When we came to Minnesota, I had no idea I'd be sharing the origin of the rollerblade but like most of this trip, our timing was perfect for a history lesson. We just happened to be in town for the 30th Annual NorthShore Inline Marathon. It's not just any inline marathon, it's the world's largest. Who knew!?

I really had no clue as to the beginnings of the roller blade (inline skate). When I learned it was one of the amazing inventions (Post-its, Spam, etc.)  to come from Minnesota, I was intrigued. The idea for roller blades actually came before roller skates. Inline skates were created in the early 1700s when a Dutch person attached wooden spools to strips of wood and nailed them to his shoes. In 1863, an American developed the conventional roller skate model, with the wheels positioned side by side, and it became the skate of choice.
In 1980, Scott and Brennan Olsen, two Minnesota brothers, discovered an older inline skate in a sporting goods store and thought the design would be perfect for off-season hockey training. They improved the skate and soon were manufacturing the first Rollerblade inline skates in their parents’ basement. Hockey players and alpine and Nordic skiers quickly caught on and were seen cruising the streets of Minnesota during the summer on their Rollerblade skates.
Over time, strategic marketing efforts thrust the brand name into public awareness. Skating enthusiasts began using Rollerblade as a generic term for all inline skates, putting the trademark in jeopardy. However, as of February 2021, it is still a trademark owned by the company.
Today 60 inline skate manufacturers exist, but Rollerblade is credited with introducing the first polyurethane boot and wheels, the first heel brakes, and the development of active brake technology, which makes stopping easier to learn and to control. Rollerblade has approximately 200 patents and 116 registered trademarks and it turns out, is the major sponsor of the world's largest inline skating race. Wow.

And about the event. "The NorthShore Inline Marathon is one of the longest running and most respected inline skating events in the world, held each September along the scenic Highway 61 corridor from Two Harbors to Duluth, Minnesota. Founded in 1996, the point to point race quickly became a bucket list experience for skaters drawn to the rolling shoreline views of Lake Superior and the welcoming spirit of the Duluth community."



Over the decades, NSIM has grown from a regional race into an internationally recognized event that has hosted record setting performances, welcomed elite athletes from around the globe. The NorthShore Inline Marathon stands as a celebration of competition, camaraderie, and the unique beauty of Minnesota’s North Shore. What fun that our timing allowed us to ba a part of it all. We🧡 Duluth.

Part of our reason for staying three nights in town was to dust off our leiderhosen and dirndl and party German style.

While Oktoberfestivals date back to the early 1800s, Duluth's celebration of King Ludwig's wedding is much younger (this is the 7th annual). That hasn't stopped the annual festival from becoming one of the largest in the Midwest.

We arrived early for the opening festivities.
At the Duluth Oktoberfestival we found: cold German bier, delicious Bavarian food, authentic live music, games, fun photo opportunities, and so much more.

Nagelbalken: Nail, Hammer, Wood Plank…what else is there to say?

And the beer? Paulaner is the "Official German Bier imported directly from Germany". The process of how it got here was explained with great pride. This is a big deal.

The Chicken Schnitzel plate was our choice for dinner. It was the right choice. Yum.


There was even a costume contest. While we didn't win, we certainly had fun trying.

This sweet guy, pictured with us, actually won the contest, deservedly. This was his 80th Oktoberfest. He is turning 90 soon. He was a riot.
Duluth Oktoberfestival was recently ranked as the top authentic Oktoberfestival Celebration in Minnesota and we were there.

After exploring the lake side of Duluth yesterday, we headed to its historic district via the canal walk.

We thought it would be fun to explore Duluth's climate-controlled skywalk system (1977). The system was built to help people escape sub-zero temperatures and heavy snow during Lake Superior winters. In addition, the town's steep, volcanic ridge layout created difficult walking conditions on ground-level streets, making an indoor second story practical. Over the decades, the weatherproof network expanded to roughly 3.5 miles, linking more than 30 city blocks, hotels, office towers, parking ramps, and the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (where we started).
When we found the Pirate Entrance I immediately asked, "Why do you think it's called the Pirate Entrance?" Then we spotted our answer. Duluthians have a great sense of humor.
How cool is this?!


We were drawn to Superior Street, the historic commercial spine of downtown Duluth. It evolved from a rough pioneer trail and mule-drawn transit route into a bustling 20th-century urban hub and a modern revitalized corridor.

I do love a Carnegie Library. Andrew Carnegie gave $75,000 in 1899 for this building which opened in 1902. It served as the main Duluth Public Library for decades. The replacement is pretty sweet, too (scroll to see below).


We spied this spectacular building when we arrived. It demanded a closer explore. Historic Central High School is a grand castle-like landmark built in 1892 that operated as a public high school until 1971. The architectural firm Palmer, Hall, & Hunt designed the building. They modeled it after the Allegheny County Courthouse in Pittsburgh, created by famous architect Henry Hobson Richardson.
The interior originally contained 11 classrooms on the ground floor and 10 on the second floor, a library with a large fireplace, offices, and a two-story auditorium. Large double staircases of slate and iron led to the upper floors. The third floor contained laboratories, shop classrooms, a gymnasium, a music room, and a teaching museum. Much of the interior was altered in later years due to the changing needs and new safety standards of the school. A wing containing an updated gymnasium and chemistry classrooms was later added to the north.




The current Duluth Public Library opened in 1980. Famed architect Gunnar Birkerts designed the distinctive modernist structure, styled with a slate-gray exterior and an anchored ore-boat motif to reflect Duluth's maritime heritage.
Oh man, how cool is this? “Books on the Plaza” mural was very huggable. The book to my left is by an author who I have actually met. So cool, indeed.