Road Life Adventure

06/09/2026

When we visited the Grotto of the Redemption (which I posted about Sunday) we ended up chatting with a nice man as we were leaving the area. He lived a couple blocks away he said and enjoyed coming to sit at the park regularly. Anyway, he asked us if we'd been to Trinity Heights - which we hadn't and hadn't even heard of - so he told us about it and said we should check it out if we go through Sioux City.

So we did!

This place is beautiful!

Trinity Heights is a "16-acre Catholic shrine and religious park located on the north side of Sioux City, Iowa. Built on the grounds of the former Trinity College and High School, it functions as an outdoor cathedral, museum, and sacred space designed for prayer, reflection, and tourism."

These pics are of the park area and I'll share some other parts of the museum in a bit.

Have you ever visited?

06/09/2026

I shared a post about this here earlier this month already but in case you missed it, you can see our stats for the month of May. :) Is there anything else you'd like to see included on this list?

https://open.substack.com/pub/roadlifeadventure/p/van-life-expenses-and-stats-may-2026?r=1b0ode&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

06/08/2026

Iowa is a beautiful and peaceful place. 🥰 And there are SO many bunnies!! 🐰😂

06/08/2026

We saw a family of baby ducks!! 😍🫶🏻🐥🦆

06/08/2026

We had some dinner at Regatta Grille, which is right next to the park, and had some fun in the area after we finished. :)

06/08/2026

We got to stop in and visit some very dear friends of ours as we passed through northern Iowa and they took us to do several fun things while we visited for the week.

The first was Awaysis Park in Storm Lake. They have a beautiful lighthouse there that you can climb to the top of and enjoy a beautiful view of the park and the lake. James stayed down below and took a pic of us at the top! 👋🏻

Have you ever been to Storm Lake? It seemed like a cool little town!

06/07/2026

🚐 Road Life Roll Call 👋

📍 Let us know where you're checking in from this week! We love to know where you're following from!

We also like to share where we are currently (because our posts are always a bit behind real time 😉) and where we’re generally headed next.

We’d love the chance to meet up — or even just get recommendations for spots along our path!

📍 Currently: Sioux City, Iowa
➡️ Headed: We’re working our way through the northern part of Nebraska over the next few days. We have a few spots planned but let us know...
☕ Any favorite spots or must-see stops in this area you’d recommend?

Check in with us every Sunday. We’ll be sharing a general update so friends and family know where we are and where we’re headed next. ;)

06/07/2026

I did some video and put it all together to try to show off the Grotto of the Redemption a little more.

If you've never visited the Grotto of Redemption in West Bend, Iowa...

06/07/2026

Let me just start by saying WOW! And also let me say that pictures do NOT do this place justice.

As I was building our trek across the northern part of the US on the RoadTrippers site, I saw the Grotto of the Redemption on the map. I'd never heard of it so I checked to see what it was and thought maybe we'd stop and see it.

I'm so glad we did!

It was so much more than I expected. The area is beautiful but the grotto is just extraordinary!

Here's some info I got online to sum up well what this place is...

"The Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend is one of Iowa’s most unique attractions and is often described as the largest man-made grotto in the world. Covering an entire city block, it consists of nine connected grottos that depict scenes from the life of Jesus using thousands of minerals, fossils, shells, crystals, and precious stones gathered from around the world. The grotto was created by Father Paul Matthias Dobberstein, a Catholic priest who became seriously ill with pneumonia while studying for the priesthood. Believing he had recovered through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, he promised to build a shrine in her honor if he survived. After arriving in West Bend, he spent years collecting rocks and materials before beginning construction in 1912. Working for more than four decades, Father Dobberstein transformed his vision into a remarkable work of faith, art, and craftsmanship that continues to attract visitors from around the world today."

FOUR DECADES!! He meticulously placed all the pieces into concrete and created this massive shrine. 😳

If you're ever in north Iowa you should definitely check this out. It's absolutely beautiful! Seeing it close up goes far beyond any photo!

06/07/2026

I noticed through the trees that the sky had a pretty color so I took a walk out and around them to see the sunset and was not disappointed. It was beautiful! I just wish a picture could truly capture the beauty!

I even saw a deer running through the field. It kept watching me and even made some noises out there. Not sure if that was directed at me or not! 🤣