SPAM and Cheese

Fully aware of Kala's irrational fear of statues, Andy takes great pleasure in seeking out the biggest, creepiest ones he can find for us to visit. He really picked a winner this time! Last night, Kala slept peacefully, blissfully unaware that just fifteen miles away in Blue Earth, Minnesota, there lurked a sixty-foot-tall statue of the Jolly Green Giant. Andy chose to save that little piece of information as a surprise for this morning. Ever the good sport, Kala did get close enough to the gargantuan vegetable peddler to capture a few photos of Andy playing at its feet.

Later, in Austin, Minnesota, we visited the SPAM Museum at the Hormel factory, where we learned all about the history of SPAM, its role in American culture, and how it became an international sensation. In the hands-on activity center, Kala tried her hand at racing the factory in canning. In the time it took Kala to prepare six cans of SPAM for shipment, the factory managed to turn out 609. Close race. Other fun features of the museum were vintage commercials, song parodies, a Monty Python exhibit, and an extensive line of merchandise in the gift shop. Nowhere was any mention made of how to get rid of unwanted e-mail.

After enjoying a variety of free "SPAMples," we continued eastward into cheese country. Everywhere in Wisconsin were gift shops advertising a wide selection of cheese. With so many stores vying for our business, we naturally chose to patronize the one with the biggest cow out front. We saw Sissy, the mascot for Ehlenbach's Cheese Chalet, from the freeway and knew that this was the store for us. Inside, we sampled a delightful variety of cheeses and sausages. Don't tell them back in Austin, but this beat the heck out of SPAM. Shhh!

Finally, after a miserable, rainy drive through southern Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and southwestern Michigan, we found refuge in a comfortable little motel in Kalamazoo. Believe it or not, for tomorrow night, we actually made hotel reservations. Find out where, in our next installment!