Visitors travel for miles to see Carley State Park's wildflowers
There's a place in Wabasha County, Minnesota, where people go wild for wildflowers.
Each spring, Carley State Park, one of the smallest in the state, draws thousands of flower-seeking visitors.
"Bluebells are absolutely what people come to Carley to see," said Jeremy Darst, interpretive naturalist for the park.
The bluebells are nature's handiwork, and here you'll find clusters of them as far as the eye can see. Even among the vivid purple, pink and white wildflowers, bluebells stand out, though their time is short.
It's estimated that 50 solid acres of the park is covered in bluebells. And approximately one out of 10,000 of these wildflowers turns out to be white.
After they get pollinated, the bluebells essentially turn into seeds for next year's bloom. As a flower, they are fleeting, which is why visitors come from across the state to see them.
"I've been coming here since 1978 just to see the bluebells," said Rex Lane of Rochester.
Karla and Tim Kuisle and their dog Juno traveled from Northfield to catch the bloom.
"We looked it up and thought, oh, it's only an hour. Let's go check it out," said Tim Kuisle.
Their beauty is aided by the May sun and a light breeze. It's Mother Nature's way of saying it's okay to stop and smell the flowers.
"This is kind of a reminder to slow down and breathe in the beauty that nature provides. I think that we get very busy and sometimes we need a reason to go out and really soak nature back in," said Darst.
Carley State Park has a Bluebell Festival every year on Mother's Day weekend. After the bluebells lose their bloom, purple geraniums will be the next flower to bloom at the park. There are currently 17 different flowers blooming at Carley.