The Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend, Iowa, was built over a period of 42 years by Father Paul Dobberstein, a German immigrant who, when very ill with pneumonia, had promised the Virgin Mary he would create the grotto if she interceded for him. Construction began in 1912. Because Iowa farmland is not especially rocky terrain, people from around the world have sent minerals, fossils, petrifications, and shells to be incorporated into the grotto which is larger than a city block. We had the joy of visiting the grotto in 2014 on the way back from South Dakota. The above slide show displays a few of the photos we took.