Illinois Northwest - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 639

Drive 67
Illinois Northwest
With the Father of Waters as its frequent companion, this graceful stretch of road
through the northwest corner of Illinois takes a riverside journey back through
time.
Length: About 110 miles
When to go: Popular year-round, but most beautiful in autumn
Not to be missed: Annual eagle watches at Albany, Fulton, Galena, and Rock Island;
Nouveau Wine Festival, Galena
Nearby attraction: Mt.Carroll(historic19th-centurytown),ninemileseastofSavanna
on Rte. 52/64
Further information: Illinois Office of Tourism
www.enjoyillinois.com
1. Galena
Setting out from East Dubuque, the drive breezes southeast via Rtes. 20 and 84 to Galena,
a 19th-century boomtown beautifully preserved as a living museum. Perched above the
Galena River, a Mississippi tributary that once carried lead ore to market, Galena (Latin for
“lead”)wasabustlingportinthemiddleofthe19thcentury.Ultimately,however,themines
played out, the river silted up, and railroads undercut the price of river shipping.
SincethentimehasstoodstillforGalena,andtoday'svisitorsarenothinglessthangrate-
ful. Charmingly restored brick and limestone mansions are now bed-and-breakfast inns, and
MainStreetislinedwithantiquestoresandgalleries.Whentouringthetown,besuretovisit
the Galena History Museum, and don't miss the Belvedere Mansion, the limestone Dowling