By Ruth J. Katz

I had magic on the brain: I was expecting to spy Harry Potter, at the very least. Maybe our hotel would resemble Disney’s Magic Castle. I was, to be clear, entering a Pueblo Mágico (Magical Village), the town of Valle de Bravo in the Mexican State of México, one of Mexico’s 100-plus Magical Villages. But, of course, I knew that what was on display here represented a different kind of magic. I was chasing monarch butterflies on a quest to witness a part of their legendary annual migration: Millions of monarchs make a demanding, 2,500-mile odyssey from the Canadian Maritime Provinces and the northern United States to two Mexican states—Michoacán and México.

I was with a small group tour of eight travelers from the US, Canada, and Switzerland (!), led by Marina Aguirre, who runs Marina in Mexico. I knew several people who had taken her trips and all had raved about the educational and exciting experiences she provided. Our trip was nine days, with the first few focused on butterflies, butterflies, butterflies … continue reading

The author of five books, Ruth J. Katz was the style/travel editor of Promenade magazine for eight years.  She has written extensively for both The New York Times and New York magazine and has served as an editor or contributing editor at numerous magazines, including Redbook, Classic Home, Golf Connoisseur, and The Modern Estate.  She has visited over 80 countries (and counting).