Red Wing Ironworks Motorbike Club ©: August 2024

The part not likely revisited by Uncle Bob, however. Between Red Wing and Winona "vintage" sections of Old 61 remain, but long lost from maps and travelers of these modern times. If ye search, ye shall find. Otherwise, use the guide below. (Directions provided are north to south travel; the old sections can be found - obliviously - very close to current Hwy. 61.)

Red Wing, MN: two sections: Sevastopol Road, on left side right off current Hwy 61. You are close when you spot the Cemstone Plant on the right side of Hwy. 61. What remains is now listed as 271st Street. After turning on Sevastopol Road, Old 61 turns immediately south to the right. You know it when you see it. It's the original concrete from mid/late 1920s. (I've read on other websites that sections of Old 61 were built in 1925; others in 1929.) This section runs parallel to current Hwy. 61.

The second Red Wing section is the Hillside Drive left exit off current Hwy 61 about a mile or so south from Sevastopol Road. Once on Hillside Drive, turn left. There are some houses on this stretch and what is now some run-down looking storage building that was a concrete production plant. This section of Old 61 was paved with asphalt years ago (it stills looks like the road you'd find in a third-world shit hole) but you can see the outline of the center gap and section blocks.

Frontenac, MN: Look for 269th Street, just north of Frontenac, on left side. If you are hauling ass, you'll miss it. First part of 269th Street is gravel, and it takes a couple of corners before you hit Old 61. (Don't panic, even a Harley rider could hack it.). You'll hit the old concrete section soon enough. It's secluded and makes a nice but lumpy drag strip. It ends in an asphalt cul-du-sac (no houses; it's a boggy area) installed by the road crew to park big construction vehicles doing last year's lane expansion work on the current Hwy 61. Prior to the lane expansion and cul-du-sac addition, you could reconnect to Hwy. 61 from Old 61.

Wabasha/Kellogg, MN: There are three sections; First section is south of Wabasha. Look for the Wabasha County 30 exit (again, on left side going south). Once off the highway, turn right: It's marked as 645th Street going to the right; you'll see the old concrete road that runs parallel to both current Hwy. 61 and the railroad line. The concrete comes to end less than a mile. There is a gravel road (still named 645th Street) that goes left toward the river: that is not part of the Old 61 route. The end of the Old 61 is abrupt and marked by a pile of dirt, gravel, weeds and trees. If you get off your bike for a closer look, there is some junk back there including the front facia panel from a car that got tossed. If you turn around and go north, 645th Street morphs into Wabasha County 30 which takes you to Wabasha, MN. This section is paved and modern. However, it remains narrow like Old 61, and I assume it's the original route into Wabasha.

Second section is connected south of Kellogg, MN: Take left exit for Wabasha County 18. (To the right you'll pass Hwy. 42 to Plainview, MN.). Once on Wabasha County 18, take first right on Dodge Street South. Shortly after, turn sorta right on 161st Ave. South. It's been paved over but is clearly a remnant of Old 61. Like the others, follow until the end. According to google maps, it shows you can keep going on a narrow trail, but you can't. It appeared blocked off.

Third section: Return to Hwy 61, head south and look out for 627th Street on the left (about a half mile or so.) Literally, it looks like a driveway to someone's house. It's not. Keep going straight on the gravel past houses on both sides. At the bottom of a short hill, you'll see the sign for 161st Ave So. Turn right. This the longest and best section of Old 61. Literally, there is nothing back there. If it's yer thang, run around in your underpants; no one will know. Make sure you stop at the upside-down fire marker sign on the right side. (You'll know what I am talking about). This entire section of Old 61 runs straight through to current Hwy. 61.

Weaver, MN. There are two sections. From Hwy. 61 take the right exit to beautiful downtown metropolitan Weaver, MN. Look for 130th Ave., which is the first left turn in Weaver. There are houses on both sides of the street but keep going. You'll see the Old 61 concrete PDQ. Keep going. (You'll pass a trailer house on the left that looks like Ted Kaczynski may have lived there.) And keep going until you stop at the walking bridge. On the opposite side of the bridge there is a secured a gate. You cannot connect to the second Weaver section. The bridge is also narrow and turning around a motorcycle is not likely. If you are the ballsy type, go for it. But you'll be pushing your bike backwards to get it off the bridge. Take my advice; park the bike and walk the bridge as you can't get through anyway.

Weaver section two: Head back south on Hwy. 61 to Wabasha County 29 on the right. (About half to 3/4 of mile from Weaver). You'll see a "parking" spot to the right that is a combination of sand, gravel and concrete. From that point, you see the Old 61 again. It's blocked off with a chain and "do not enter sign". You can hop the chain and walk back to the walking bridge where you will run into the secured gate.

The word is there another section of Old 61 south of Winona near Lamoille, MN but not seeing much on google maps. Could just a be a short section of the village. Anyway, that's all I got; here are stooopid pictures: