Trip notes: Galena

 I started this blog in June 2010! Times flies when...

I just had an enjoyable trip to Galena. I hadn't been there in nearly 20 years and it has changed a little. I'm glad I went, but it won't be anything I do again. The stores have gotten a bit larger and there are almost no craftspeople selling their own work any more. It's now a good place to get interior design goods and Vera Bradley's Mickey Mouse collection and steak with mac'n'cheese as a side dish. Not my cup of tea. Speaking of which, there were also very few food options for me (no dairy, nearly-no meat). One restaurant bragged about having vegan options, but there was not one thing in blue on their menu. One bakery had a solitary vegan option, but I was sad to discover that the Mixed Berry Muffin was made with banana, which I'm mildly allergic to, when the first bite was already in my mouth. It never crossed my mind to ask if a mixed berry muffin had banana in it!?! Lesson learned - ask, ask, ask; don't worry about being a P.I.T.A. when it comes to my health.

I stayed in a BEAUTIFUL B&B that I definitely recommend. Miss Murphy's is a charming Victorian with a cute mix of old and new. Breakfast was great and she took into account my request for no dairy. The only drawback is that while the building is just two small blocks from the main strip, it is up a HUGE hill, so driving up and down was necessary for me in the 90-degree heat. (It was also not a cheap stay.)

I was so close to Dubuque that I couldn't resist a little trip over there. It looks about like I remember, although it is a blessing and a curse that the casinos are there now, I'm sure. I also took the "long" way back to Galena and can now boast of visiting two other states in one day. I was also pleasantly surprised to see that a number of small towns along Route 20 have slightly rejuvenated downtown shopping. I had traveled around the north part of the state about 7-8 years ago and it had been depressing to see the large quantity of boarded up and just-plain-abandoned shops in the "historic downtown" areas. I'm now actually excited to get back out there and see what I can find.