Highway 61 through Minnesota

by Nathan Johnson

Driving on Highway 61 through Minnesota provides a rare opportunity for one to see virtually every type of landscape in the North Star State. Along the highway's path are pastoral farms and towering bluffs, as well as the largest of the Great Lakes, Lake Superior. There are picturesque small towns and populous cities, yet stretches of the highway have been abandoned. Despite Highway 61's east-west counterpart Route 66 getting more attention, the north-south byway is arguably the most fascinating stretch of road in the country. Throughout the highway's history, music lovers, foodies, and thrill seekers alike have discovered its fun and uniqueness. The 1,400-mile highway signals where the West begins and has a fabulous history that can be traced from the civil rights movement to the development of various genres of music, including jazz, blues, and alternative rock. Famous Americans such as Mark Twain, Bob Dylan, Jessica Lange, and even Kermit the Frog keep the highway in the national psyche.

128 pages, Paperback

Published July 12, 2021

Reviews

[Chris Moates · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick read with a lot of pictures, both historic and current and very brief text describing the places pictured. The pros: there are a number of places of interest for those who would like to check things out if they are in the area. These include ones in which I personally did not either know about or had little information about. The cons: the book suffers from some mediocre photography, all of it black & white to reduce costs, I get it. The descriptions as a whole are way too brief to be able to create enough interest in what is pictured in many cases. And many of the featured places are in the vicinity of Highway 61 but not necessarily on Highway 61. Did this inspire me like some of the books on the iconic Route 66? Sorry to say, no, but there was potential.

[Nathan Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the work is my own, I wanted to give it an honest assessment. There aren't books that exist that devote as much to each town along the way so I was compelled to fill the gap. This book is intended not only for Highway 61 lovers, but for lovers of Minnesota, road trips and nostalgia seekers. I hope my appreciation for small towns was apparent throughout the pages and accompanying photos. Enjoy! One "wink" is that my father is the man walking out of the A&W in one of the photos.

[natalie l johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about Highway 61, top to bottom, but especially through Minnesota.