Wednesday - July 19, 2006

Another morning sleeping in. It's amazing how tired you get from merely driving. We awoke to the rolling thunder and occasional streaks of lightening and were delighted to rest in our KOA Kabin rather than brave the ominous weather. Before too long, the clouds showed some sign of relenting and we headed south toward Darwin while listening to Weird Al Yankovic's classic tune, "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota." This is a song that the Wood family has played on road trips since the beginning of our traveling days, back when we were driving from Georgia to Florida to visit home from Berry College.

The town of Darwin, home of the world's largest twine ball built by a single person, is pretty tiny. And it struggles to expand its viability beyond the twine ball tourism economy. The town offers a cluttered but friendly antique store along with the inevitable saloon (even the smallest burg tends to offer a bar). But the Twine Ball Inn, which was once a nice little diner, has closed its doors. Then there's the Twine Ball itself.

Even on this drizzly day, a small number of bemused onlookers peered through the Plexiglas partition that protects this bizarre monument to one person's persistence. On our visit, the adjacent museum/visitor's center was closed. Across the street, we were told that volunteers maintain the center, and sometimes they can't be found. So Vienna and I gawked at the Ball and wondered why a person would spend half a lifetime crafting this thing before turning forlornly back onto the highway.

Our day picked up when we decided to visit the Spam Museum in Austin, Minnesota. We just remembered that this site was close enough for a minor detour (of a few hours), and even though none of us eat Spam, we figured it might be worth a few laughs. It turns out that this has got to be one of the coolest corporate museums we have ever seen. You see, the good folks of Hormel recognize that a great many people confuse Spam with dog food, so they package their corporate shill with a healthy dollop of self effacing humor. After all, you know the company doesn't take itself too seriously when a museum placard states the following about its display of meat processing equipment that includes knives and cleavers: "at a time when many industries were committed to efficient assembly methods, Geo. A Hormel & Company specialized in disassembly."

The free museum offers a multimedia presentation of Spam's contribution to the Second World War effort (including a priceless magazine cover depicting the shocked look of a returning veteran faced with a Thanksgiving meal of the potted meat product). Visitors can also participate in Spam packing contests, enter a game show contest about Spam trivia, and even watch the beloved Monty Python Spam skit. Naturally, the museum ends with a gift shop. Ah yes, the free admission makes sense now. Fifty bucks later we left, pleased with ourselves for taking a massive detour to learn more about a food we had never eaten - until now. You see: visitors also are greeted by strolling Spam servers who are happy to offer free samples. I demurred, but Vienna bravely tried a piece. Now she says she loves the stuff and our bags of souvenirs include a tin of Spam to prove it. I think our long trip has driven her a bit batty.

Returning to the road, we grabbed some BBQ at Famous Daves (a surprisingly good meal for a chain) and turned our backs to another beautiful sunset as we left Minnesota (by way of a lengthy detour back through Minneapolis/St. Paul) and headed for Wisconsin. Along the way, Vienna and I have been turning each other onto our musical tastes. Thanks to her, I've been exposed to Panic at the Disco and The Killers. In return, I've turned her onto Genesis and Yes. A fair trade, I suppose. By evening we reached Eau Claire and got a cheap room at the nearly perfect Maple Manner Motel. The rooms aren't just clean - they're gorgeous, complete with themed decor and comfy beds. And the price, which is the lowest we've had on this trip, includes a free breakfast at their cafe, which I know from a previous visit is well worth the stop. Tomorrow we head for Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Sure, there's a much easier way to get to tomorrow's prime stop of Detroit - but this trip has never been about taking the easy way.