Christmas bells…and wedding bells!

Visitors to Galena, IL, will find this QR code very helpful, both before and during their trip. Simply scan the QR code with your phone and you will be taken to a calendar of events in Galena for the current week. The calendar is updated every Monday and is provided by Galena's marketing arm, Galena Country. The link also takes visitors to a City of Galena parking map as well as a host of other resources. Check it out!

Warmer weather makes many of us eager to spend more time outdoors. Galena , Illinois, is one of the best places in the Midwest to enjoy the beauty of nature. With its rolling hills and scenic vistas, Galena offers a wonderful opportunity to breathe and relax. There are too many places in Galena Country to mention in one blog post. Here are three ideas, though, to help make your trip to Galena a memorable one, as well as some links for obtaining more information. Blackjack Road: Horseshoe Mound (pictured above) is about a ten-minute drive from Cloran Mansion and is located off of Blackjack Road. It offers a magnificent birds-eye view of Galena as you look out toward Wisconsin and Iowa. There are two relatively short trails, viewing scopes, and plenty of good bird and butterfly watching. Casper Bluff Nature Preserve is a short drive from Horseshoe Mound, down Blackjack Road. In addition to hiking trails through prairies and bluffs, the Preserve is also the site of Native American burial mounds. Horseshoe Mound and Casper Bluff are free and also dog friendly. Hoof It Goat Treks: This memorable adventure takes visitors on a 1.25 mile hike over land owned by the Goat Trek family for generations. Through wooded lands and prairies, guests are accompanied by one of nature's most sociable animals, the goat. Of course, treats along the way don't hurt in making these goats so sociable. Hoof It is about 15 minutes from Cloran Mansion and offers events besides the walks, such as bonfires and live music. Kayaks and Bikes: The Galena River offers tranquil kayaking opportunities, suitable for the beginner and enjoyable for all. Nuts Outdoors in Galena rents kayaks and is under five minutes from Cloran Mansion. For biking, a great option is the Galena River Trail. It offers a nine-mile journey from downtown Galena to Chestnut Mountain. Because Galena is a hilly place, electric bikes are popular, and Nuts Outdoors rents these as well. To see more information about these places in and near Galena, here are some helpful websites: Horseshoe Mound Casper Bluff Nature Preserve Hoof It Galena River Trail Nuts Outdoors Galena Country We hope that you will make it out to Galena to enjoy all the natural beauty this area of the Midwest offers!

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Over the summer we had a guest from Florida check in named Michael Steighner. We did not know him, but in striking up a conversation with him, we learned that he was on a special journey. His goal was to visit all 50 states, in different stages, over the course of 12 months, the year he was turning 60. He was recording his stops along the way for his YouTube channel. On this portion of his mission, he flew into Chicago and then made Galena his first stop in a visit to the upper Midwest. Here is a link to Episode 28 , in which he features Cloran Mansion. Michael's YouTube channel is called simply Michael Steighner. You can go there to see Episodes 26 and 27, which are about the Galena area. Episode 29 is about Berning Acres, which is a wonderful family dairy farm just minutes from us. They offer tours as well as other fun events. Thank you, Michael! It was such a pleasure to meet you, and we wish you well, wherever your travels take you!

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The Galena Brew Fest returns to Chestnut Mountain on Saturday, July 20, from 1-4 p.m.! This annual event features local and regional beer, wine and spirits. Proceeds benefit the Galena Arts & Recreation Center, which does wonderful work for northwestern Illinois. A ticket includes wristband, glass and 30 sampling tickets. Attendees must be 21 and older. The cost is $35, or $40 the day of the event. The cost of a designated-driver ticket is $5. Live music will be provided by Sam Wooden. Tickets can be purchased in advance at www.galenaarc.org/galena-brew-fest

There will be plenty of opportunities in June to listen to live music while visiting Galena. Here is a listing of dates and venues: June 1 -- Concert at the Vineyard with Danny Parker, Fergedaboudit Vineyard, 1:30-5 p.m. June 1 -- Galena Cellars Downtown, Marty Raymon, 5-8 p.m. June 1 -- Galena Eagles Club, Ten Gallon Hat, 7-10 p.m. June 1 -- Music in the Vines with Scott Waterhouse, Galena Cellars Vineyard, 1-4 p.m. June 1 -- Irish Dancers at Frank O'Dowd's Irish Pub and Grill, 5-5:30 p.m. June 2 -- Music in the Vines with the Danny Parker Project, Galena Cellars Vineyard, 12-3 p.m. June 6 -- Frank O'Dowd's Irish Pub & Grill, Andrew Huber, 7-10 p.m. June 7 -- Frank O'Dowd's Irish Pub & Grill, Ian Gould, 8-11 p.m. June 8 -- Gay Pride Picnic, Grant Park, 12-5 p.m. June 8 -- Karaoke, Galena Eagles Club, 7-10 p.m. June 8 -- Fergedaboudit Vineyard, Vince Amore, 1:30-5 p.m. June 8 -- Frank O'Dowd's Irish Pub & Grill, Ian Gould, 8-11 p.m. June 8 -- Galena Cellars Downtown, The Danny Parker Project, 5-8 p.m. June 8 -- Music in the Vines with Steve Kalmes, Galena Cellars Vineyard, 1-4 p.m. June 13 -- Live at the Plaza, Green Street Plaza, 5-8 p.m. June 13 -- Frank O'Dowd's Irish Pub & Grill, Meghan Davis, 7-10 p.m. June 14 -- Frank O'Dowd's Irish Pub & Grill, Hearthfire Duo, 8-11 p.m. June 15 -- Hoof'n & Groove'n, Hoof It Goat Treks, 6-9 p.m. June 15 -- Turner Hall, Hunter Fuerste & His American Vintage Orchestra, 6 p.m. June 15 -- Karaoke, Galena Eagles Club, 7-10 p.m. June 15 -- Fergedaboudit Vineyard, Kara Gordon, 1:30-5 p.m. June 15 -- Galena Cellars Downtown, Rebel Wells, 5-8 p.m. June 15 -- Music in the Vines with Take the Pearl, Galena Cellars Vineyard, 1-4 p.m. June 15 -- The Tony Ocean Dinner Show, Fergedaboudit Vineyard, 6:30 p.m. June 15 -- Frank O'Dowd's Irish Pub & Grill, Hearthfire Duo, 8-11 p.m. June 21 -- Frank O'Dowd's Irish Pub & Grill, Andreas Transo, 8-11 p.m. June 22 -- Corkless in Galena, Depot Park, 12-6 p.m. June 22 -- Karaoke, Eagles Club, 7-10 p.m. June 22 -- Fergedaboudit Vineyard, Lenny Wayne, 1:30-5 p.m. June 22 -- Frank O'Dowd's Andreas Transo, 8-11 p.m. June 22 -- Galena Cellars Downtown, Dan Peart, 5-8 p.m. June 22 -- Music in the Vines, Galena Cellars Vineyard, Steve McIntyre, 1-4 p.m. June 23 -- Sea Shanties Sunday, Frank O'Dowd's, 6-8 p.m. June 27 -- Live at the Plaza, Green Street Plaza, 5-8 p.m. June 29 -- Hoof'n & Groove'n, Hoof It Goat Treks, 6-9 p.m. June 29 -- Karaoke, Eagles Club, 7-10 p.m. June 29 -- Fergedaboudit Vineyard, Gabe Schillman, 1:30-5 p.m. June 29 -- Galena Cellars Downtown, Daniel Zaccaro, 5-8 p.m. June 29 -- Music in the Vines, Galena Cellars Vineyard, Jim Mantey, 1-4 p.m. June 30 -- Frank O'Dowd's, Meghan Davis, 6-8 p.m. 

Just wanted to share a painting that Pat Holland completed for us this week. Pat is a Galenian treasure. She has been decorating cakes for Cloran Mansion for many years. Those of you who have been married here or have had a cake here for any other reason very likely know the tremendous quality of her work and the care she puts into whatever she takes on. But beyond cake decorating, Pat is also an accomplished artist. She has a business called Pat Holland Illustrations, which creates paintings/drawings of homes and buildings like the one she just completed for Cloran Mansion. The business includes a lot of other illustrations as well, such as of pets, flora and fauna, landscapes and "life portraits" -- a portrait of an individual accompanied by other objects/people to provide a sort of composite "picture" of that person's life. She works in acrylic paint, like she did for us, as well as in pencil and ink. Pat has also worked on restoring broken statues, as she did for St. Mary's and St. Michael's churches in Galena. I encourage you to take a look at her Facebook page -- Pat Holland Illustrations. She has lots of examples of her work as well as a way to contact her if you are interested in having her complete an illustration for you. Pat's humility is well-known to all who know her. But all who have benefited from her skills and creativity know how much Galena is enriched by her presence here.  Thanks, Pat!

It was a frigid day Saturday afternoon, with several new inches of snow on the ground and windchills at -10. But it was a lovely and warm atmosphere inside the Cloran Mansion, as Townsend & Christine made their marriage vows in our dining room! The atmosphere was also patriotic, as Christine is a Major in the U.S. Army and Townsend is a soon-to-be Major. Christine is currently stationed at the ROTC program at the University of Illinois. Townsend is about to be deployed to South Korea for several months, so there was no stopping them from making the day a wonderful one, whatever it was doing outside! The best man was Simba, who obviously found the time to obtain a matching tie for the special occasion. Best wishes to all three as they begin a new journey together!