Traces of Minnesota History
"It was some years ago that my wife and I and our friends first began to catch on to these roads. We took them once in a while for variety or for a shortcut to another main highway, and each time the scenery was grand and we left the road with a feeling of relaxation and enjoyment. We did this time after time before realizing what should have been obvious: these roads are truly different from the main ones."
1Mi East of Maple Lake MN is where we find traces of road history. This dirt road is probably a portion of the original (very first) road that came out to in this area of Minnesota. This section of that old road, had to curve between a Maple Lake (shown in next Photo) and around the slough (swamp) seen as cattails and tall grass by the highway with the red car at left. The newer, straightened (~1955?) “two-laner” and "beat-up concrete highway" Rt55, traveled by Pirsig and friends was built straight through and over the swampy part. Of course, the even newer I-94, some 12 miles to the North, found a different (more expensive way?) through the marshes and lakes northwest of Minneapolis.
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(Photo = 102-0265 ...... ZMM Page = 005...... WayPt = 001ef = same location as next photo.)