Earlier this week I attended Glensheen’s Photoshoot. This is another of my off topic posts, but if you are birding northeast Minnesota this holiday season, a visit to Duluth’s Downton Abbey should be on your agenda. Most of this post’s text is from a blog entry dated two years ago, but the images are from both years. However, for those of you who want birds, stay tuned. I spent quality time with Pine Grosbeaks and crabapples this afternoon! Post coming.

In the early 1900’s Duluth was home to one of the largest concentrations per capita of millionaires in the United States. Between the Mining, Railroad and Lumber Barons, this town was a hopping place where fortunes were made (and occasionally lost!). On the shores of Lake Superior in Duluth you will find the mansion of one of these magnates, Glensheen (now owned by the University of Minnesota Duluth). Chester Congdon was the owner of this beautiful home on the shores of Lake Superior. A small creek, Tischer Creek, runs through the estate grounds, but as a boy growing up in Duluth I only knew the stream by its local name, Congdon Creek.

While everyone from out of town seems to know about Duluth’s HUGE harborfront holiday lights display named Bentleyville, Glensheen now hosts an equally impressive Christmas display including Park Point resident’s Marsha Hale’s famous white lights. Unlike at Bentleyville, while at Glensheen when you get cold outside, you may then go inside and enjoy Glensheen’s indoor decorations! The mansion is truly decked out for the holidays both inside and out.

One final note, growing up both my wife and I always wanted to live down on the shores of Gitche Gumee just like Chester Congdon. Now older, and a few years wiser, we like our home 800 yards inland on Amity Creek across from the The Deeps waterfall. We are somewhat protected from the lake’s cruel winds!  🙂

Christmas Lights at Glensheen

Outside

Inside

Molly and Rich … on the grounds