U.S. Highway 61

May 17, 2013

U.S. Highway 61

U.S. 61 -- the "Blues Highway" -- runs through the heart of Southeast Missouri from St. Louis to the Arkansas state line, passing historic structures, quirky businesses, and plenty of roadside Americana along the way.

Emily Priddy

EMILY PRIDDY This abandoned gas station stands at the intersection of U.S. 61 and highways M and F south of Marston, Mo.

EMILY PRIDDY A neon sign on the wall inside Billy's Steakhouse and Lounge in Portageville, Mo., advertises Rotary Club meetings. Billy's is located on U.S. 61.

EMILY PRIDDY The setting sun is reflected in the windows of an abandoned business on U.S. 61 north of Marston, Mo.

EMILY PRIDDY Dawn Melka, co-owner of Apple Creek Studio, visits with customers at her shop, which sells a variety of artwork, including assemblages made from upcycled items like this one.

EMILY PRIDDY The Ferris wheel turns at a roadside carnival just off U.S. 61 in New Madrid, Mo.

EMILY PRIDDY A birdfeeder fashioned from a teacup and saucer hangs from a branch outside Apple Creek Studio in Old Appleton, Mo. The town's famous restored Pratt truss bridge is visible in the background.

EMILY PRIDDY Jennifer Ditch tends bar at the Dew Drop Inn on U.S. 61 in Bloomsdale. The tavern is located in a 1917 building.

EMILY PRIDDY The New Orleans Inn in Portageville, Mo., advertises itself with graceful neon script letters.

EMILY PRIDDY Old-fashioned signage, including a vintage light fixture, marks the local police headquarters on U.S. 61 in Steele, Mo.

EMILY PRIDDY This friendly character advertises a business next to U.S. 61 in Crystal City, Mo.

EMILY PRIDDY Bachelor button flowers bloom in front of an abandoned service station on U.S. 61 south of Marston, Mo.

EMILY PRIDDY The Dew Drop Inn, a Bloomsdale institution, once offered rooms to boarders, including the workers who helped build U.S. 61 in 1936.

EMILY PRIDDY A sign cautions pedestrians to stay off a railroad bridge that runs parallel to U.S. 61 north of St. Mary, Mo.

EMILY PRIDDY Flooding in 1982 knocked down this 1879 Pratt truss bridge, but it underwent restoration and reopened as a pedestrian bridge 24 years later.

EMILY PRIDDY Jennifer Ditch tends bar at the historic Dew Drop Inn on U.S. 61 in Bloomsdale. The bar and grill is located in a 1917 building.

EMILY PRIDDY A roadside shrine implores the Virgin Mary's protection on a bluff overlooking U.S. 61 between St. Mary and Ste. Genevieve, Mo.

EMILY PRIDDY U.S. 61 travelers pass under this 1924 concrete arch on their way across the Missouri-Arkansas state line.

EMILY PRIDDY Flooding forces the closure of U.S. 61 in St. Mary, Mo.

EMILY PRIDDY Billy's Steakhouse and Lounge on U.S. 61 in Portageville, Mo., offers steak, cocktails and free advice to customers.

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