For The Love Of Duluth

Traveling is good for the mind, body and soul, with studies finding that frequent fliers have better mental health, a great ability to adapt to new situations and even a lower risk of heart disease. With stats like that, it’s no wonder that the Duluth International Airport welcomes about 300,000 passengers every single year. It might be small but it’s mighty, especially with Tom Werner in the role...

While you patiently wait for season six to kickoff, we thought we'd treat you to a special bonus episode, featuring one of the biggest fans of For The Love Of Duluth! Northland native Jeannie Schwengler has listened to every single episode of the podcast, helping her fall in love with the Zenith City all over again. In this episode, we get to know the lifelong Duluthian and reflect on some of the...

The topic of government has perhaps never been more relevant or important, making us all the more thankful for Sharon McMahon, the former high school teacher, podcaster and New York Times best-selling author known to her million-plus Instagram followers as Sharon Says So. Lovingly called America’s Government Teacher, she became a social media star during the pandemic after posting a simple explana...

Looking for a weekend getaway in the Northland? Chances are you want a rental just as unique as the Zenith City itself. For that, North Shore Vacation Rentals has you covered, with an emphasis on experience and a goal of providing guests with exquisite accommodations while enjoying all that our neck of the woods has to offer. The large cluster of luxury rentals can be found across Duluth and Two H...

Saunas are really having a moment, with one report citing there are more than a million in the United States as we speak. This news is welcome, as saunas are not only relaxing, but chock-full of incredible health benefits too, much deeper than just giving you a fleeting moment of relaxation. There are plenty of saunas to choose from in Duluth and one of the greatest without a doubt is Cedar and St...

Duluth is the perfect place to flex your creative muscle, with something to see, do or interact with no matter the season. One of the most exceptional and well-known places to do just that is without a doubt Duluth Playhouse, a staple in the community since it was founded more than a century ago. Behind this incredible venue is an incredible creative, who moved to Duluth from New York after a deca...

If you’re reading this right now, you probably already have a pretty good idea of just how amazing Duluth is. After all, we decided to start an entire podcast about it, spotlighting the amazing people, places and things that make the Zenith City the greatest place to live, work and play. Sometimes, the play part can be a bit tricky, with an overwhelming number of things to do on any given day. Tha...

Asian cuisine is one of the most popular types of fare today, with a recent study suggesting that about twelve-percent of all restaurants in the United States serve this delicious type of food in some form or another. Are you hungry yet? You’re about to be, thanks to one of Duluth’s newest restaurants: Bali Asian Cuisine. Your typical Duluth eatery this is not, serving up fresh Indonesian food wit...

Today, there are more than forty-three thousand food trucks currently operating in the United States, with that number growing by roughly about ten percent each year. We have a huge variety in the Zenith City already and that list just got longer thanks to the new kids on the block: Bowlz N' Thangz. This incredible food truck was started by Sarah Hovis & Amanda Mathiason, featuring a diver...

Just a few short years ago, the news landscape in Duluth changed in the best way when WDIO launched an award-winning afternoon lifestyle program, the first of its kind in the Duluth area. The Lift has certainly lived up to its name since its debut in September of 2022, offering a much-needed midday pick-me-up (or 'lift') to Northlanders everywhere. The secret to that success? Host Baihly W...

Duluth is one of the biggest tourist destinations in the midwest, with nearly seven-million people visiting the Zenith City each year. With those big numbers comes a big need for places to stay. Enter The Brix, a collection of upscale vacation rentals in Canal Park, the same location that the couple and business owners met and fell in love in more than a decade ago. The best part? For Keenan &...

Public speaking is a common fear for many. For others, it is a passion. The latter is the case for Holly Kostrzewski, who was left with a traumatic brain injury after a motor vehicle crash at 18 years old. In the decades since, she has reached over 200,000 people and counting with her message of hope, humor and inspiration, turning the challenges she encounters daily living with a brain injury int...

Ventriloquism is undoubtedly of the most unique takes on performance art today, and thanks to one lifelong Duluthian, it is alive and well in the Northland. Jeremy Lepak has been a professional ventriloquist for nearly two decades, performing everywhere from county fairs to grad parties to special luncheons. We pulled some strings (see what we did there?) to get the comedian on For The Love Of Dul...

One pair of creatives has brought a new phenomenon of sorts to the Northland in the form of wood mosaic art, becoming renowned in the field in just a few short years. That duo is Anna and Nathanael Bailey, the owners and masterminds behind BB & Friends. The business started in their garage back in 2015 and has since surged into a juggernaut that includes a gallery, an event space, an Airbnb an...

The Duluth Children's Museum has an incredible history, dating back to 1930 when it was founded by Mabel McKinney Wing during the Great Depression. Despite a handful of relocations since, its mission has remained untouched, serving as an incredible resource for kids and teachers in the Duluth community. Today, the Duluth Children's Museum is thriving, with a new location in Lincoln Park an...

There is perhaps no better place to open a record store than right here in Duluth, thanks in part to the current vinyl revival happening nationwide and the fact that the Zenith City is known for its music scene. That's why the newest record shop to move into town fits right in - and stands out for all the best reasons. River City Records & Books opened in Lincoln Park late last year and ha...

Duluth is full of creative and inspirational people making a difference in the world. Gaelynn Lea is one of them, making her mark as an incredible musician, composer, disability advocate, public speaker & soon-to-be author. She skyrocketed to fame back in 2016 after winning NPR's famous Tiny Desk Contest. She's taken the entertainment world by storm ever since, working with some of the...

Warning: you won't stop laughing once you start this episode, featuring Steve Solkela. He does it all, as a musician, comedian, stuntman, opera singer, actor and composer, among many other talents and titles. He's most famous for his Overpopulated One Man Band, a solo show that has earned him rave reviews and fans as far as Finland. The master multitasker has an impressive resume, with an...

Just two months (not even!) into his brand new role as Mayor Of Duluth, Roger Reinert sat down with us for an exclusive conversation. During this hour-long chat, we covered a long list of topics, including his goals for his first year in office, his extensive career in politics, his award-winning role in the Navy and his Minnesota roots. We cover this with him and so much more in this very special...

Don Ness has firmly cemented himself in the history books of the Zenith City and rightfully so. From growing up in the Hillside neighborhood in the 70s and 80s to holding the title of Mayor of Duluth for nearly a decade, it's unlikely you'll find anyone more passionate and engrained in this community. Once called one of the most popular Mayors in the country, the Northlander now helps Dulu...

It's no secret Duluth was meant to be photographed, nor is it a secret that our town is chock-full of amazing stories just waiting to be told, hence this podcast. One local videographer masterfully tells these tales, most recently crafting a nine-part documentary about the rise and fall of commercial fishing along the North Shore and Isle Royale. A lawyer by day and powerful storyteller by nig...

Tom Hanson has a full plate - literally and figuratively. The restaurant owner is responsible for some of the most beloved eateries in the area, including the famous Duluth Grill and the mouthwatering OMC Smokehouse, among a handful of other amazing additions to the scene. It's almost like he was destined to feed, breaking into the restaurant industry four decades ago and never looking back. I...

Bluegrass has a long and storied history, dating back to the 1940s, when it was developed in the Appalachian region of the United States. Since, the genre has found its way to Duluth, with a handful of popular bluegrass bands often taking the stage at one of the Northland's many live music venues. One of the newer bands to hop on the scene is Tres Osos, a trio made up of three friends that for...

Shipwreck hunters and photographers see the world from a perspective most of us never will and without this dedication to their craft, we'd never see one with our own eyes or learn about their important place in history. Jerry Eliason has made a big splash since he started on this passion project five decades ago, snapping hundreds of shipwreck photos, helping to discover more than twenty wrec...

Northern Minnesota is always picture perfect but that doesn't mean photographing it is easy. It takes a lot to stand out and Ryan Tischer does so flawlessly, photographing the picturesque landscape in the city we named this podcast after and selling these stunning pictures in his Canal Park gallery. Tischer Gallery is wildly popular and for good reason: the photos are unmatched. Having entered...