Austin, MN

What fun—two cities in different states with the same name! While writing about our visit to Austin, TX, I remembered that there was an Austin here at home. On the spur of the moment, I took a day trip to Austin, MN, population 26,000, about 100 miles south of the Twin Cities. Named for Austin R. Nichols, the area’s first European settler, who built a log cabin here in 1853, Austin is the seat of Mower County. It is the birthplace of golfer Tom Lehman and football legend John Madden, but is more famous as the headquarters of Hormel Foods, maker of SPAM, Dinty Moore beef stew and other global brands. George Hormel opened a butcher shop here in 1891, which grew into the Fortune 500 company that it is today. Map Link: Austin, MN

My first stop in town was the SPAM Museum, a free, interactive exhibit dedicated to Hormel’s unique and timeless meat product. Introduced in 1937, sales and popularity skyrocketed during World War II, when it was included in Allied military rations and shipped worldwide at a rate of 15 million cans per week. Its shelf stability and high calorie content proved useful during the war—Nikita Kruschev even wrote in his memoir that “without SPAM, we wouldn’t have been able to feed our army.”

The brand received a publicity boost from the 1970 Monty Python’s Flying Circus skit, set in a greasy spoon diner, complete with chanting Vikings. Fun fact: This skit is typically cited as the reason unwanted, junk e-mail is referred to as “spam” (Hormel loved the Monty Python bit, but wasn’t thrilled about the e-mail label). Follow the link if you’ve never seen it, or want to watch it again (and again): YouTube: Monty Python SPAM skit.

Take our SPAM Quiz! (answers at end of post)

Question 1: Where did the name SPAM come from?

A. It’s a made-up word

B. Specialty Processed Army Meat

C. Spiced Ham

D. Shoulder Pork and Ham

E. Something Posing as Meat

Question 2: Which U.S. state consumes the most SPAM?

A. Florida

B. Hawaii

C. California

D. New York

E. Minnesota

Question 3: There are currently 13 varieties of SPAM available. Which of the following is NOT a SPAM flavor?

A. Prawn

B. Teriyaki

C. Jalapeno

D. Korean BBQ

E. None of the above; they are all current flavors

Question 4: Which of the following is NOT a discontinued SPAM flavor?

A. Chorizo

B. Pumpkin Spice

C. Figgy Pudding

D. Stinky French Garlic

E. None of the above; all were past flavors

After the SPAM Museum, I checked out the Historic Hormel House, built in 1871 and home to the family of George Hormel from 1901 until 1927, when George retired and moved to California. Next were the Mower County Fairgrounds and Historical Museum—the buildings were closed, but grounds were open for walking around. Then it was off to the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center, a 500-acre restored prairie and woodlands, with an informative visitors center and excellent trail system. Jay Hormel succeeded his father George as head of the company, ran it until his death in 1954 and was responsible for the successful launches of SPAM, Hormel chili and Dinty Moore beef stew. 

Following a short hike, I did a drive-by of the Hormel Foods factory and the Hormel Institute cancer research center, which is partnered with the University of Minnesota and Mayo Clinic. Then it was then back home after an interesting local day trip.

Historic Hormel Home

Buffy the Cow, Mower County Fairgrounds

Little Wayside Prayer Chapel, Mower County
Historical Society

Jay C. Hormel Nature Center

Dobbins Creek, Hormel Nature Center

Hormel Foods, then…

…and now.

Question 1 Answer: C—Hormel held a naming contest among its employees with a $100 prize. SPAM was selected from the portmanteau of Spiced Ham.

Question 2 Answer: B—At 8+ million cans per year, Hawaii is the #1 SPAM consuming state. The territory of Guam is the winner on a per capita basis. 

Question 3 Answer: A—there is no Prawn flavor. Current SPAM offerings are: Classic, Lite, Less Sodium, Gochujang, Korean BBQ, Maple, Bacon, Turkey, Hickory Smoke, Teriyaki, Jalapeno, Tocino and Hot & Spicy. Gochujang and Tocino were created for the Korean and Philippines markets, respectively.

Question 4 Answer: E—all were past flavors. Discontinued SPAM varieties include: Chorizo, Black Pepper, Portuguese Sausage, Garlic, Stinky French Garlic, Golden Honey Grail, Figgy Pudding, Pumpkin Spice, Maui Snow, Boricua and Kimchi. Stinky French Garlic and Golden Honey Grail were limited edition flavors released to promote Monty Python’s SPAMALOT musical.

Austin, TX

We took a Spring Break trip to visit our friend Tom Lockney in Austin, TX. I’ve been suffering from cabin fever, aggravated by some late-winter cold and snow, and Austin was a warm weather city that we had wanted to check out. Map link: Austin, TX

On Monday, March 31, we landed at midday and got to Tom’s in north Austin around 2:00 PM. We had lunch at The County Line on their beautiful waterfront deck and watched the turtles in Bull Creek while we ate barbecue and enjoyed the sunshine and 70-degree weather. We then took a short hike to the top of 780-foot Mount Bonnell for stunning views of the city and the Colorado River. Tom took us on a sightseeing tour of the University of Texas and Austin’s center, then to meet his daughter Marie, his son-in-law Jeff and their eight dogs, who live a block away.

The County Line BBQ patio and dock

Colorado River from Mt. Bonnell

Austin skyline from Mt. Bonnell

On April Fool’s Day we slept in, then took a two-mile hike in Great Hills Park near Tom’s house in the morning. After Tom and Kathleen joined the daily JamKazam Irish music online session, Jeff and Tom took us sightseeing west of Austin, stopping at Lake Travis and Driftwood Winery before having dinner at The Salt Lick, with barbecue again on the menu. After a huge meal we spent the evening at the Tuesday Irish music session at the Barbershop in Dripping Springs. The barbershop-turned-bar was filled with great music, friendly locals and a beer can collection on the wall. Map Link: Dripping Springs, TX

Bat house in Great Hills Park

Tom and Kathleen on JamKazam, watched by Leo

Lake Travis

Kathleen, Tom and Jeff at Driftwood Winery

Road sign at Driftwood Winery

Wood-fired meat warmer at The Salt Lick BBQ

Irish music and beer cans at The Barbershop

Our first stop on Wednesday was the Texas State Capital, the largest statehouse in the country. Dedicated in 1888, it is constructed of Texas limestone and granite quarried by prison laborers and carved by Scottish stonecutters. Texas won its independence from Mexico in 1836 after the Battle of San Jacinto, making it one of four U.S. states that were once a separate country. Bonus Question: What are the other three? (Answer at end of post). Deeply in debt and facing the realities of maintaining security, stability and prosperity for a new nation, Texans soon voted to join the United States and were annexed in 1845 as the 28th state. While adding a large amount of land, the inclusion of Texas into the U.S. was a direct cause of the Mexican-American war and its status as a slave state altered the power balance between Northern and Southern states.

We had lunch at Red River Cafe, then toured the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library on the University of Texas Campus. Our 36th President took the oath of office on Air Force One after John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas on November 22, 1963. LBJ’s vision of a Great Society and his War on Poverty led to a long list of social and social justice programs aimed at improving the lives of the most vulnerable Americans. His many accomplishments included the passage of two Civil Rights Acts, the Voting Rights Act, creation of Medicare and Medicaid, funding for public broadcasting, urban mass transit, rural development, highway safety, consumer protection and clean air and water. Johnson’s legacy was tarnished, however, by the escalation of the war in Vietnam, and his unpopularity over the conflict was the main reason he withdrew from the 1968 presidential race. Besides managing White House life, Lady Bird Johnson, born Claudia Alta Taylor, worked tirelessly on environmental issues and became one the country’s best-loved First Ladies. 

LBJ Presidential Library archives

7/8-scale replica of the Oval Office at the LBJ Library

LBJ’s armored presidential limo—the Kennedy assassination
forever altered how U.S. presidents would travel in public

After the LBJ library, we did a quick visit to Zilker Park and Barton Springs Pool, a three-acre natural swimming pool on Barton Creek. The pool is fed by underwater geothermal springs, is open year-round and home to two endangered salamander species. We regretted not having swimsuits after the afternoon temperature climbed into the mid-80s, with a 70-degree dew point. After driving back to Tom’s, the three of us, plus Leo, ate pizza outside at the Pour House in north Austin.

Barton Springs Pool. Source: Ultimatehotspringsguide.com

On Thursday, April 3, we rented bicycles and rode 12 miles through the heart of Austin on the Ann and Roy Butler Trail. Named after a former Austin mayor and his wife, the trail follows the Colorado River and goes around Lady Bird Lake, with impressive views of the city, waterfront and neighborhoods. After lunch at Chuy’s for Tex-Mex, we visited the impressive Bullock Texas State History Museum. Fun fact: The Texas Longhorn, the mainstay of cattle ranching in the state and the mascot of the University of Texas, is a hybrid breed descended from Spanish and English cows. It nearly disappeared in the 1920s and thrives today thanks to the efforts of the Texas Forest Service, who bred and reintroduced the species. 

At a museum display on slavery and intermarriage in early Texas, we overheard a teacher tell his elementary school students that the shackles in the exhibit “were used on people who didn’t do what they were told,” rather than the truth—that human property was kept in bondage. Passed in 2021 and commonly called the “critical race theory law,” Texas banned the discussion of race, sex and other “controversial topics” from public schools. We were disturbed by this incident and left wondering how long it would be before the slavery display was simply removed from the museum.

We drove back to Tom’s and after a brief blood-sugar scare, he joined us for dinner at B.D. Riley’s, Austin’s oldest Irish pub. We went full Irish, with Tom and I enjoying fish and chips and Guiness stout while Kathleen had corned beef and cabbage and Magner’s cider, then the two musicians joined the crowded Thursday night music session on stage.

Lady Bird Lake and Downtown Austin from the Butler Trail

The “Big Pint” at B.D. Riley’s

Deer were visible every night near Tom’s house

We had an early flight out on Friday and were back home in time for Kathleen to join Tom and their Irish music friends on the daily JamKazam online session at noon.

Bonus Question Answer: Hawaii, Vermont and California were also independent nations before becoming U.S. states. The Kingdom of Hawaii was established in 1795 when most of the islands were united under King Kamehameha I. In 1893, the monarchy was overthrown by a group of American and European businessmen, with the support of U.S. soldiers and marines. Hawaii formally became a territory in 1898 and our 50th state in 1959. Vermont declared its independence from Great Britain in 1777 and operated as the Vermont Republic for 14 years until it became the 14th state in 1791. Like Texas, California was originally part of Mexico. In 1846, American settlers rebelled and established the short-lived California Republic, which ended less than a year later, when the U.S. seized control during the Mexican-American War. California became the 31st state in 1850; one of only a few states that were not a territory first.