While in Florida, we checked out a Sugar Sand Festival exhibit, “Sandimals,” while on Clearwater Beach.
These incredible sculptures were made from the beach’s white sand. It was held in a huge tent, shaded from the sun, and cool inside.
A for Aardvark.
Mr. Beaver.
An eagle.
We meandered through the one-way path observing this amazing and unique artwork. The sculptures were arranged according to the alphabet…like many children’s books: A for aardvark, B for bear, C for cat, etc…and the displays were all different animal types.
These two reminded me of Frog and Toad – beloved children’s book characters.
It was fascinating.
My favorite: the leopard…his spots were holes in the sand.
A wise old owl.
A fun creature: the platypus.
There was one artist working silently on a dog sculpture, putting on the last touches. It would be fun to watch the whole process…starting from the top down. I’m sure it takes a long time. It definitely takes talent.
One artist working on a dog sculpture.
The peacock was extraordinary.
R for rabbit and rhinoceros’.
It’s hard to remember these are all sculpted using fine sand.
S for sloth.
U for unicorn.
Y for Yeti.
It was really fun to walk through this display of sand animals…an unusual “walk on the beach” experience.
Antique, pull-down maps, chalk boards, pictures of George Washington and Abe Lincoln, and an aged, class photo decorate an old, country school building converted to a restaurant in Mantorville, Minnesota.
Front view of the Old School Cafe with bell tower.
The old school house is now the Old School Café, with good cooking, and a popular spot for town folks to eat. The portions were generous and the food was tasty and the ambiance was nostalgic and cheery.
Old School Cafe.
Outside was also inviting. There were old wooden benches and a school desk on the wide, front porch. There was a bell tower with the bell intact and rope hanging from it. Sculptures of children were placed around the grounds…a lovely idea for a school house yard.
The children on the slide was my favorite sculpture.
Another sculpture of children at a drinking fountain.
There were many, pretty flower pots scattered throughout the yard. On one side of the café was a charming, old wooden house dated 1855, that looked occupied, and the other side of the cafe was a garden area. It was fun to look around, and a delightful way to start the day.
1855 house next door to cafe.
I love whimsey. This little troll was attached to the 1855 house outside wall.
An outdoor seating area along side the cafe, between the cafe and the old house.
There always seems to be a kitty cat hiding in gardens.
Our next stop was the Spam Museum in Austin, Minnesota.
A well-done sculpture of a farmer and two pigs, outside the SPAM Museum.
An interesting, fun (and free!) museum dedicated to the story of Hormel’s specific product SPAM. Hormel began in the late 1800’s but SPAM was created in 1936 and became popular in WWII when the military ordered lots of SPAM to provide for the armed forces overseas… because it was convenient, and the shelf life was lengthy.
A life-size figure, a screen projection, was lamenting how he felt he had an overabundance of SPAM while in the army.
Some in the military might say the government overused SPAM. But it continues to sell today and there are multiple flavors of SPAM, and it is sold in multiple countries all over the world.
An interesting story on how SPAM got its name.
Free samples of SPAM were offered. We tasted the hickory smoked version and it was very good.
Of course, there is a gift shop featuring all things “Spam”, including flip flops that spell out SPAM when you walk in the sand!
A parting shot…a stunning blossom in the gardens of the Old School Cafe.
There is a new sculpture near the bike trail in our town. I really like it…it’s colorful, it uses flowers and bicycles and it’s along the Cannon River in front of the Peggy Prowe Pedestrian Bridge that crosses over the river. The bridge was named for a town advocate for the Mill Towns Trail, which will run from Faribault to Cannon Falls, and continues on to Red Wing. My husband and I like to bike…he’s an eager biker in the Faribault Flyer’s Bike Club and I’m a casual rider.
