Many times when you travel, you find a place that absolutely delights you. This describes my time perfectly on a recent trip to Luverne, Minnesota. Luverne is a town of just less than 5000 friendly people in Southwest Minnesota. For a town its size, it has a surprising amount of quality attractions. But the one that most captivated my heart was a collection of 6708 nutcrackers at the Rock County Historical Museum on Main Street.

I’m sure the first question on many folks’ minds after they read this title is, “What the heck is Meow Wolf?” Well, you are not alone. I thought the same thing when I first read about it. So, let me explain it as best as I can.

Prior to this past August, I had only been in Victoria British Columbia for a grand total of six hours, including two hours at Butchart Gardens, in 2013. That was just enough time to visit the gardens briefly, go to the Royal BC Museum, and have an ice cream cone downtown. After I got there in 2013, I realized that six hours was not nearly enough time to spend in Victoria. And in August of 2024, I got to go back! It was AMAZING!

In August 2024 I achieved a personal milestone (a.k.a. Bucket list) that I added to my to-do list in 2013 - more than 11 years ago. I spent one absolutely GLORIOUS full day at The Butchart Gardens near Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. To me, this place is like heaven on earth. See why!