Driving across the northern part of Illinois is a study in determination--will you be bored to sleep before reaching your destination? Then, as a cosmic reward for your endurance, you enter Jo Daviess County and are transported to another world.
In this world, the trees form a canopy over the road, the crickets sing you to sleep at night and the hills roll gently toward the horizon.
I made the trip Friday afternoon and arrived in The Galena Territory to find the first hint of fall touching the tips of a handful of trees. Another two weeks and this place will be ablaze with the red, orange and yellow of autumn.
I'm staying at the Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa just outside the historic town of Galena. It's a sprawling resort encompassing almost 11 square miles of land. The accommodations range from your standard hotel room at the inn to a huge, eight-bedroom house a couple of miles away from the registration desk. My spot is a cozy two-bedroom unit with full kitchen overlooking Lake Geneva. I'm on the screened-in porch, the golden sunset serving as my muse. The only downside for me: You really need a car here since everything is so far away.
We spent the morning on a horseback ride, one of the best beginner trail rides I have experienced. The horses walked nose to tail, but we trekked up and down hills, around bends and through the woods, so it was far more interesting than your basic ride on the flatlands around Chicago. To join the trail ride, kids must be at least four feet tall and weigh at least 65 pounds. Younger, smaller kids can do pony rides.
We headed into Galena for the afternoon. It's a quaint town overrun with kitschy shops and filled with history. Since I'm not much of a shopper, I hopped on the one-hour Tri-State Trolley tour of town. Ron McIntyre, a Galena resident and history buff, drives the trolley and shares his wealth of knowledge about the town, its historic houses and its most famous resident, Civil War General and U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant. The one kid on our tour was a little bored, but I loved it.
We headed back to Eagle Ridge and spent an hour tooling around the lake on a pontoon boat ($50 for one hour but the boat can accommodate 10 people.) This was a much more popular choice for the kids, who took a turn at the wheel. As we headed back into the dock, we watched two hot air balloons rise over the trees. It's one of those things I'll do one day on a very special occasion, since the price is very steep.