To Minnesotans, the "North Shore" means Lake Superior, in all its majesty, its shining waters stretching to the horizon. The North Shore is where Superior's craggy shoreline meets Minnesota's forested wilderness.
Crowning the tip of giant Lake Superior is Duluth, Minnesota's largest city outside of the Twin Cities area. At Canal Park there is a unique aerial lift bridge rises to let massive seafaring vessels enter the harbor. A retired ore carrier, the William A. Irvin, offers tours, and the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center tells details of Great Lakes shipping, including tragic shipwrecks.
Nearby are The Great Lakes Aquarium, which has about 70 species of fish from the Great Lakes and other freshwater lakes and rivers of the world and The Depot, home to a train museum with an extensive collection of historic railroad cars.
On the east side of town, the estate Glensheen is open for tours of the 39-room mansion, carriage house and formal gardens. On the western end of town is the Lake Superior Zoological Gardens.
The North Shore Drive, Hwy. 61, runs for about 150 miles from Duluth to Canada. Along the way is some of the most spectacular scenery anywhere. Seven state parks show off the natural treasures of the shoreline, including Gooseberry Falls and Split Rock Lighthouse. The historic light house in Two Harbors was built in 1892. It is the oldest, operating Minnesota light station on the North Shore and is listed on the national register of historic places.
Another North Shore institution is “Betty’s Pies” which is conveniently on the way Split Rock. It all began in 1956 when Betty's father Aleck built a fish shack by the Stewart River on Highway 61. Betty thought it would be a good idea to have some goodies for the fishermen when they stopped in, so she started making donuts and later hot dogs and hamburgers. Customers didn't really like looking at dead fish while they were eating, so in 1958 Betty turned the old fish stand into a cafe that she named "Betty's Cafe". She also added pies to her menu. Eventually Betty expanded the café by adding a lunch counter. In 1984 after making thousands of pies and attracting customers from all over the world, creating a tourist destination of sorts, Betty sold the café and retired.
When news came that Highway 61 was going to be expanded and the old restaurant needed to be moved or rebuilt, a new Betty’s Pies was built and opened in May of 2000.The world famous pies have since returned to the original recipes with help from Betty herself. During the summer months approximately 300 fresh pies are made each and every day.
To Minnesotans, the "
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