My two favorite things have combined for one of the best weekends of the summer. Duluth and beer! This was our first time going to All Pints North and it was a really great time. It may just become an annual tradition. Our fellow beer-loving friend, Travis, joined us for All Pints North and this trip to Duluth.

We stayed at our favorite Duluth campground, Spirit Lake Marina & RV Park for the second time in a month. This place is so conveniently located to all the best parts of Duluth, and yet still feels remote enough to be “camping” among big, fancy ships. This time, I asked for a spot closer to the point and WOW did they give us a great spot!

In previous stays, we’ve been by the “red shed” and I’ve had to walk to the dock to take in the views of the St. Louis River. This time we had a pretty amazing view from our site. I will be asking to be closer to the point from now on!

Day Drinking at All Pints North

Beer festivals are fun and sometimes too fun. So, I ordered these hangover vitamins for all of us, because while the camper feels like home, no one wants to be hung over as hell in a tiny space with other people. I was skeptical if they would make a difference, but we all took a dose before we left for a day full of day-drinking at All Pints North.

We got to Bayfront Park about 30 minutes before the doors opened, along with 2,000 of our closest friends. Let the day drinking begin!

Beer Samples, 2 oz at a time

Some people approach these beer festivals as a personal challenge to drink as much beer as humanly possible. Others treat it like fine wine, taking copious notes and rating each beer on things like hop varietal, mouth-feel and other things beer snobs say.

Our goal was to try beers we haven’t had before, to find new favorites, and visit a few tried and true beers we love.

I wish I could give you a list of beers that blew my mind that I will be seeking out, but I should probably follow a few cues from the pros and take notes on my favorite. Suffice it to say, many beers were enjoyed and a good time was had by all!

One thing I have learned is that it’s OK not to finish a sample of beer. There were plenty of beers I tried that weren’t great, and I didn’t hesitate to dump them. It may only be 2 ounces of beer at a time, but those ounces add up quickly. Jamey and Travis have to work on that … they definitely finished nearly every beer they tried at All Pints North!

Sunday Morning, Feeling Fine

We all planned on feeling pretty sluggish Sunday morning, so we took Monday off to lounge in the camper, rehydrate and recover. But thanks to the hangover vitamins, we all felt great! So rather than lay around like slugs, we went up to Two Harbors and took a hike around Gooseberry Falls.

Getting to the falls is a pretty short, easy walk with some stairs. But it wasn’t as easy for poor old Toby. He got pretty tired and hot quickly, so we didn’t hike as much or as far as we would have in years past, but we all still enjoyed the beauty. And then we did the only logical thing, headed to Castle Danger Brewing for a beer.

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Rainy Evening

We had planned on an evening by the fire, grilling some steaks and generally enjoying the beautiful view from our campsite, but mother nature had other plans. It rained and rained and rained. We made do and drank our beers inside by the fire!

All Pints North was a great summer beer festival – it was in a beautiful location and thanks to the breeze of Lake Superior it was not hot as hell. This is one beerfest I’d attend year after year, in my favorite place.