06/25/2026
It isn't often that Casey Johnson and I get to experience Galena as visitors rather than business owners, but this weekend reminded us exactly why we fell in love with this place in the first place. ❤️Just wanted to shoutout some of our faves from this last weekend!
Downtown was absolutely buzzing. I've never seen so many people strolling Main Street, and it genuinely feels like tourism in Galena has gone from strength to strength. We started by walking across the Pride Bridge / Pride Steps 🌈 (hats off to Visit Galena for creating something so welcoming and visible), before popping into Galena Spoon Co. to admire their extensive spoon collection. Then it was off to where I found the perfect gift for my niece who lives in England.
One of our favorite discoveries was if you haven't tried the churros yet, "do yourself a flavor". They're honestly incredible. ☕
We wandered through Gustafson Grey and admired some beautiful jewelry, checked out and picked up some really fun gifts from / and then had what might genuinely have been the best sandwich I've ever eaten at . And where else are you getting a $7 martini that comes with a macaron?! Are you kidding me!?
Later we grabbed another drink at , enjoyed the live music, and then escaped the crowds to experience the peaceful Great Galena Balloon Race from a boat out on Lake Galena. Watching the hot air balloons drift across the evening sky was pure magic!
Before heading back to Chicago we stopped into , where the team couldn't have been kinder, wandered past the historic Dowling House, and finished the weekend with brunch at Otto's Place_ —which was the perfect way to end an amazing couple of days.
Sometimes you need to experience your own destination through fresh eyes, and Galena absolutely delivered.
If you're looking for your next weekend escape, make it Galena. We'd love to host you at one of our Boutique Home Group homes - they're the perfect base for exploring everything this incredible town has to offer. ❤️