Spam, spam, SPAM! (Day 6)

Have to admit, the day started with me being cranky. I was tired, and the little camping stove we brought to supplement the trailer’s cook top (and to cook outside) wouldn’t screw into its not-readily-available fuel bottle. (I didn’t check it out beforehand.) We decided to hit the road early before breakfast.

Turns out that was a good idea. We knocked out a bunch of miles before stopping at Amish Kitchen, a truck stop eatery. (There wasn’t much to choose from off of I90 in Minnesota, a region that makes driving I80 through Pennsylvania look like a NYC commute in comparison.) Juliet got a massive and delicious cinnamon bun.

Then we saw the sign. I knew that it was somewhere along this route, but like the camping stove, I hadn’t checked it out beforehand. Luckily the sign announced that we were approaching the Spam Museum! We had to stop, and as Juliet noted, “they’re sure to have a bathroom,” saving us another stop.

Hormel runs this shrine to their canned meat product in Austin, Minnesota, one of two Spam plants in the country. It’s free to visit and is an ode to branding. Staffed by very pleasant people who tell the story of Spam all day long, it shows Spam’s history (including an odd side-opening can design rather than the current pull-top) and cultural influence. Alas, no free samples - but there is a gift shop at the end of the tour. (We resisted.)

Here’s a picture of us with Spammy, the museum’s mascot.

Onward through Minnesota to South Dakota. Tonight’s campground is Lake Vermillion State Recreation Area, a very nice park on a man-made lake. No swarms of mosquitoes, a big plus over the last two nights. Since there isn’t a place to eat around here for miles, dinner consisted of grilled asparagus and dipping into some of our Trader Joe staples in the pantry.

Tomorrow is a big day - driving to Custer State Park with a stop at the Badlands. We’re already hitched up and ready to go for the morning.

Tom