Yes, it did indeed take this long to finally download all my photos from my Galena, Illinois/Dubuque, Iowa trip from a couple of weeks ago. Not having my own camera with me sucks big time. While my own camera is currently enjoying an Eastern European atmosphere with my father and mother overseas, I get stuck with a six year old Kodak with no more than four mega pixel quality and annoying habit of not being a bit more modernized.
Upon the day we were due to arrive in Galena, we managed to run around Rockford, Illinois in a huge circle after getting lost. By the time we drove into Galena the sun was setting and we were painfully exhausted, but we managed to enjoy our time at a lovely Italian restaurant, Vinny Vannucci's. Enjoying the really great winery atmosphere, we proceeded to walk around main street the next day, not yet getting around to snapping any photos. By the time I did want to start taking photos, it was Day Three and we were heading into a visit to Dubuque, Iowa and we realized our camera's memory card was still in the comforts of home back in Chicago. However, even in the middle of nowhere, Wal-mart Supercenters sure do come in handy.
Galena's rich history, which I will expand more on in the next week or so, includes its mining past, famous United States presidents who lived and visited and many old haunts taunted by ghosts. Actually, sitting inside Vannucci's, my beloved's brother and his wife told us the story of one restaurant that was haunted by children playing and every so often a mysterious red ball and appears and disappears inside the old haunt.
Pictured is Galena and Illinois' oldest home, The Dowling House. Ain't she a beauty? Ok, this house is not exactly a work of art but for being built in 1826, it certainly is not looking too shabby.
4 comments:
Not the most exciting house I've ever seen, but it ain't bad. It does get some points for being historic.
Yea, I am not that excited by it either, Steven. When my guy pointed it out, he said "It says here it's the oldest house in Illinois." I said something along the lines of "They couldn't find better architecture?"
I only went to Galena once, when I was about 12 years old or so ('75), and have long wanted to make the time to go back and visit it again. It's a shame how when you grow up in a place like Chicago, with so much to see, it's so easy to ignore all the history right around you.
For some reason the Dowling House stands out the most from that long ago visit. I can remember the lady who was conducting the tours that day showing us pictures of the house in ruins in the 1950's, before they restored it. I was fascinated by the fact that they had reused the original stones for the flooring, although they had been recut and fitted professionally, resulting in a more modern look.
Great photo!
I don't know why we didn't do the Dowling House tour. I guess we just didn't have time for it, but now I am intrigued by your description, Dave. I think that if we do plan on ever going back (which we hope to in the near future) I am definately going to pay more attention to it. A relaitive was telling us of another house tour where when they did the restoration, they bought a mansion somewhere in New York just to get the antique Tiffany chadeliers. I definately want to take a look at that one next time as well.
Galena is a great family fun atmosphere. I think kids and adults have so much to learn in terms of history and the storytelling is quite interesting at that.
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