"Cheese, Corn, Grottos, & Flies"
(Page 3)
On the morning of the fourth day we were once again greeted with overcast skies but a little nasty weather wasn't going to stop this bunch. Like the post office our motto includes fearing neither wind nor rain nor snow nor tornados nor hurricanes nor inept docents or getting the bus stuck in the middle of nowhere. We began with a short tour of historic downtown Winona, Minnesota. Unfortunately, it was Sunday and all the stores were closed so our plan to shoplift stuff in honor of the town's most famous citizen came to naught. Even with Larry's skilled planning (Field Marshall Erwin Rommel didn't have to solve this many logistical problems during the entire North African Campaign) not every little detail works out. Our luxury coach crosses the "Mighty Missip" (thankfully we refrained from singing Old Man River) and we are back in Wisconsin heading for Paul and Matilda Wegner's Grotto near the tiny town of Cataract. This peaceful little country site was build by the Wegners between 1929 and 1942. It contains a small chapel, a wedding cake, pulpit, ocean liner, stars, hearts and an American flag. Paul and Matilda used rocks, shells, arrowheads, gunpowder casings, tile, wood, concrete and glass, lots and lots of glass, in the construction of the grotto.
The Wegner Grotto, near Cataract, Wisconsin
Following a light lunch in Wisconsin Rapids (yes, we saw the cataracts) we blast off for Rudolph to see the Rudolph Grotto Gardens and Wonder Cave. Beginning in 1928 and for the next 30 years Father Phillip J. Wagner transformed this barren cornfield into a forest of trees, ferns, ivies, grottos, Stations of the Cross, war memorial and of course the 1/5 of a mile long, above ground, man made Wonder Cave. The latter curves and twists like a mini Carlsbad Caverns. Around each corner are niches containing scenes from the Holy Bible in miniature as well as backlit tin sheets with verses from the Bible punched into them. It's rather surreal. Also at the grotto is Wisconsin in Miniature where for a quarter you can peek through a small window and see a scene from the state's frontier days (complete with tiny Indians, cowboys, etc. all of which seem in bad need of dusting).
The Rudolph Grotto, Rudolph, Wisconsin
Barreling toward the Canadian border like a busload of senior citizens seeking cheap prescription drugs, we take aim for Wisconsin Concrete Park which modestly bills itself as the "premier museum of self-taught art" and "Wisconsin's extraordinary roadside art attraction." This open-air environment was the creation of Fred Smith, a lumberjack, tavern owner, folk artist and musician. Between 1949 (when he turned 65) and 1964, Smith created over 200 concrete figures (people, horses, wild animals, Indian chiefs, Sun Yat-Sen, a 20-foot long muskie, etc.). Made from wooden frames, wire and, of course, concrete, the artist covered the figures with glass, mirrors, metal and colorful stones. It truly is one of America's premier folk art sites ranking along side The Orange Show, The Watts Towers, Pasaquan and Salvation Mountain. It is a long haul but this is a must see environment.
Fred Smith's Wisconsin Concrete Park, Phillips, Wisconsin
The surprise of day four was dinner at Phil & Eleanor's Steakhouse in Medford. Not only was the food outstanding (lazy Susan homemade relish trays, fresh garden salad with a choice of four homemade dressings, 22-ounce roasted Cornish game hen with wild rice and vegetable stuffing, twice baked potatoes, homemade rolls and rhubarb pie with vanilla ice cream and strawberry sauce), Eleanor's constant patter was worth the price of admission. We would sleep well tonight.
Phil & Eleanor Howarth, Medford, Wisconsin
CONTINUE TO PAGE 4 OF EYEOPENER TOUR 2004