I WA LIFE
SUDOKU
Step Inside Santa’s Castle
SOLUTION
as Town’ of
In the ‘Christm Storm Lake, Io
wa!
Little kids in Storm Lake, Iowa, grow up believing that Santa only takes up residence in the North Pole for part of the year. The rest of the time, he lives right there in the town in the beautiful stone building known as Santa’s Castle! The castle is actually Storm Lake’s historic Carnegie Library, but every December, it transforms into a Christmas wonderland fit for a fairy tale. The tradition started back in 1962 when the castle’s owners put four animated elves on display. Today, it lights up with a collection of more than 100 animated Christmas characters, a model train, dozens of decorated trees, and of course, Santa Claus himself if you time it right. Storm Lake is just one of Iowa’s dozen or so “Christmas Towns,” which go all-out with decorations and experiences every holiday season. Families from across the state road trip through the snow to enjoy the Enchanted Forest Walk, Festival of Trees, and hot chocolate in the Villages of Van Buren, the Christmas Train in Mount Pleasant, the Santa Express in Boone, and the Dutch Christmas celebration in Orange City — complete with the Dutch Santa, Sinterklaas, riding in on a white horse. One of our favorite Christmas towns is Keokuk, which has been home to Toyland, Santa’s Workshop, and a famous nativity scene since 1989. Every year, the residents also put up light displays featuring more than a million bulbs. You can drive through the decorations in your car, and about 20,000 families do so every December! Finally, we can’t end an article about Christmas in Iowa without mentioning The Shrine of the Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend. It’s an incredible work of art featuring nine separate grottos that display scenes from the life of Christ, including The Stable in Bethlehem and The Christmas Chapel. Even for folks who aren’t religious, the Grotto is worth seeing! It took more than 50 years and almost 100 carloads of stone — including petrified wood, malachite, jasper, quartz, topaz, and stalagmites — for Father Paul Matthias Dobberstein to build it. To learn more about the Grotto or plan a trip, visit WestBendGrotto.com.
SALES AND SUCCES S
APARTMENT
11 DOWNTOWN CONDO RENTAL UNITS! TERRIFIC FOR A 1031 EXCHANGE. FULLY RENTED! SEE DARIN FOR DETAILS!
4 UNITS — SOLD! RECORD PRICING!! TERRIFIC LOCATION!! ALL 2 BEDROOM
4 UNITS SOLD! GARAGES 5TH UNIT POSSIBLE (2) 3-BEDROOM UNITS! (2) 2-BEDROOM UNITS RECORD PRICING!!
CONTACT DARIN TODAY AT 319-350-5378 FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THESE LISTINGS!
319-350-5378 3
Published by Newsletter Pro • www.NewsletterPro.com
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator