the iron boats - View this location on map 'The doomed ore freighter Edmund Fitzgerald, sunk in a storm on Lake Superior in 1975 and immortalized in song by Gordon Lightfoot, departed from Superior, Wis., across the harbor from Duluth. To get a sense of proportion, tour the immense William A. Irvin, a 610-foot retired laker that is still 110 feet shorter than the Fitzgerald. The flagship of US Steel's Great Lakes Fleet from 1938 to 1978, the Irvin - part of the Great Lakes Floating Maritime Museum (218-722-7876) - is named for the former US Steel president who occasionally sailed on it himself. The one-hour tour ($9) takes you through the engine room, the immense hold that could handle up to 14,000 tons of iron ore and coal and the officers' and crew's quarters. Note the contrast of the stark crew's rooms with the stunning, walnut-paneled staterooms for big-shot passengers.'' New York Times 350 Harbor Drive, Duluth, MN Cultural, Historical, Kids

---