Wildflowers plus history equals Spamtastic time

In Minnesota and beyond, small towns jockey to reach visitors by playing up their "thing." The "thing" is a natural wonder in "Gateway to the Boundary Waters" Ely; it's agriculture in Barnesville, host to the outrageous Potato Days each August, and it's a manmade wonder in tiny Darwin, where the Largest Ball of Twine (By One Man) lounges under its own gazebo downtown. In Austin, it's Spam.

The birthplace of Spam and home to the canned meat's very own museum, Austin bills itself as Spamtown, USA. Of course. How many small Minnesota towns can boast a bona fide famous international super-product?

Lesser known about the town: It holds attractions not directly involving a blue-and-yellow tin of pressed, spiced meat. Historic buildings, a wholesome downtown and a lovely nature center, to name a few. Here are a few attractions to extend your stay in Spamtown.

What to do

Local preservationists point at the two downtown blocks recently razed to make way for a new Justice Center (aka jail) as proof that the city likes to tear things down. Thankfully, there are plenty of historic buildings left to convince history or architecture buffs otherwise.

Poke around the 1929 Paramount Theatre (1-866-434-0934, www.paramounttheatre.org), one of a few atmospheric theaters left in Minnesota. The interior represents a streetscape in Old Spain, complete with stucco balconies and a starry nighttime sky under which live performances unfold.

Hormel's founder, George Hormel, converted an 1871 Italianate home into a stately 18-room Greek Revival downtown in 1901. His son Jay built a 97-room 1925 French chateau in the countryside. "This is the house you build when you grow up poor. The Chateau's the house you build when you grow up rich," observes Hormel Historic Home Executive Director Laura Helle. The former offers self-guided tours weekdays (1-507-433-4243, www.hormelhistorichome.org). The latter now functions as dorms and dining for a residential children's treatment center, although the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau (1-800-444-5713, www.austincvb.com) does arrange tours.

Built in 1858, "the brick house" is one of the city's oldest. Now, it holds The Brick House Coffee House (1-507-433-1939), a sweet deli/coffee shop with panini, salads, sweets and homemade soups daily.

Country roads

The Shooting Star Scenic Byway (www.shootingstarbyway. org) starts a few minutes east of Austin, where Interstate 90 and Hwy. 56 meet. At just 26 miles long, the byway is short, but its star attraction -- a strip of native wildflowers saved from prairie farmers' plows -- requires frequent stops for maximum appreciation. Eighteen miles of the bike trail paralleling the byway are now complete, from LeRoy to Adams. (Plans are to expand it all the way to Austin.)

Manmade highlights along the way: Adams' Bank Boutique (1-507-438-0553, www.bank boutique.com), a gift, craft and antique shop housed in a brick bank on the National Register of Historic Places, and Rose Pedaler Log Cabin Inn & Gift Shop (1-507-434-0500, www.rosepedaler.com), a cafe/gift shop/ice cream parlor that shares its grounds with a three-suite log cabin inn just south of Rose Creek. The wildflowers are most prolific July through September.

Best souvenir

Have your camera ready for a photo with Spammy (a can of Spam with arms and legs) at the start of the free Spam Museum (1-507-437-5100, www.spam.com). Or, take your pick of more than 300 products bearing the brand name at the museum's gift shop. (Love the flip-flops that mold the word "Spam" into the sand behind you.)

Looking ahead

The holidays bring a whole new set of draws -- historic open houses, Christmas in the City events, plays. Also, two private houses open for unique displays: One sets up more than 750 nativity scenes from 42 countries, and another arranges 700-plus teddy bears in Christmas vignettes. Both home tours can be arranged through the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau (1-800-444-5713, www.austincvb.com).

CHECKING IN

Three chain hotels sit on Interstate 90's frontage road, about a mile north of downtown: AmericInn (1-507-437-7337, www.americinn. com), Days Inn (1-507-433-8600, www.daysinn austin.com) and Holiday Inn and Conference Center (1-507-433-1000, www.hiaustin.com).

EATING OUT

Pizza pie-off: Wedge yourself into the middle of Austin's 30-year pizza battle. In the opposing corners: George's (1-507-437-6677) and Steve's (1-507-437-3249). Both downtown institutions were recently displaced due to Justice Center construction, but found new homes blocks from their old locations -- and one another. George's stayed true to its old-school décor -- white walls, historic photos. Steve's took up in a former art gallery with a mosaic-tiled exterior, giving it a bistro-meets-sports-bar feel with Italian-glass light fixtures and flat-screen TVs. The pizza styles are definitely different; choosing your favorite is a delicious process.

Must. Eat. Spam. You are in the canned meat's birthplace, after all. Many town restaurants have it on the menu. Even the Culver's (1-507-434-0100, www.culvers.com) off I-90 at the 4th Street exit offers a variety of Spam-burgers.

GETTING THERE

Take I-35 south from the Twin Cities to I- 90 headed east. You'll see the Austin exits in about 20 miles.

TRAVELER'S INFO

Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau, 1-800-444-5713, www.austincvb.com.

Berit Thorkelson is a St. Paul-based freelance writer and photographer.