CRUNCH, COLOR & AWE!
…Only until the last leaves drop
During this short, magical season, the Historic Congdon Estate transforms into hues of green, orange and gold. The gardens are peaking for harvest, cool fall air flows through the mansion and the red brick of the mansion plays with the color of the leaves. You can’t forget the gratifying sound of the crunch beneath your feet.
In this transitional season, time seems to slow as the hustle of summer simmers down. With school back in session and tourist season slowing, fall is the perfect time for a walk before or after your tour to admire the fall colors in all their glory, uninterrupted. Not only are the grounds beautiful during this time but you also get to enjoy them with fewer distractions with the decrease of summer tourists. While remaining in our summer hours until October 20th, you have all day (9:00 am — 4:00 pm) to tour the mansion and grounds.
While roaming the estate and soaking in the cold crisp air, you can become a leaf expert. At the start of your tour, we will provide you with a leaf guide. It is a truly unique experience to view the combination of trees and foliage at Glensheen. Originally, a total of 266 forms of greenery were planted on the grounds in meticulous fashion, and many of the trees seen across the estate are not native to Duluth or the Midwest. While some trees, such as the Bull Pine and Western Hemlock, are from as close as the Western part of North America, others, such as the Silver Fir, came from across the oceans. So take some time to explore the difference in the details on Glensheen’s intricate estate and find all of the exceptional plants it has to offer.
As you can see from the DNR’s typical peak color times, Duluth’s peak time starts in a little over a week! Plan your trip to Duluth and let Glensheen be the start of your Hwy 61 drive up the North Shore. If you plan to drive up farther north, you can see that their peak color times start earlier, in mid September.
Want to know more about fall colors and why the leaves change? Visit,http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fall_colors/typical_peak.html
If the fall colors aren’t totally your thing, there are a few tours at Glensheen that are weather contingent, which may convince you to make the trip. What we mean by the weather contingent is that once the snow flies a few tours with outdoor components will not be offered until the following spring. One of these tours is the Nooks & Crannies that travels outside to the various behind-the-scenes buildings that are explored on the tour. This means that your days in 2015 to see the boat house, Clara’s outdoor second floor balcony and the second floor of the Carriage House are numbered. As much as we hate to say it, the grounds and gardens will soon begin their yearly process of well, dying.
So before that happens.. embrace the fall crisp air, the changing of colors and a fluffy sweater to accompany you on your visit to Glensheen, the Historic Congdon Estate. What are you waiting for? Grab a pumpkin spice latte, hop in the car and head north to the 39-room mansion on the shore of Lake Superior.
For Glensheen tour information please visit,https://glensheen.wp.d.umn.edu/tours/
