By Lori EhdeAfter 27 years, Gloria Juhl, Luverne, is retiring from her post at the Minnesota Travel Information Center on Interstate 90 near Beaver Creek.Contrary to popular belief, her work involved much more than handing out maps. As a customer service specialist, her job was to meet and greet the public and answer questions about Minnesota."That’s the part I’m going to miss," Juhl said about retirement. "I’m a people person, and I’m afraid I’m going to go brain dead without my work."Juhl spent a great deal of time promoting Minnesota tourism, and especially Luverne. "I’m from Luverne, of course, and have always enjoyed promoting Luverne," Juhl said on Monday, her last day of work."People would talk about staying in Worthington, and I’d say ‘Luverne is just 12 miles down the road, and they have five motels and restaurants, too.’ "She said learning about Minnesota was one of the joys of the job."One of my pet peeves is people say they don’t need information about Minnesota because they live there and they already know everything there is to know about Minnesota," Juhl said."I’ve been here 27 years and I’m still learning. There’s so much to learn about Minnesota."Greenview employee George Koens worked 22 years at the Travel Information Center in maintenance.He said the organization will miss Juhl’s expertise."It was really fun working with her," he said. "The way she treats the tourists is fantastic, and it’s unbelievable what she knows about miles and travel and telling people where to go in Minnesota."Juhl jokes that one of her favorite things to say about her job is, "Where else can you work where you can tell people where to go?"She said people have often asked her if she was scared to work at the Travel Information Center, especially in the early years when she was there late at night."I’ve never had an experience that’s threatening," Juhl said. "It’s just like any job … the vast majority are good people."She recalled a couple from Denmark, for example, who sent her a thank-you note after their trip to Minnesota. "They told me they had done everything I suggested, and they were planning a return trip to Minnesota," she said.Juhl said her retirement story wouldn’t be complete without mention of her long-time co-worker Nan (Karr) Kaufenberg, who retired Nov. 5 after 20 years on the job."I told myself I’d quit when Nan quit," Juhl said. "We really worked well together as a team out here."Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Commissioner Matt Kramer of the Department of Employment and Economic Development each sent certificates for Juhl’s retirement."Your decision to dedicate your career to serving the people of this state has come full circle," Kramer wrote in a letter to Juhl. "Congratulations on fulfilling this worthwhile endeavor."She also received a framed Minnesota winter scene from the Minnesota Office of Tourism.