
Although Pam and I both grew up in this area, neither of us had ever been to the West Bend Grotto, billed as the largest man-made grotto in the world. So we took off fairly early in the day for the hour-an-a-half ride to West Bend.
The place is amazing. I had always assumed that it covered acres of land with grassy or park-like areas separating the structures. Actually it is contained in a city block with a grassy area in the center. The variety of materials--stone, mineral, and wood--boggles the mind, as does the thought that went into the design.
By the time they dropped us off at the campground, we were ready for naps and later made do with sandwiches for supper after our big lunch. Pam and John returned after supper. as well as classmate Carole and her husband Marv. From 7-9, our area was pretty well shaded and there was a breeze. But at 9:00, the breeze died and out came those little black hard shell bugs that bite. The rest tore off for town while we escaped into the camper.