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| FACTS: Lake
Superior |
| Lake Superior is not only the largest of the five Great
Lakes, but it is also the largest body of fresh water,
by area, in the entire world. |
| Lake Superior is the coldest, cleanest, and deepest of
the Great Lakes. |
| At 380 miles long and 160 miles wide, with a surface
area of 31,700 square miles, Lake Superior is about the
size of South Carolina or Indiana. |
| On a clear day, you can see more than 50 miless over the
lake, but less than 10% of the lake is visable. |
| Lake Superior holds about 10% of the Earth's freshwater
supply. That's about 3 quadrillion gallons, which is as
much as the other four Great Lakes, Minnesota's 10,000
(or more) lakes, and all of Wisconsin's lakes combined. |
| There is so much water in Lake Superior that if it were drained it could cover all of North and South America
in a foot of water, enough to give every person on the
planet nearly half million gallons each. That's enough
for every couple to have their own Olympic size swimming
pool. |
| Over 350 shipwrecks lie on the bottom . |
| The largest wave officially recorded on Lake Superior
was a 43-foot monster encountered, and survived, by the
iron ore carrier, Roger Blough, on November 10, 1998. |
| The strongest winds ever clocked on Lake Superior have
topped 100 miles per hour. |
| The scenic hillside of Duluth rises from 602 feet above sea level on the shores of Lake Superior to nearly 1600 feet at the top. |
| Although Lake Superior rarely freezes over completely
in the winter, up to three feet of ice can form in shallow,
protected harbors. |
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| FACTS: Duluth-Superior |
| The area on the west end of Lake Superior was originally occupied by members of the Sioux and Ojibwa tribes. The city of Duluth was named for French soldier and explorer Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut who visited the area in 1679 having been assigned to attempt to make peace between Ojibwa and Sioux and to secure trading and trapping rights. |
Shortly after the start of the twentieth century, the population of Duluth was booming, and many well respected leaders of the time were predicting that Duluth would surpass Chicago as the largest city in the Midwest. |
| During that same period Duluth had more millionaires per capita than any other city in the US, which has led some to conclude that it now has more dead millionaires per capita. |
| During the early 1900s, Duluth was the headquarters of
the world's largest lumber market. |
| In most places Duluth is only one or two miles wide,
nestled between the water and the hills, which rise about
800 feet within a mile or two from shore. |
| For the first half of the twentieth century, Duluth shared
the busiest iron ore port in the world with Superior. |
| The city of Superior's two grain terminals were the largest
in the world at the time they were built. Today, Superior
is still home to the busiest shipping dock on the Great
Lakes. |
| Superior is also the home of Barker's Island, which has
one of the largest private marinas in the Midwest. |
| The neighborhood of Billings Park, located in Superior,
Wisconsin, sits on the edge of the beautiful Superior Municipal
Forest, one of the largest city forests in America. |
Lorenzo Music, the voice of Garfield the Cat, grew up in Duluth, while Don LaFontaine, the famous voice of movie trailers was born in Duluth. David Oreck, the voice of late night infomercials was born in Duluth, as was Bob Dylan, who is widely known as the voice of his generation. Even Bay Watch’s Gena Lee Nolin, who was also born in Duluth, is known as a strong voice for animal rights; as for her acting, who could argue that any one growing up here is unqualified to Watch Bays. |
| Superior’s most famous son is Hall of Fame football coach Bud Grant who coached the great Minnesota Vikings Purple People Eaters teams, who are not be confused with the local people eaters known as mosquitoes |
| The most famous graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Superior is current California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who went there because he was told he’d get a superior education. |
| The University of Minnesota – Duluth is known for its men’s and women’s hockey teams, both of which have been national runners-up. Of course, the women’s teams have three national championships to go with their second place finish. |
The biggest annual event in Duluth is Grandma’s Marathon, with over 20,000 runners from all over the world, running races at a variety of distances, in front of tens of thousands of appreciative knowledgeable race fans. |
Thousands participate in two of Superior’s biggest events, Chinese dragon boat races held on the waters just off Barker’s Island, and a hockey tournament played every winter on the frozen if occasionally crackling waters surrounding Barker Island. |
At 165 feet high, Big Manitou Falls, Wisconsin’s tallest waterfalls, is located in Pattison State Park, just minutes from Superior. |
| The Wizard of Oz’s Judy Garland was born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota about an hour from Duluth for Wisconsin drivers; less for anyone who has learned to click their heals like Garland’s Dorothy. |
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| FACTS: Duluth-Superior Harbor |
The Duluth Superior Harbor is the western terminus of the St. Lawrence Seaway, 2,342 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, or just under a week's sailing time. |
The Twin Ports waterfront is 49 miles long and has 17 miles of dredged channels. |
The combined tonnage shipped through the Port is approximately 40 million metric tons annually. |
Approximately 1,100 vessels call on the Twin Ports annually. |
The maximum size for ships permitted to go through the locks on the St. Lawrence Seaway is a :length of 730 feet, with a beam: of 78 feet, and a draft: of 26 feet, 3 inches. |
Lake carriers, which never have to leave the confines of the Great Lakes and are limited only by the capacity of the Soo Locks can handle ships up to 1,100 feet long, with beams of 105 feet, and a draft of up to 32 feet. |
The Harbor is home to 15 major facilities including multi-purpose bulk terminals, a general cargo distribution center, two massive ore docks, one of the largest coal docks in the world, the largest grain elevators on the Great Lakes. |
The Duluth Superior Harbor is the largest Great Lakes port in total cargo volume, and is No. 1 nationally in the shipment of ore, No. 5 nationally in coal, and is No. 1 of U.S. Great Lakes ports in grain shipments.) |
With approximately $1.9 billion worth of cargo transshipped via Duluth-Superior docks, the port has an annual economic impact of around $200 million, with 2,000 jobs dependent upon port activities. |
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| Common
Duluth Questions |
How did Duluth get its name?
Prominent among the voyagers who first visited this area
was a younger son of a French noble family--Daniel Greysolon
Sieur Dulhut, the man for which Duluth was named. He
arrived here in the late 1670s, with the objective of
exploring the region and establishing peace treaties
with the tribes living here. |
Who or what is Barker's Island named after?
Barker's Island is named after Charles Barker, the man
in charge of digging the first ship channel through the
Superior side of the harbor in the late 1800s. He used
the sand dredged from the bottom to create the island. |
| What is the weather like in Duluth
and Superior? Duluth and Superior's summer temperatures
average in the 70s and 80s due to cooling easterly winds
off the lake,
making "cooler by the lake" a popular phrase
in weather forecasts during the summer. Inland temperatures
can be over 90 degrees. Temperatures may remain below 50
degrees during afternoons as late in the year as June along
the Lake Superior shore, even when inland temperatures
are in the 70s. November is often much warmer than April,
due to the rapid change in elevation between the hill and
shore-side. |
| Winter temperatures often remain below
freezing for sometimes weeks at a time. A normal winter
brings consistent snow cover from December through March.
Lake effect snow events can bring a foot or more of snow
along the lakeshore, whereas areas 50 miles inland receive
considerably less. |
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| Here are some of our customers most
commonly asked questions: |
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| Common Vista Fleet questions |
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What time do I need to be there? |
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Please check the schedule
for boarding and departure times. It is recommended
that you arrive one-half hour prior to boarding
time. Remember, you will need to pick up your
boarding pass at the Vista Shop prior to boarding
the boat. The cruise will depart promptly at
the time listed. |
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What is the cancellation
policy? |
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No cash or credit refunds
will be given. A change of date is permitted
if you notify the Vista Fleet by noon the day
before your scheduled cruise (unless otherwise
noted at the time of reservation). If you do
not call to change the date, or if you do not
arrive in time to board the cruise, you will
be charged the full ticket price. For all cruises
with food, we have a minimum of 20 people needed
to hold the event. If that minimum number isn’t
met, you will be notified by phone and asked
if you would like to reschedule. If that is not
possible, a gift certificate will be issued and
mailed to you. |
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How
do I receive credit for my discount coupon? |
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When you pick up your boarding
pass, please present your discount coupon. Your
credit card will be credited at that time. |
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What
happens if it rains? |
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The Vista Fleet boats are
fully enclosed and climate controlled for your
comfort. This ensures comfortable sailing, rain
or shine, in the spring, summer, and fall. You
may want to bring an umbrella for the boarding
process and for sightseeing on the outer decks. |
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What
should I wear? |
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Passenger dress ranges from
comfortable and business casual to dressy. Wear
whatever you feel comfortable in. Shoes and shirts
are mandatory for all passengers. Evenings in
the Twin Ports can be chilly, so you may want
to bring a sweater or light jacket for sightseeing
on the outer decks. |
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Is
the Vista Fleet wheelchair accessible? |
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The first decks of both
the Vista Star and the Vista King are wheelchair
accessible. Wheelchair accessible bathrooms are
located on shore in the Vista Shop and are available
prior to and after your cruise. Please notify
the Vista Fleet in advance at 218-722-6218 if
someone in your party has trouble walking up
stairs or uses a wheelchair or motorized chair.
This will enable our crew to ensure you have
a comfortable cruising experience. |
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Can
I bring a stroller on board? |
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We have limited space on
board to store strollers. Highchairs and booster
seats are available by request. Please notify
the Vista Fleet in advance if you will need space
at your table for a stroller, highchair, or booster
seat. In order to ensure a correct passenger
count, it is important that we know in advance
exactly how many passengers will be in your group,
including infants and toddlers. |
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Is
the trip narrated? |
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Our cruises are narrated.
You will hear the exciting history of the Twin
Ports Harbor and learn about the many foreign
and Great Lakes ships that are in port. Narration
will focus on the highlights of the tour during
meals. |
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Where
does the cruise go? |
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The boat leaves from the
waterfront dock at the Duluth Entertainment and
Convention Center (DECC). During your cruise
you will see grain elevators, coal, taconite
and powdered cement docks, lake freighters, tug-boats,
and more. We travel throughout the Duluth-Superior
Harbor and up the St. Louis River. Depending
on the water and time of the year, the cruise
includes a trip under the Aerial Lift Bridge,
onto Lake Superior. |
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Where
should I park? |
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The Vista Fleet does not
have its own parking lot. We suggest parking
in the DECC parking lot. The entrance for the
lot is approximately 200 yards north of the Vista
Fleet on Harbor Drive. There is a $4/day fee
to park at the DECC. Bring your parking stub in to the gift shop for reimbursement with a purchase. |
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Will
I get seasick? |
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The Vista Fleet travels
in the Duluth-Superior Harbor and St. Louis River,
which is very calm water. Our boats proceed onto
Lake Superior only if the lake is smooth with
very few waves. The boats in the Vista Fleet
are very stable and, in most cases, you can barely
feel the ship moving. |
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What
type of beverages do you serve? |
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Coffee, tea, milk, and soda
are included in your meal. We have a fully-stocked
bar with draft and bottled beer, mixed drinks,
wine and champagne available on our Vista Star
cruises. We do not serve alcohol on regularly
scheduled sightseeing cruises on the Vista King
or on our Family Fun Party Night Cruises. A full
concession stand is available on regularly scheduled
sightseeing cruises on the Vista King. |
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Are
there any age requirements for the cruises? |
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Everyone is welcome on our
cruises. Identification is required for alcoholic
beverage purchases. Alcohol will only be served
to those 21 years of age and older. |
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What
are the sizes of the tables? |
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The Vista Fleet features
family style seating. Tables can accommodate
four, six, eight or ten people. We cannot guarantee
specific seating, but all tables are great for
viewing the sights. Guaranteed window seating
is available by purchasing a party package. |
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In
an emergency, can someone reach me while the
ship is out? |
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Yes. Call the Vista Shop
at 218-722-6218 or toll free at 877-883-4002.
Ask our reservation specialist to contact the
boat by radio. If the Vista Shop is closed, you
can call the Great Lakes Marine Operator for
Western Lake Superior at 813-433-2128 and ask
for the Excursion Boat vessel Vista Star operating
in the Duluth-Superior harbor. |
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How
do I make reservations? |
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You can book your reservations
online HERE or
call the Vista Shop at 218-722-6218. Individual
reservations
require a credit card payment at the time the
reservation is made. Schedules, menus, and prices
are subject to change. Weather conditions and
special circumstances may cause cancellations.
If a trip is cancelled, you will be notified
by phone and asked if you would like to reschedule
to another time/day. If that is not possible,
a gift certificate will be issued and mailed
to you. |
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How
far in advance should I make reservations? |
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We begin taking individual
reservations April 1st. Reservations can be made
as late as the day of the cruise, provided there
is still space available. |
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Where
do I mail a check or money order? |
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Please mail your payments
to:
The Vista Fleet
323 Harbor Drive
Duluth, MN 55802 |
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Which
credit cards are accepted? |
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We accept Visa, Mastercard,
Discover, and American Express in the Vista Shop
and on the Vista Star. Cash and Checks are only
accepted on the Vista King. |
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| If you have any other questions, please call the
Vista Shop at 218-722-6218. We look forward to seeing
you soon! |
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| Facts About The Vista Fleet (top) |
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| Caught
up world wide excitement for the opening of the St.
Lawrence Seaway and its impact in Duluth and Superior,
the he harbor excursion business that was to become
the Vista Fleet was founded in 1959 by Ted Gozanski,
Hyman Kaner, and Jimmy Oreck. |
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three of the founders owned other harbor related
businesses. Oreck owned the famous Flame restaurant
which was at the site of the Great Lakes Aquarium.
He provided the original dock site next to the Flame.
Gozanski and Kaner each operated bum boats in the
harbor, which were sort of floating department stores
selling their wears to sailors while their boats
were docked in the harbor. |
| The Fleets first boat was named
the Streamliner and had a capacity of 96 passengers.
In 1961, a second vessel, the Flame, a 108 passenger
boat was added, and the Streamliner was traded for
the144 passenger Flamingo. |
| Early growth was the result
of the leadership and vision of Ted Gozanski, who
recognized the growing interest in Lake Superior
and workings of the Twin Ports Harbor. In 1968, in
one of his most important decisions, Gozanski moved
the Duluth dock to its present location on the harbor
side of the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center
or the DECC as it is better known. |
| In 1973, the Vista Fleet became
the first business to operate on Barker’s Island
in Superior. In the same year, the original Vista
Queen, a new 256 passenger boat was acquired to replace
the Flame. |
| In 1978, the Flamingo was traded
for the Vista King to meet increasing demand. The
King has proudly been the workhorse of the Fleet
for almost 30 years. |
| Members of the Goldfine family,
the current owners of the Vista Fleet, have been
involved in the business since 1979. The Goldfines
have been actively promoting the growth of the tourism
industry in the Twin Ports for almost 50 years. Their
other holdings include Duluth’s Edgewater Resort
and Conference Center and The Inn on Lake Superior,
the Best Western Bridgeview in Superior, ZMC Hotels
which manages quality lodging facilities in twelve
states, and the Chattanooga River Boat Company and
its famous river boat the Southern Belle in Chattanooga,
Tennessee. |
| In 1988, the Vista Fleet’s
largest vessel, the 91 foot, 300 passenger Vista
Star was acquired and began serving high quality,
up-scale dinner and lunch cruises. |
| In the spring of 2005, the most
recent addition to the Fleet, a 66 foot, 90 passenger
Vista Queen was christened. The new Queen makes her
home at terrific new Vista Shop on Barker’s
Island in Superior. |
| While he was Governor of Minnesota,
Jesse Ventura was heard saying that Duluth was his
favorite tourist destination in the state, and when
in Duluth his favorite tourist type activity was
taking a cruise on the Vista Fleet. He was not alone,
in almost 50 years, nearly six million passengers
from over a hundred countries from all over the world
have been enlighten and entertain by the spinning
of the Vista Fleet’s great sea yarn chock full
of both historical fact and special insights into
Lake Superior, the settling and growth of the Twin
Ports of Duluth and Superior, shipwrecks of old and
today’s ships from all over the world, and
the inner workings of the world’s busiest inland
seaport. |
| Today, the Vista Fleet continues
to provide the only fully narrated guided tours in
both Duluth and Superior; while being the only excursion
line to offer a full range of dining experiences
from intimately romantic to the finest prepared customized
full boat charters. In recent years, modern tools
like computers, DVDs, and electronic charts provided
by Global Positioning Systems, are helping provide
passengers with new insights. Still it is the experiencing
first hand of Lake Superior and the dramatic setting
of the Duluth Superior Harbor, combined with the
youthful enthusiasm and energy of the crew balanced
by the skill and experience of its captains that
that makes a cruise on the Vista Fleet a classic
journey. |
| As we prepare for our 50th Anniversary
season in 2009, we look forward to hearing from passengers,
and in particular, the thousands of former crew members
now scattered all over the world, emailing us to
retell of your favorite Vista Fleet stories. Just
click here at vistafleetsales@zmchotels.com also please indicate in your email if it is okay
to use your name, highlights of your story, and some
personal information about where you are living (city
or country only), and what you are doing these days,
in the anticipated publication commemorating the
anniversary; and if you wish to be kept informed
about the special activities and events scheduled
for the summer of 2009. |
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| Facts about the Twin Ports (top) |
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| The
Twin Ports are part of a network of interconnecting
attractions, parks, and a variety of facilities,
that has made this area one of the most popular tourist
destinations in the Midwest. |
| In
1870, Duluth business interests, frustrated by Superior’s
monopoly on ship traffic, and by extensive damage
caused by high winds and waves to ships, as well
as to docks built along the lakeshore, decided it
was time for action and made plans to dig an entrance
to the harbor here in Duluth. |
| The Duluth-Superior Harbor remains
a working harbor. It is the world’s largest
inland seaport and one of the most important in this
country. |
| There are seven active grain
terminals in the Twin Ports harbor, with a total
storage capacity of over 60 million bushels of grain.
3 to 5 million tons are shipped each year. |
| Common destinations for grain
leaving our harbor are ports in Europe, Africa, and
South America. |
| Over the years, thousands of
ships from all around the world have visited Duluth
docks, handling cargos of everything from liquor
and tomato sauce to oil rigs and nuclear reactors. |
| The Duluth Port Terminal is
one of North America’s top facilities for shipments
of expensive oversized cargos. |
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