Galena: The Town

Before I start, Charlotte would like to thank everyone for their wonderful comments on her post. She did a beautiful job. I really thought Zach would have a hard time with me leaving, but surprisingly, it was my sweet little girl who sobbed uncontrollably as I left for my trip. Daddy was there to sooth her and I promised her I would be back as I hugged her tight and "escaped" out the door! Thank you to Linda, also for helping Charlotte to get her post "posted".

My two day trip to Galena was filled with wonderful adventures and great fun. So much that there is NO way I can share what I want to in just one post. I will do several posts, spaced out, and have the subject in the title. That way if you are not interested in "Grant's Home" you can skip it. The trip was rich in history, and we were unable to get to everything, which is fine, because I will be going back. I may even take the kids next time!! Maybe.

In this post I want to share the actual trip and some photos of the town of Galena. It was amazing that I could start in "the level lands" where the biggest hill is made by an ant and in just over an hour the landscape changes SO dramatically. Here are some photos "along the way".

On our way!Lots of Limestone started to appear. The hills and valleys became extreme. Those black dots are cows. You can see for miles.... If you were brave enough, you could climb this and see for even more miles. THANK GOD, it was closed for repairs. This tower was just outside a town called "Elizabeth". I LOVED this town. I would live there if I could. The population is 700. It is 20 miles east of Galena, so it has the same charm without the tourists. Here are some pics of Elizabeth, taken from the car. The building on the right, with the white circular part was a little grocery store. Too cute! Even the town garage was pretty!Finally, we made it to Galena Galena is known for it's foundries. The word Galena is Latin for lead. The Dowling House is the oldest home in Galena, dated 1826. It is right downtown. Many of the streets in Galena are just one big hill after another....some were quite scary, with a bit of excitement. I doubt they would be much fun in the winter. The Belvedere Mansion was closed for the season, but it was gorgeous from the outside. The gardens look like they would be breathtaking in the summer. This is a view of Galena from Ulysses S. Grant's front porch. That is more than enough for today. I plan to do posts on Grant's Home, The Desoto Hotel (I dined there twice!), The Ryan Mansion, and my next post will be titled "Galena: Shopping!!!"

It is good to be home. I came home tired but very content and peace filled. Time with my mom was a blessing I will cherish for the rest of my life.

When I pulled in the driveway, I found this from my darling daughter....

"Charlotte Loves Her Mother"

For those of you who know our story, you understand how BIG this is! Maybe this trip did someone else some good, too!!!!