Welcome to Galena and Jo Daviess County, Illinois. View breathtaking vistas while being pampered during Galena romantic getaways at Cloran Mansion Bed and Breakfast. Marvel at the 19th century architecture, drink award-winning regional wines and taste local cuisine. Whether your thoughts of rest and relaxation are delighting in a day of pampering at the spa or spending time perfecting your golf game, we can recommend a variety of opportunities to rejuvenate.
Things to See and Do: - Meander a short 8 blocks into town for a sightseers fairyland. Great restaurants, shops, theaters and more await your discovery.
- Golf at one of the Midwest's premiere golf destinations.
- Explore some of early America's most famous architectural styles which can be viewed in Galena's homes.
- For some mining history start with Vinegar Hill Lead Mine and Museum. Then view an original 1830s mine shaft at the Galena/Jo Daviess County History Museum. The historic structure also displays mining artifacts, Civil War memorabilia, and rare photographs and paintings.
- Walk down historic Main Street to wander through shops and art galleries. You can take a narrated trolley tour or pick up a self-guided walking tour map of downtown from one of the visitor information centers.
- Enjoy a performance by the Main Street Players, the Galena Art Theater or other local theater companies. Music fills the air as dusk ushers in live performances by local groups at area clubs and taverns.
- Meander the winding Stagecoach Trail from Galena to Warren - a section of the Chicago-Galena Frink and Walker Stagecoach line.
- Visit "the top of Illinois" at Scales Mound where nearby Charles Mound towers to a 1,235-foot elevation and holds the distinction as Illinois' highest point.
- Visit Scales Mound's downtown, where one hundred percent of the village is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- Fish the Mississippi River. Licenses are available at local marinas, bait shops, hardware stores and retail shops; public boat launching ramps are located at Ferry Landing, Blanding Landing and in East Dubuque.
- Book a charter at Old Blanding Campground and fish with a river veteran. Seasoned river pilots are also ready to give gentle, relaxing sightseeing tours of Ol' Man River.
- For the more adventurous, Fever River Outfitters offers canoe and kayak rentals for self-guided trips down the Mississippi and Galena rivers.
- See how wine is made on a tour at the Galena Cellars Winery Tasting Room located on Ford Rd.
- Snuggle during a memorable horse-drawn carriage ride on wooded trails and quiet back roads. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the Illinois countryside on a serene and magical ride.
- Step back to the 1800s at Apple River Fort State Historical Site in Elizabeth and the Galena/Jo Daviess County History Museum in Galena. At Elizabeth's Chicago Great Western Railway Depot Museum examine extensive railroad displays and climb in the caboose. Go underground at the Vinegar Hill Lead Mine and Museum, the only lead mine in Illinois open for tours.
- Visit the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium located just across the river in Dubuque, Iowa.
- Trek through Apple River Canyon State Park near Apple River to view its waterfall and limestone bluffs, also visit Mississippi Palisades State Park near Savanna and Schurmeier Forest near Elizabeth.
- Swing away with miniature golf or experience the heart-stopping Alpine Slide at Chestnut Mountain Resort.
- Climb aboard a horse at Shenandoah Riding Center in Galena and Vel Terra Ranch in Woodbine.
- Beat the heat of a hot summer day at Galena's Alice T. Virtue Water Park, Stockton's Memorial Park & Pool, East Dubuque's Dunleith Park District & Pool and Warren's Meridian Park & Pool.
- Climb to the top of the Long Hollow Tower & Scenic Overlook two miles west of Elizabeth.
- take to the sky with Galena On The Fly's, scenic balloon flights launching from Eagle Ridge Inn & Resort.
- Enjoy Downhill skiing, snow boarding and snowdeck riding on the slopes at Chestnut Mountain Resort.
- Cross-country ski or snowshoe where you can explore groomed trails or forge your own on a golf course or through the woods. Local outfitters offer equipment for sale or rent.
- Take a horse-drawn sleigh ride across the soft snowy landscape.
- Bring binoculars to observe the area's wildlife. Plan to take a guided tour of bald eagle wintering communities with the Eagle Nature Foundation.
- Rent a bike, canoe or snowshoes for a quiet interlude, or rev up the engine of a personal water craft or ATV.
- Visit the site where the movie Field of Dreams was filmed.
- Participate in a guided tour. Opportunities abound near the inn: themed walking tours, trolley tours, nature walks, ATV rides, cruises on the river or high above the scenic hillside.
- Shop and dine in downtown Galena, voted "Best Main Street" by Midwestern Living Magazine readers.
- Learn Great Foods! A culinary adventure with includes agri-culinary tours, educational workshops, cooking classes and fine dining opportunitie . Learn more at www.learngreatfoods.com
- Visit http://www.galenatripplannerusa.com/ to learn more things to do in the area. Also http://galenachamber.com
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