After getting a tour of the Museinn from our hosts, we made our way to the Loveland Visitor Center to leave a love lock. While there we were told about a large sculpture park, Benson Sculpture Garden. The wonderful woman working also told us a little about the history of Loveland.
In 1860, Spanish settlers began to settle in an area near the Big Thompson River, founding a community called Namaqua (named after the post office). They started as a farming region, and in 1877 a depot was built. This is considered the birth of Loveland, the town being named after W.A.H. Loveland, president of the Colorado Central Railroad.
In 1901 a sugar factory was opened, and in the 1920s they had a cherry orchard that produced cherries worth over $1 million. In 1947, they started the “Loveland Valentine Re-Mailing Program” as a way to share the love and friendship with the rest of the US.
There are two places to “lock your love” in Loveland. We choose the community center because of its central location. The visitor center let us use their engraving tool, and now the love my son and I share is locked forever in Colorado.
Benson Sculpture Garden was nothing short of spectacular, and we almost bounced between all the sculptures; we were so excited. It was originally a homestead and, over about 100 years, became the park it is today. It is named after Robert Benson, who with his son Ralph helped develop the Colorado Big Thompson project. This project helped develop water resources for Northern Colorado. The land being donated to the city for wetlands and a refuge for birds.
In 1984 they started holding “Sculpture in the Park”; fifty artists participated and sold their sculptures for $50,000. It continues every year and is not the largest outdoor juried sculpture show in the US, with sales over $1 million.
Thank you for being with us on our journey, and may we meet again!
A Mending Journey 
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