When you’ve plotted the route that you’re going to take to a Corvette show, have you made sure that there’s an alternate route to get you there and back, just in case?

That’s a situation that presented itself when I was in Minnesota recently, heading up to the big “Back To The ‘50s” show at the State Fairgrounds just north of St. Paul, where there were more than a few choice C1 and C2 Vettes among the 1964-earlier cars and trucks on hand.

One of the usual routes into the Twin Cities from the south was not available, and a detour was needed. Fortunately, 30+ years of driving on the roads of southeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin answered that question in an instant.

The route in question was U.S. Highway 61, where it crosses the Mississippi River at Hastings, Minnesota. That’s roughly the southeastern corner of the Twin Cities metropolitan area, and 61 through Hastingsis a busy four-lane highway that squeezes down to two lanes over a 1951-vintage bridge that crosses Old Man River. Unfortunately, due to the effects to weather, road salt, traffic and time, that bridge is not in the best structural condition. It was closed during the show weekend, as well as the weekend before, while temporary repairs were done to keep the structure standing until its replacement, which is scheduled for 2010.

By now, some of the more adventurous of you are looking up an alternate route to 61 through Hastings, and have discovered Wisconsin State Highway 35, which roughly parallels 61 on the east side of the river. To get to it, turn off 61 onto U.S. Highway 63 at Red Wing (about 30 miles south of Hastings), cross the Mississippi’s main and back channels, then turn north on 35 by the village of Hager City, Wisconsin. You’ll go north about 20 miles, through the villageof Diamond Bluff, to Prescott. There, you’ll turn left onto U.S. Highway 10, cross the St. Croix River back into Minnesota, then go west on 10 until you re-connect with 61 between Hastings and Cottage Grove. A right turn puts you back on 61 northbound, which takes you up to I-94 on the east edge of downtown St. Paul. (There are several ways to get to the fairgrounds from I-94, so I’ll leave that up to you.)

For many Upper Midwestern Vette enthusiasts, Highway 35 is much better than 61 in many ways. That’s because it is a twisty, two-lane road through rural Pierce County, Wisconsin that was reconstructed in several phases during the 1990s, which made it much wider and smoother than before while eliminating a couple of hazardous T-intersections. From mid-May through early October (when the weather there is at its best), it’s an ideal road for Corvette enjoyment. Also, Highway 35 looks a lot like the two-laners that we’ve done some recent cover-car shoots on.

If you’re planning on a trip to next year’s “Back To The ‘50s,” the route along the Upper Mississippi is one that I highly recommend, even though you’ll likely need to use plenty of bug remover on your Vette once you get to St. Paul. Whether you go northbound on 61 from St. Louis or the Quad Cities, or you turn onto 61 just outside of La Crosse, Wisconsin (headed out from Chicago on I-90), you’re in for a scenic drive along one of the most beautiful stretches of road in the U.S.A.

Before you get to the turn-off onto U.S. 63, you’ll go by the cities of Winona and Wabasha (the latter where the Grumpy Old Men movies were set), as well as the birthplace of water skiing, Lake City. As mentioned above, the Highway 63 junction comes in Red Wing, a gem of a small town that’s been home to my family for over 30 years.

It’s like what songwriters Leo Corday and Leon Carr had in mind when they penned these lyrics to “See The U.S.A. In Your Chevrolet”:

On a highway or a road along a levee:
Performance is sweeter,
Nothing can beat 'er,
Life is completer in a Chevy.
So make a date today to see the U.S.A.
And see it in your Chevrolet!