SPAM MUSEUM in AUSTIN, MINNESOTA

We left Fort Dodge Tuesday morning and picked up Matt in Waterloo. After loading up his gear and bicycle (he went on RAGBRAI then skydiving), we motored toward Minneapolis. A great place to visit was the SPAM Museum.

Converted from an old KMart building, the museum is a bevy of history of canned meats which gave the George A. Hormel family a lot of money. It was deserved though, as many innovations were made throughout the decades in providing tasty meats that would last next to forever on the shelf. Bright blue and yellow was the color theme, as from the can label. It was amazing to find out how much SPAM was provided WWII fighting forces, both American and Allied.

Also interesting was the Hormel All-Girl band and performing group. They wore uniforms, hawking Hormel products across America, while promoting the show they would put on in a given city. This was post war time, and Hormel sales doubled in the 4-5 years the group traveled across the US in a fleet of white sedans with George A Hormel's name printed on the sides. It was also still radio's heyday, but as TV overtook radio as media leader, the group was disbanded in early 1953.

The museum is really done up nicely, colorfully, and humorously, and the best part is it is FREE!

We are now at Lebanon Hills campground near the Minneapolis Zoo. Matt flies out to Colombia tomorrow morning. We are also seeing daughter Jenn, Ben, and Mica