19 More Reasons to Make a Trip to Galena

Galena might be the perfect place to get away.

Short Drive

It's just a short hour & a half drive from the Quad Cities. You might add an extra few minutes if you go up on the Illinois side up 84. In the fall, the view of the trees on the drive is 100% worth it.

(I guess I'm at that age where "pretty trees" dictate my vacation route)

Plus they have that lookout tower that stands above a seemingly endless valley. You can spend hours just checking out that view.

Rich History

The homes and hotels (now bars) that former presidents have stayed at make this place a must-see. "The oldest city in northern Illinois, Galena was more populous than Chicago at one time and has the infrastructure for a city three times its current population." -MississippiValleyTraveler.com

Shopping

I'm told their shopping district is second to none. Many stores line the winding, brick-laden streets. From apothecarys to specialty gift shops to ice cream shops and more.

But I wouldn't know about the shopping necessarily. I'm more interested in the bars.

New Bar in Galena

There are plenty of hole-in-the-wall options for you to kill that thirst. But there's a new place in Galena that I need to check out.

Galena Taphouse opened last week at 215 Diagonal Street. They will feature drinks from 19 different breweries within a 200-mile radius according to the Telegraph Herald.

According to a Facebook post, you can expect beers from Greentree Brewery, Potosi, Lena Brewing Co, Backpocket and Millstream to name a few.