The Heritage Museum is located on the site of the George Stopple farm just outside of Rochester. It's a lovely green site with lots of trees growing around it. The original Stone House is under reconstruction, and sits about 50 feet from a small barn. On the first floor of the small barn is a doorway leading back into the cave that George and his family lived in until they could get their house finished.
We listened to a bit of Irish music and watched some Irish dancing, and ate some ethnic Irish food, you know, cheese curds and onion rings….
Donna and Mary shared a giggle or two.
After a few hours at the festival, looking at the various Irish things for sale, we went into downtown Rochester to look at Silver Lake. We had been told that one of the country's largest collection of geese resided at the lake, so we had to go check it out. The lake is a very pretty spot in the middle of a bustling city, with trails aplenty. We walked about 1.8 miles around the lake, admiring the water and flowers.
And, the geese…..
A strenuous walk requires a nap, so back at the motorhome we rested, snacked, and talked into the night.
Today, Sunday, the four of us decided to take a bit of a day trip after Roger did a few repairs to his motorhome. Water leaks continue to be a problem on the Winnebago, and he wanted to try a new approach to repair them. It looks like a good plan, but we'll wait until the next rain, which is due this evening!
A short drive southwest led us to Austin, MN, the home of the Spam Museum! The museum is scheduled to close this fall for an extended period of time until a new museum can be built in another part of town in 2016. The current facility is due to be converted to office space by Hormel Foods.
Started by immigrant George Hormel in the 1800's, the company grew at a goodly pace. When his son Jay C. took over in 1914, sales exploded. The invention of a process that canned pork and then cooked it inside the can was largely responsible for the success. The museum details the growth of the company, and the refinements to the processing method. We saw how quickly the product is placed in the can, sealed, and cooked, and prepared for delivery to the store. Even George and Gracie got into the act.
Most interesting was a display of the various brands under the Hormel Foods umbrella.
We checked out the latest in Spam flavors.
But the most fun was the gift shop,
Ladies wear,
and, of course, Spam!
What a day at the home of an iconic American product!
Ed said he grew up on Spam, and still likes it! Ugh!!!
ReplyDeleteSpam and eggs, Spam sandwiches, Fried Spam…….Oh boy!
DeleteHey, Spam was a staple during WWII, even the Brits loved us for that!
ReplyDelete