Galena
Now that it was the summer of 2022, it was time for a real vacation. I still wasn’t comfortable with travel out of the country, so decided to explore an area a few hours from home, Galena, Il.
So I booked an AirBnb and looked into things to do in the area, specifically state parks where I could hike and take photos. But while I had a general idea of things to do, a lot just happened along the way.
I arrived on the 10th and mostly explored the town that day (i.e. went shopping). This was my first real vacation since the pandemic started, so I needed to shop. Only a few hours in and I had bought clothes and jewelry (not that big of a shock). I then ate outside a “Fried Green Tomatoes” and was glad I did as with weather later in the week their outside was closed, and I was not comfortable eating inside in such a tourist heavy place.
The next day, I explored Horseshoe Mound early in the morning, it was a great find. After that I wandered through the Pride Picnic that happened to be going on that weekend.
On Sunday, I started the day at the West End Sculpture, then explored the Witkowsky State Wildlife Area before heading out on a Mississippi River cruise to see Bald Eagles.
Monday was my first State Park day and I hiked just about every possible foot of trail I could find at Apple River Canyon State Park. My second State Park day on Wednesday was derailed a bit my excessive heat, but I was still able to get to Mississippi Palisades State Park and take a few short walks from some parking areas to some river overlooks. Back in Galena, I checked out the Dowling House and took the trolley tour to get a better overview of the area.
Thursday, before heading out of town I hit the historical museum and the remaining big historical sites (Grant’s Home and Belvedere Mansion).
