About the Event
ut on your man pants and head to the Northwoods for three days of learning about God’s providences from seafaring to rail-roading, to World War II and building America. We are headed to Duluth, MN on the shore of Lake Superior this summer to peer into an eclectic collection of inspiring accounts of nationbuilders, mountain men, and WWII aces. We will pay a visit to Tom’s Logging Camp and Old Northwest Trading Post, where we are invited to “spend a few hours in the past,” which is our specialty! You will board the mammoth ore-ship William Ervin—now a floating museum, and take a train along the beautiful lakeshore. Additional stops include The Lake Superior Railroad Museum; Glensheen Mansion, home of devout Christian and iron-mining tycoon Chester Congdon; and the WWII “Ace of Aces” Dick Bong Museum.
Tour Highlights
Glensheen Mansion
Perched on a hill overlooking Lake Superior, the Glensheen Mansion is the most visited home-site in the state, and is a magnificent example of architecture, creative craftsmanship and family life in America. Constructed between 1905 and 1907 by Chester and Clara Congdon, the iron-mining tycoon spared no expense in accommodating his wife and children with beautiful gardens, vistas, woodwork, oriental rugs, artwork and books in 39 rooms covering 27,000 square feet of living space. As devout Christians from believing families the Congdons began their marriage poor, took advantage of providential opportunities, and discovered a thing or two about taking dominion of the earth—literally. We will tour the mansion and walk the beautiful gardens and grounds of Glensheen, a worthy treasure off the normal beaten paths of tourism in America. Later in the century, 1977, the mansion became the scene of a fatal break-in leading to one of the most sensational trials in Minnesota history.
Lake Superior Maritime Museum
Spanning a rich history of the Great Lakes region, the museum celebrates the maritime heritage and the significance of Lake Superior. Housed in a modern facility overlooking the vast lake, it showcases a diverse collection of artifacts, exhibits, and interactive displays that chronicle the area’s maritime past. Visitors can explore models of historic vessels, learn about the lives of lighthouse keepers, and delve into the stories of shipwrecks that dot Lake Superior’s depths.
Lake Superior Railroad Museum
Railroads were the key to the commercial success of the entire tri-state region, with Duluth as the hub of transport. The Lake Superior Railroad Museum, located in the multi-storied St. Louis County Train Depot, contains an overwhelming collection of the railroad engines and equipment that built Minnesota and America. We will explore every corner of the huge museum and take a long Train Excursion including dinner, along the lakeshore, a beautiful vista of Lake Superior on one side and the city it helped create on the other.
Richard I. Bong Memorial Museum
Only ten minutes away, across the St. Louis River—one of the more than three hundred rivers that empty into Lake Superior—is the small city of Superior, Wisconsin, home of the Richard I. Bong Memorial Museum. Medal of Honor recipient Dick Bong shot down more enemy aircraft than any other American fighter pilot in the Second Word War, making him “The Ace of Aces.” The Wisconsin farm-boy recorded forty “kills” over the Pacific Ocean and the islands so ferociously fought over for four years. The museum includes a restored P-38 Lightning like the one flown by Major Bong, as well as many displays and artifacts which tell the story of the air-war and much more.
Tom’s Logging Camp
As the Northwest Territories became states, American immigrants were attracted to the heavily wooded rural environment of what became Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. Logging became big business throughout the region to satisfy the demands for home-building, paper, maple syrup and countless other products fueling the growth of the nation. We will pay a visit to Tom’s Logging Camp and Old Northwest Trading Post, sixteen miles north of Duluth near the Knife River, where we are invited to “spend a few hours in the past,” which is our specialty! The old logging camp contains a Horse Barn, Blacksmith Shop, Horseshoeing Stall, Bunkhouse, Cook Shanty, and Finnish Sauna, not to mention llamas, pygmy goats, and rainbow trout! The Trading Post has “everything you need and more.”
Minnesota Mining Museum
The Minnesota Mining Museum offers visitors with a comprehensive understanding of the region’s mining heritage and its impact on the community and the state, boasting a diverse range of exhibits, artifacts, and displays that showcase the history of mining in Minnesota. Visitors can explore the evolution of mining techniques, the tools and machinery used, as well as the lives and experiences of miners and their families.
Tour Includes
- Admission to all venues
- All guide and docent fees
- Electronic headset receiver for ease of hearing guides
- Biblical/providential interpretation from historian Bill Potter
- Rich fellowship with other brothers and sisters in Christ
- Landmark Events’ signature service throughout the tour
Adult (16+):
Youth (5-15):
Add’l Family (unlimited):Accommodations
We have secured rooms at two hotels in the area for your accommodation needs. Check-in Wednesday, August 23 and Check-out Sunday, August 27.
Super 8 by Wyndham Duluth
4100 West Superior St, Duluth, MN 55807
(Bill and Kevin will be staying here)
- Located just off I-35 at exit 253B, within a few minutes of our tour’s venues and beautiful Lake Superior!
- 2 Queen beds nonsmoking with free WiFi, free light breakfast, fridge, microwave, coffee/tea maker : $190.80 plus tax per night.
- 1 King bed nonsmoking with free WiFi, free light breakfast, fridge, microwave, coffee/tea maker : $181.80 plus tax per night.
To reserve your room call the the property at (218) 628-2241 and ask for Landmark Events block. Room block releases on Friday, August 9, 2023. 24-hour cancellation policy on individual reservations.
Super 8 by Wyndham Cloquet
121 Big Lake Rd, Cloquet, MN 55720
- Just 15 minutes from spectacular Lake Superior!
- 2 Queen beds, nonsmoking with free WiFi, free light breakfast, fridge, microwave, coffee/tea maker,
- $139.04 plus tax per night. 24–hour cancellation policy on individual reservations.
To reserve your room, contact Kevin at (210) 885-9351 or by email at kevin@landmarkevents.org.
Event Schedule
Note: Schedule days and venues subject to change.
Thursday, August 24
| Depart Hotel—Super 8 by Wyndham, Duluth | ||
 6.8 miles ≈ 10 minutes |
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| 9:00am | Glensheen Mansion 3300 London Rd, Duluth, MN 55804 |
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| 3.5 miles ≈ 8 minutes |
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| 2:00pm | Lake Superior Maritime Museum 600 Canal Park Dr, Duluth, MN 55802 |
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| 6.4 miles ≈ 16 minutes |
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| 3:30pm | Richard I. Bong Memorial Museum 305 E 2nd St, Superior, WI 54880 |
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| 5.7 miles ≈ 12 minutes |
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| Return to Hotel—Super 8 by Wyndham, Duluth |
Friday, August 25
| Depart Hotel—Super 8 by Wyndham, Duluth | ||
| 3.6 miles ≈ 8 minutes |
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| 9:00am | Lake Superior Railroad Museum 506 W Michigan St, Duluth, MN 55802 |
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| Boardwalk—Walk and Talk | ||
| 3:00pm | Minnesota Mining Museum 701 W Lake St, Chisholm, MN 55719 |
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| 77.7 miles ≈ 1 hour, 23 minutes |
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| Return to Hotel—Super 8 by Wyndham, Duluth |
Saturday, August 26
| Depart Hotel—Super 8 by Wyndham, Duluth | ||
| 20.7 miles ≈ 26 minutes |
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| 9:00am | Tom’s Logging Camp and Old Northwest Trading Post 5797 N Shore Dr, Duluth, MN 55804 |
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| 2:00pm | Food, Fellowship and Fun at the Niehaus home |
Upcoming Events
Spirit of the West Tour
September 23-27, 2024
Virginia Historic Triangle Tour
October 18-19, 2024
