An out-of-the-way attraction
One day in September of 2009, we decided we just needed to go somewhere. In the town of West Bend, Iowa, there is a shrine known to Iowans simply as "The Grotto." It is formally named the "Shrine of the Grotto of the Redemption" and was constructed by Father Paul Atthias Dobberstein in the early 1900s. Since James had not been to the site, we got in the car and visited this little known, but amazing attraction.
Approaching The Grotto
One of the mosaic pieces that makes up the site
A portion of the site dedicated to the Stations of the Cross
Moses and the Ten Commandments surrounded by geodes
An angel heralds the birth of Christ
The nativity scene
Angels look down on the nativity scene
A window set in the rough stone walls
