New Museum Is No Joke for Spam Fans

A much-ridiculed staple of the American diet is about to get some respect.

On Sept. 15, the 16,500-square-foot Spam Museum will open in Austin, Minn., 34 miles southwest of Rochester, headquarters of Hormel Foods Corp., which makes the ham-and-pork luncheon meat. NBC-TV news anchor Tom Brokaw and the singing Spamettes will be among the celebrants. And it’s all free.

The new museum is 20 times bigger than the modest visitor center that Hormel has run for 10 years in Austin. Using interactive exhibits, it opens up the can on Spam’s 64-year history. Visitors can don rubber gloves and hard hats and join a “simulated Spam production line,” play a game show based on meat trivia, view Spam fans on film, browse vintage advertising and peruse “an authentic meat counter from the late 1800s.” Special sections are devoted to Spam around the world (it’s said to be a gourmet treat in South Korea) and its World War II role in Army field kitchens. Items on display number in the thousands, the company says.

During the opening weekend, Brokaw is scheduled to help dedicate a memorial to World War II veterans at the museum. The Spamettes, who are Hormel employees and local residents, will warble from their repertoire of takeoffs, which includes “Spamalot” (after “Camelot”). There will also be a classic car show and other entertainment.

The museum’s regular hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays; closed major holidays. Admission will be free. Telephone (800) 588-7726, Internet https://www.hormel.com.

Taking a Walk Through Palm Springs History

A series of historic walking tours through Palm Springs began this weekend.

Developed by a new family-run company called Palm Springs Walks, the two-hour tours cost $20 per person. Highlights include the Oasis Hotel, containing part of the 1925 structure by Lloyd Wright; the 1936 Plaza Theater, winter home to Jack Benny’s radio show; and the 1927-vintage Willows Historic Palm Springs Inn, formerly a private home owned by Marion Davies, said Douglas Welch, co-owner of Palm Springs Walks.

The tours are offered Saturdays, Sundays and some holidays, including Labor Day. Reservations are required. Tel. (760) 341-2048, https://www.PalmSpringsWalks.com.

Book Now, Pay Sooner, Cruise Line Decides

Carnival Cruise Lines, the world’s biggest, has gradually been giving customers less time to deliver a deposit after making a reservation.

Its latest cut, last month, was from four to three days; as recently as last fall, it was seven days, a typical period in the industry.

Some travel agents have complained that three days isn’t enough time for consumers to get information and make an informed decision. Indeed, Carnival President Bob Dickinson, in announcing the latest cut, called it “a good tool for limiting the consumer’s window of opportunity for shopping around.” He said the company would like to eventually eliminate so-called option periods, instead requiring a deposit at the time of booking, as do some resorts and hotels.

The latest cut “almost forces” customers to make their deposits by credit card--or pay for Federal Express delivery of their payments, said Rick Kaplan, president of Cruise Masters, a Culver City-based cruise seller since 1974. He estimated that 10% of cruise customers make deposits in cash.

For Carnival, the initial deposit is $100 to $300 per person, and it is refundable if customers cancel their plans 61 to 76 days in advance of the cruise, depending on its length, a spokeswoman said.

American to End LAX-Love Field Flights

Los Angeles air passengers are losing one nonstop flight option but gaining another this fall.

On Sept. 11, American Airlines plans to end its four daily flights between LAX and Dallas’ Love Field. A spokesman indicated the route was pulled because American was not making enough money on it, Bloomberg News reported.

The company began the service last year after losing a battle to block start-up Legend Airlines from using Love Field, preferred by some travelers because it’s closer to downtown Dallas. Legend filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in December and was later liquidated. Low-fare Southwest Airlines still flies the route.

On Nov. 4, Alaska Airlines plans to start once-a-day nonstop service between LAX and Calgary, Canada. Introductory fares start at $248 round trip. Air Canada also flies the route nonstop.

San Francisco Landmark Accessible to Disabled

Coit Tower, the 1933 San Francisco landmark known for its murals and its scenic overlook of the city, is being made accessible to people with disabilities. A ramp for wheelchairs, plus a disabled-accessible washroom next to the tower, is part of a $2-million renovation of Pioneer Park on Telegraph Hill that will be dedicated Saturday.

The project, begun in September 2000, also improved pedestrian pathways, including 130 new steps (disabled visitors need to access the tower from the parking lot), and added a lawn-covered viewing plaza, said a spokesman for the Pioneer Park Project, which oversaw the private-public effort. Last month, access to the tower site by automobile, blocked during the renovation, was restored. The park is open 10 a.m. to sunset daily.

Traveler’s Notes ...

Los Cabos Tourism Board has opened an office in Santa Monica to promote the resort city at the tip of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula. The office, sponsored by public and private agencies, is at 2950 31st St., Suite 364; toll-free tel. (866) 346-2226, https://www.visitcabo.com. The office can answer queries from travel agents and the public at that phone; to order brochures, call (866) 567-2226.... The Catalina Island Museum in Avalon will devote most of its exhibit space this month to tile and pottery produced on Santa Catalina Island between 1927 and 1937. The exhibit opened this weekend. Lectures and walking tours are also part of the third annual Catalina Pottery & Tile Extravaganza. Tel. (310) 510-2414.... A service that allows travelers to check in for flights from their hotel has opened at the Excalibur Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Excalibur is the 13th hotel in Las Vegas to sign with Certified Airline Passenger Services, which charges $6 per person for the check-in, available for 11 airlines; https://www.capstravel.com.... Foreign visitors, whose cellular phones often do not work in the U.S., can now rent mobile phones at a kiosk near the currency exchange in the arrivals level at LAX’s Tom Bradley International Terminal. Tel. (877) 874-7835, https://www.triptel.com.

-- Compiled by Jane Engle