Highway 61 Revisited

August 2, 2015


Oh, God said to Abraham, "Kill me a son"
Abe said, "Man, you must be puttin' me on"
God said, "No" Abe say, "What?"
God say, "You can do what you want, Abe, but
The next time you see me comin', you better run"
Well, Abe said, "Where d'you want this killin' done?"
God said, "Out on Highway 61"

Bob Dylan lived on 2nd floor

Duluth, Minnesota is the childhood home of Bob Dylan. Highway 61 is a road that starts in New Orleans and runs all the way up to Canada right through Duluth. Much of it runs along the Mississippi River, and is part of the Great River Road. It's a trip that Cheri has talked about for years since she saw it chronicled in Road Trip USA, Cross-Country Adventures on America's Two Lane Highways.

Dennis, Bebop & Satch in the headwaters of the Mississippi

The Great River Road starts at the Headwaters of the Mississippi in Itasca Park. We spend three glorious days camping inside the park near the headwaters. We were pleasantly surprised about how wonderful the weather was during our visit. Days were pleasant and nights were cool. We enjoyed our nights by the campfire. Food cooked outdoors always seems to taste better. Bebop and Satch enjoyed the romping and playing in the Headwaters.

Pasties shipped in a plain, brown wrapper 

We left Lake Itasca heading East and stopped in the birthplace of my darling wife Cheri, Grand Rapids, Minnesota. We stopped at Judy Garland's home, where there are statues of the tin man, the scarecrow and other characters from the Wizard of Oz. Judy's childhood home is right next to the hospital where Cheri was born. Legend says it was 35 degrees below zero when she was born, although I checked the records, and it was only 10 below. But, hey, it's a good story. The hospital today has been converted to an apartment building. We also stopped at Pasties Plus, where locals come to buy pasties. No, not the things strippers wear, but a meat or veggie pie. It's big in Northern Minnesota and Upper Michigan.

Lake Superior is big and fun to romp on the beaches

After exploring Grand Rapids, we headed out Route 2, where our next stop on our journey across America is Duluth, on the edge of Lake Superior. It is considered the largest freshwater lake in the world. Standing on the edge of the lake was awe-inspiring. On the beach we found an organic home-made ice cream stand featuring flavors you'd never find in the 31 flavors of Baskin-Robins. We stopped a few along the shores of Lake Superior just to take it all in.



The town of Duluth really surprised me. It is a very cosmopolitan town that reminded me very much of Portland, Oregon. Not only are there views of Lake Superior at every turn, but the old factory and warehouse district has been turned into a very cool tourist area, much like Portland's Pearl District of Denver's LoDo. Bridges connect Duluth with Superior, Wisconsin, just across a river. We had one of the best restaurant meals we've had in a long time at the Duluth Grill. They feature organic, local, sustainable food. They grow their own herbs in flower beds in their parking lot! And their menu featured all kinds of unique items. It was a real treat.

Duluth, Minnesota

Our visit to Iowa and Minnesota has really been enlightening. The people here are so friendly and helpful. Yes, the winters are a bear, but it seems that the adversity of the extreme winters actually brings people together; they have a more helpful attitude about life. They realize that they need each other to survive, and this overall feeling perpetuates itself in the way people interact.

Okay, time to pack up Dolly, slide in and hit the road for the Upper Peninsula. See you out on Highway 61.