The fastest way between the Twin Cities and southeastern Minnesota is the interstate. The long way is the one worth telling.
Minnesota's Great River Road follows the Mississippi south from the metro along Highway 61, a scenic byway that hugs the river through red-clay bluffs and small river towns. In November, with the leaves down and the crowds gone, it becomes a quieter drive with winter settling in over the water.
Driftless country
This stretch of road crosses the Driftless Region, a corner of the upper Midwest left untouched by the last glaciers. The result is a landscape of dramatic bluffs, steep valleys and winding waterways that rise sharply off the Mississippi.
Red Wing
The trip downriver begins in Red Wing, county seat of Goodhue County, set on the Mississippi about 45 miles (70 km) southeast of St. Paul. Bluffs tower over downtown, and Barn Bluff rises above town as one of the landmark views along the shore.
Lake Pepin and Lake City
Just past Red Wing, the river widens into Lake Pepin, Minnesota's sixth-largest lake and, unusually, part of the Mississippi itself. The DNR says the lake stretches about 21 miles from Red Wing to Alma, Wisconsin, and notes that waterskiing was born here in 1922. Frontenac State Park covers much of the lake's northwestern shore, with bluffs above the water.
Wabasha and the winter eagles
Keep south and the road lands in Wabasha, one of the oldest settlements on the upper Mississippi, continuously occupied since 1826. In winter the riverfront becomes one of the best spots in the state to watch bald eagles, with high activity between Camp Lacupolis and Read's Landing. The National Eagle Center, on the riverbank in town, is home to rescued eagles and a red-tailed hawk and offers live eagle programs most days.
Further downriver
Push past the sugar-loaf bluffs and you reach Winona, a Mississippi river town set beneath high bluffs in the driftless country. From there Highway 61 and the Great River Road continue toward the Iowa line for travelers going farther.
Mid-November is a fine time to make the drive, but daylight runs short and the weather is turning. Check Minnesota road and winter conditions before heading out, confirm seasonal hours at attractions like the eagle center, and pull over only at designated overlooks. The bluffs are steep and the water stays cold near shore.
