What Is It With The Midwest And Grottos?????????????????????????????

 

                            One of the more fascinating moments in "The Straight Story"--so fascinating I had to give it its own post--comes early on when Alvin is driving along and sees a sign that says "Grotto 5 Miles."

                            I questioned what was going on.  This was nowhere near Lourdes or Fatima.  I was fascinated by the grotto used in the film, which is the Shrine Of The Grotto Of The Redemption, located at 208 1st Avenue, NW, West Bend, Iowa, 50597, USA.  I mean, what a sight!  I would love to go see it.  And when I was researching this post, I discovered there are grottos like this all over the Midwest.

                              Someone tell me, what is the reason for the presence of all these things?  Is the Midwest heavily Catholic?  I always thought of it as a enclave of American Protestantism, so if someone out there could explain this phenomenon to me, I would appreciate it.

                               I would certainly love to go and see one of these!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                As stated, I thought his whole journey had a spiritual quality and this visit and shot of the grotto enhanced it.

                                  Then there was the shot of this truck delivering a gigantic replica of a corn on the cob!

                                   One never knows what is out there in America!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!