By traveler 
I drove RB the 182 miles to West Bend, Iowa, accompanied by my mother. We toured the Grotto of the Redemption. The weather was gorgeous, and because we’d stayed in the nearby motel the night before, we had no difficulty getting there in time for the earliest tour time, avoiding the heat of the day and the crowds.
As suggested by the name, the Grotto of the Redemption portrays the life of Christ through various tableaux. The tour guide gave us extensive details about the priests who created the Grotto, the rocks and materials gathered from around the world and used to construct the site, and story told in each scene. Far more information about the Grotto is available at http://www.westbendgrotto.com/.
Even as I took as many pictures of the Grotto as I could, I knew they would not come close to capturing the beauty and depth of detail. The complete set is available at http://singin1.com/piwigo/index.php?/category/grotto-of-the-redemption-west-bend-ia-2012.
West Bend is definitely off the beaten path, but the time we spent there was well worth the journey.
Randye (the Singin’ One)