Seeing the Presque Isle entering the Port of Duluth

Yesterday, under a cloud of more lake effect snow (but not like Buffalo!) and some icy roads, we made a quick trip to Duluth for a probably unnecessary doctor's appointment.  Turns out I really did break my toe on the second day of our October trip out to Boston to see Ellen.  I "played through the pain" at the time but made a trip to "Ortho" now for them to tell me that, yes, it was broken, but there was nothing to be done for it except wait for it to heal.  So, back home again.

But...as we were leaving the hospital, there was a GIANT ship out in the Duluth bay and it was heading for the entrance to the harbor.  Time to speed up the car and get down to Canal Park to see it up close!

It was the Presque Isle and it was steaming straight into the opening between the two piers leading into the harbor.  There is a lighthouse at the end of each pier.  The ship/freighter doesn't look very big from here, but she is 1000' long!  That big cloud behind the lighthouse?  That's lake effect snow falling on Port Wing!

Getting closer.  See the ice?

Starting to see the length of the ship.  Almost as long as the pier!

One lighthouse is at the far left at the back of the ship and it's almost up to the one on the right.

Seeing ice so high on that top deck makes you wonder about the waves out in the middle of Lake Superior.  Reminds me of Deadliest Catch?

The wind was blowing so hard and cold so I took this picture below from inside our car.  It's passing between the piers and was almost to the Lift Bridge.  Several people were out watching it and Leann wondered if some of the crew would be out waving like they usually do in better weather.  And they were there!  See the little figures standing on the deck?

And, NO, I didn't get it actually going under the bridge!  I guess the cold froze my photographer instincts, because I never even thought about it.  So...no bridge!  Sorry.

But, back here in Port Wing today, we have this beautiful sunset.  Looking to the southwest, the channel is full of ice chunks again (seems like yesterday that I was rejoicing that all the ice was finally gone!).

And to the northwest the horizon is glowing.  Look at those beautiful pastels!

And the marina at sunset.  I love it here!