The time we spent on our recent getaway roadtrip to Galena, IL via Columbus, IN, flew by way too quickly! We broke the drive into two days there, two days back, spending a night at the Holiday Inn Columbus each way.
COLUMBUS
Wouldn’t normally mention the hotel, but it was exceptional. There’s a nice outdoor pool, decor was fresh and interesting, and the open-air, cozy mezzanine bar was terrific. We actually had dinner there both nights. Pizza both times,because it was good, but they have salads, burgers & more.
You can learn a lot talking to bartenders. For instance, among the fine lineup behind the bar were whiskeys and distilleries I’d never hear about: Heaven Hill Distillery, Hard Truth Distilling Co, Angels Envy Distillery, Nearest Green Distillery (named after Master Distiller Nearest Green, the first known African-American master distiller), and MGP Distillery. MGP dates from the early to mid 1800’s, is one of the biggest distilleries in the country, and is behind more than 50 whiskey brands that they don’t publicly discuss.
She also told us some interesting things about the town of Columbus and a couple of annual events held there that sounded great: Ethnic Expo and State Street Taco Tour. Both are food events.
GALENA
Charming, historic Galena, IL is a testament to maintaining the heart and soul of an idea that began in the early 1800’s, when in 1818 John Tyler Armstrong built a cabin on the east bank of the Fever River (now mostly known as the Galena River). It was the first recorded permanent settlement on the Fever River. Streets and lots were first laid out as early as 1826 by Lieutenant Thomas.
Interesting to note, the river used to be much bigger. By the 1850s, Galena was the busiest port between St. Paul and St. Louis often boasting as many as fifteen steamboats at a time docked along Water Street. Over time, the river’s gotten much smaller due to settling silt and sediment that flowed down reiver over time. During mining years, the river was dredged so larger boats could still reach the docks for loads of lead.
The Galena Chamber of Commerce was established in 1838, and the town was chartered as a city in 1841. During the civil war, the town was home to nine Generals, including General Ulysses S Grant. He, his wife and four children lived in what is now a historic site for about a year. Grant returned to live in Galena after the war.
History buff? Read more about Galena’s History:
This was our third visit to Galena. The last time we were in town was in 2020 during covid. Absolutely loved the way they handled the situation (see gallery below)! The charm and comfortable vibe of Galena and surrounding small towns & farmland make it a super relaxing place to spend time. There’s plenty to keep you busy: golf courses, shopping, good restaurants, wineries, breweries, a distillery, boating on the river, an 8 mile river trail for walking & biking, and more. Note: it helps if you know how to parallel park if you’re planning on parking on Main Street.
I’ll be following up with a post covering the culinary offerings in Galena.
