So far in the trip, either Chris or I or both have been to the cities we’ve visited and driven the routes we’d mapped out. Today for the first time, we were on a stretch of road that neither of us had experienced. In our quest to find cheesy awesome activities, we consulted the “Amazing and Unique USA” book. Today we drove past a monastery with some interesting additions and the “hometown” of a hero.
Nestled in North Alabama is St. Bernard Abbey, the only Benedictine monastery in Alabama. This is home to a monastery, church, school and grotto. It was the grotto that caught the attention of both the writers of “Amazing…” and us road warriors. The Ave Maria Grotto is a labor of love by Brother Joseph Zoetl, a monk of the abbey for almost 70 yrs. Brother Joe had a the gift of sculpture, specializing in miniature works. The grotto consists of pleasant pathway that winds around a hillside landscaped with miniature buildings made out of stone, sand, shells and any other materials that Brother Joe could find. The creations all came from Brother Joe’s extensive readings of history and the Bible. 
The gem of the collection is the large cavern on the lower level of the hill that stands 27 ft high, 27 ft wide and 27 ft deep. From the stalagmites on the ceiling to the altar, the entire grotto was created from countless pieces of colored stone and glass collected and pieced together by Brother Joe. It was a site to behold. After the grotto, we continued our trek northward to St. Louis. The trees in central Tennessee and western Kentucky were ablaze with the colors of fall. Absolutely breathtaking!
The first exit you once you cross into Illinois was our next stop. This small town is home to the man of steel. Yes…we stopped to visit Metropolis, IL – Hometown of Superman. When driving into this town, it seems like any other you would find except that when you turn into the town square you fall into the shadow of a 15 ft, 2 ton, bronze Superman statue. Across the street from the statue is the Super Museum and Gift Shop. In front of the store stand 2 cardboard cutouts (with heads missing) – 1 of Superman and 1 of Supergirl. Of course, we couldn’t resist the photo op. After a quick spin the gift shop and stop at the post office to send a postcard to my favorite Superman fan, Greg Vasiloff, we got on the road again to finally reach our final destination of St. Louis.
