Radisson hotel. Plan to arrive a little before 5 p.m. to watch Bentleyville go from dark to bright and colorful. Then enjoy a panoramic view of Duluth as your kids try to figure out the technology of the moving floor. (My tip: If any of your kids gets motion sickness, make sure you are seated facing forward in the direction of the rotation.)

If your family prefers to hang out at the hotel and enjoy the pool,  Pizza Lucé will deliver to your hotel room. After dinner, return to Bentleyville (it’s free after all) to revisit your favorites.

For an amazing seasonal light display that is equally magical, but not quite so flashy, drive down Park Point to see the Holiday Spirit of the Lights, a free residential walk-through light display at Marcia Hales’ house at 3739 S. Lake Ave. There is a firepit, a warming house (with treats) and a welcoming attitude. Do not miss the green “fairy lights” playing along the sand on the beach behind her house. (Between Marcia’s 300,000 to 400,000 lights, more downtown and Bentleyville’s 4+ million, there must be more than 5 million twinkles to catch your eye in the city.)

Back at Pier B, before giving goodnight kisses, thrill your kids

with one more visit to an outdoor firepit plus a s’more kit to roast marshmallows while wrapped in a wool blanket. You’ll hear Bentleyville’s festive music wafting across the boat slip. With any luck, the kids will still be awake enough for that holiday storybook with the lights glowing outside the hotel window.

Day 3: Saltwater or Freshwater?

The hotel’s restaurant offers a get-up-and-go breakfast menu to get you quickly seated, served and out to explore more of Duluth on your last morning.

If the weather cooperates, drive across the Lift Bridge

all the way to Park Point’s sandy beach to watch a stunning winter sunrise over Lake Superior. Take a good hike or, depending on your children’s ages, spend some time on the wooden “boat” play area at the city park.

You can also visit the Duluth Playfront Park one more time or splash away some of the morning in the hotel pool. (A little worn out is a good way to start a long

road trip.)

On your way out of town, grab a bite to eat at Duluth Grill, which has an eclectic adult menu plus promises to offer children “a colorful dining experience that goes beyond the usual tan-ish brown selection on kids menus.” Think homemade peanut butter and jam or a grass-fed beef cheeseburger on a brioche.

On the way home as you digest your Duluth comfort food, quiz your kids about what they most enjoyed on their Duluth holiday getaway. Then plan to do that same thing next year … so a tradition is born.

Kristina Bourne writes the blog, “Outside In Duluth,” which offers creative ways to get outdoors with kids.

Before You Go

There are way too many lodging, eating and activity options in Duluth to cover in just one story.

Browse your options at VisitDuluth.com before you head to the city. You also find special events listed.

This year, the Bentleyville “Tour of Lights” website, www.bentleyvilleusa.org, has provided a calendar forecasting the busy days, a Naughty & Nice list that you can influence with a donation and practical information like best parking options and other frequently asked questions.