A couple of years ago, we were on vacation and heading back home after visiting the upper midwest. I needed to check North Dakota off my "states visited" list to get to 45. And now I never have to go back.

In extreme northern Illinois, just south of the Wisconsin state line in Rockford, there was this enormous putt-putt course just off the interstate. It was part of a big family entertainment complex called Volcano Falls. We stopped, and it was a blast.

Now, when I've traveled, I have seen any number of putt-putt courses as part of roadside attractions. They're timeless. They've been fun for the whole family since I was a kid. And that's a long time.  However, there ARE enough of them that I'm a bit particular before I stop the car.

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What are the courses like? Are there fun obstacles? Are there lots of hills and tunnels? Yes, I look for the exact same things in putt-putt courses that I did when I was young.

But in all my years, and at all the miniature golf establishments I've visited, I've never been to one where live animals are not only possible but EXPECTED to appear.

In western Kentucky, down around the lake area in Gilbertsville, there's a putt-putt course called Maggie's Jungle Golf. It features some pretty cool-looking courses, but it also features these:

And during your visit, you shouldn't be surprised to see one of these, either:

So, yes, would you like a little peacock with your putt-putt? Because it's become kind of a trademark at Maggie's, which has been in operation for more than 30 years and has proven to be quite a popular attraction for vacationers in the Kentucky Lake/Lake Barkley region.

Peacocks and putt-putt. I'm telling you, there's a Netflix comedy series in there somewhere.

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