Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Triangular brown and yellow signs, marking an
auto tour
that takes in all regional
points of historical significance, line the roads around Potosi and Tennyson.
South of Potosi you have no choice but to link up with a—sigh—U.S. highway (U.S. 63)
and little to see till you whip over the Platte River. The road runs away from the Mis-
sissippi as the river rolls toward it. One more must-see before you hit the corner of three
states—Dickeyville.
An over-the-top marriage of jingoism and religious reverence, the
Dickeyville Grotto
(305W.MainSt.,groundsopenallthetime;tours9am-5pmdailyJune-Aug.andweekends
May,Sept.,andOct.,donationsaccepted)isoneofinnumerableMidwestgrottoesconstruc-
ted around the turn of the 20th century, when a papal blessing allowed many religiosos
to become inspired and build what became serious tourist attractions. Constructed around
an Italian-carved statue of the Virgin Mary cradling Jesus, the Dickeyville Grotto was the
10-year devotional labor of Reverend Father Mathias Wernerus. Like other grottoes, it is
an odd, aesthetically challenging assemblage of broken glass, tile, stone, gravel, petrified
wood, shells, and even gems, affixed to virtually every nook and cranny of the place. Lin-
ings are even done in onyx.
And this just begins to describe the visual business.
Some view religious grottoes as an embarrassment to the devout, others will road-trip
through two states to pick up a souvenir, and still others find them truly inspirational.
Whatever the case, this is one of the best.
Beyond here, not a darn thing to see till the Illinois and Iowa borders. One intriguing
idea is to head east on WIS 11 and link up with southwestern Wisconsin's Lead Zone.
