Sure, your quads are going to be sore the day after Grandma's. But that doesn't mean you can't get out and gingerly sample the outdoor delights around Duluth. Here, then, is a top-10 list of things to do the day after your race. In no particular order, you might want to:
1. Spy a peregrine: If you're able, climb the stairs from the Lakewalk to Lake Place Park at the very corner of Lake Superior. There, you'll find a spotting scope aimed at a peregrine falcon nest atop a downtown building. One chick was still in the nest as of Wednesday. Like the best things in life, it's free.
2. Hike the rollicking Chester: Loosen those post-race ligaments with a hike alongside Chester Creek, one of 10 streams that course down the hillside through Duluth. Start at Chester Park along Skyline Parkway. Hike down to Burrito Union on Fourth Street, have a cool beverage, and hike back up. (Free, except for the beverages.)
3. Pedal the Munger: Take your own bike or rent one at the nearby Willard Munger Inn (7408 Grand Ave. in West Duluth) and pedal the paved Munger Trail. You can ride 14 miles to Carlton and return, or just turn back whenever you've had enough. (Free, except for bike rental.)
4. Catch a trout or salmon: Wander just a few blocks from the Grandma's finish line to the charter fishing dock, next to the hulking William A. Irvin retired ore ship in Minnesota Slip. Join friends for a day or half day of fishing on Lake Superior. Go to www.visitduluth.com and click on "attractions" for a list of charter captains.
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5. Grab fish and go: Drive up the North Shore on Minnesota Highway 61. Swing through a smoked fish emporium in Knife River or Two Harbors, pick up some fish (try the sugar-cured salmon) and have a picnic at Gooseberry Falls State Park near Two Harbors.
6. Paddle the historic Brule River: Rent a canoe and paddle Wisconsin's Brule River, just a half-hour east of Duluth. Rent your canoe from Brule River Canoe Rental ( www.brulerivercanoerental.com ) in Brule and get shuttled to the put-in. It'll take you four hours to paddle from Stone's Bridge to the Winneboujou Canoe Landing.
7. Walk the beach: Shed your running shoes and go barefoot down the beach on Park Point. Drive a few blocks past the Aerial Lift Bridge to a parking lot on your left near 12th Street. Enjoy the longest freshwater sandspit in the world. Dip your aching feet in that water and let it soothe them -- until they go numb.
8. Mountain-bike Hartley Park: For some challenging mountain biking, check the single-tracks at Hartley Park. Follow Woodland Avenue to the Hartley Nature Center at 3001 Woodland Ave. From the parking lot, ride west along an access road to the pond. Keep going west past the pond to several loops of biking trails. Free.
9. Hike a chunk of the Superior Hiking Trail: This gem runs 39 miles from Jay Cooke State Park at the west end of Duluth to Martin Road on the east end. Great views of the city below. Try the7.5-mile stretch out west, from 123rd Avenue West to Spirit Mountain. To reach the trailhead from I-35, take Midway Road (exit 246). Go south on Midway Road/Becks Road2.7 miles. Turn left on 123rd Avenue West and go one block to parking lot on left. For detailed trail description, go to www.shta.org .
Sit. Read. Rehydrate. Too tired to move? Then don't. Plop down at a bench along the Lakewalk, or on a restaurant deck overlooking the lake, and just take in the scene. Gulls wheel. Waves lick the cobblestones. Shorebirds skitter. Lakers steam down the lake. Is this a cool city or what?
SAM COOK is a Duluth News Tribune outdoors writer and columnist. Reach him at (218) 723-5332 or scook@duluthnews.com .
