SAVANNA TO GALENA, IL

May 30 Saturday
30 miles all uphill!

This was a great ride and we certainly rode UP to Galena! About eight miles before arriving in Galena we hit the ski resort and then down a 15% grade(according to the caution sign) which eventually took us on in to town. While riding up one of the hills I asked Rusty what was the next bike adventure he wanted to do. Stopping at the top of one of the hills to catch our breath we get another RUSTY WISDOM: "May I suggest you don't propose another long bike ride while I'm laboring up the hill." Followed by " This isn't the same Illinois we've been riding through. These are hills like Kentucky and Tennessee but without the garbage in the front yards. "
I tried to capture the beauty of looking out over the valleys and farms from the mountain tops but I'm sure the pictures won't be as beautiful.
Riding into the little town of Hanover, about 16 miles before Galena we notice a Farmers Market sign. We had been wanting to visit a Farmers Market along this ride but we've either arrived in town too early or too late. This one was going on as we rode in so we stopped by. It consisted of four vendors. One selling plants, another selling homemade barbecue sauce, one with homemade pies and one with breads and muffins. The easiest for us to carry was a load of bread and we enjoyed a taste of Hanover in a lemon/rhubarb muffin.
Galena is the second tourist spot in Illinois after Chicago. We could see why. It was founded as a lead mine town in the middle 1800's but when the mines played out the town died. Because of poverty the buildings were not replaced or renovated until 1960 when the town took advantage of Urban Renewal. A few buildings on the edge of town were taken down with the plan to replace with updated modern buildings when the towns people came to their senses and said "WAIT!" "Let's restore this charming town not tear it down." So they did and it is amazing! Downtown is full of old buildings with classy shops and unique boutiques, award winning restaurants. The area has thirty-nine Bed & Breakfasts to further enchant the visitors. The town also boasts homes where U.S. Grant lived.
The Galena River used to be a port 3 1/2 miles from it's confluence with the Mississippi but was narrowed due to the mining waste. This was one of the reasons the town "dried up". The river is now used for water sports, canoeing and kayaking. In 1937 the town was flooded with water level five feet up on the walls downtown. The Corps of Engineers erected flood gates to protect the town. The gates are closed manually and reinforced with sand bags.The town is rich with arts and museums and has become a destination town. There was a two page events list just for that weekend we were there. This Friday night was "Music on Main St" and we sat on the grassy hill side in the park along the river and listened to the live music and soaked up the ambiance of Galena.