Galena Foodie Adventures

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!

This Saturday, December 16th, Bed & Breakfast Inns of Galena will be hosting its Mistletoe Stroll. All are welcome. It can be an especially nice event for residents of Galena who typically drive by the many wonderful bed and breakfasts everyday in Galena but because they live here have had no particular reason to go inside. The participating inns besides the Cloran Mansion are: Lamberson Guest House, Steamboat House, Farmers Guest House, Belle Aire Mansion, Jail Hill Inn and Hawk Valley Retreat & Cottages (who did a great job organizing the event). Those purchasing the $10 ticket can visit these inns in any order, have a treat, and enjoy the Christmas decorations. The event lasts from 1-4 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advance until Friday at 6 p.m. at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mistletoe-stroll-tour-of-holiday-houses-tickets-693260479757?aff=oddtdtcreator&fbclid=IwAR039sVA3gj3aKuRbi08q9oJfZASsmaqMRVS9sSs9sWXvylelpqMHvdKO6g Tickets can also be purchased during the event at any of the participating inns. All proceeds benefit local charities. We hope you can make it!

Christmas is a magical time in Galena. We hope you can make it out this December! And weekdays offer some real advantages.

Last week, Cloran Mansion was closed so that we could undertake a number of renovations and not disturb guests. The biggest of these projects was renovations to the tower of the house. The siding of the tower consisted of green cedar shingles, but many of these had begun to deteriorate after years of, well, weather in northwestern Illinois. Harrington and Sons Construction took on this project, replacing the old cedar with faux cedar of a similar color. These shingles should have a life span of forty or fifty years, putting the Cloran in a good position for decades to come. Next up was the cresting that sits on top of the tower. Cresting, the decorative metal fencing that sits on top of the tower, was a feature of Victorian homes like the Cloran, built in 1880. The old cresting had begun to rust through and break. After we ordered new, similar steel cresting and painted it, Harrington took care of the installation for us. It's a little beyond the reach of our tallest ladder. Another exterior project was replacing the shutters on the front of the house (actually, we took care of most of these a couple of weeks back). Inside, Paul worked on re-staining the bannister that leads to the second floor to rejuvenate the look at little bit. Finally, Rockford Refinishing took care of refinishing the double Jacuzzi tubs in two of our rooms -- Antonio's Cottage and Ann's Room. Both tubs now have a sparkling white new surface. We thought you would enjoy a little peek wth the slideshow below!

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Congratulations to Dena and Jeff Windham from Bettendorf, Iowa. They were married here on Sunday in front of our gazebo on a beautiful autumn day. This picture about says it all!

Cloran Mansion joins new B&B Group

Congratulations to our latest wedding couple, Alura and Josh Naylon! Alura and Josh live in Sterling, Il., and were married midweek here at Cloran Mansion. It was a pleasure having them here, and we wish them a lifetime of happiness together! For more information on elopements or small weddings here, please visit www.cloranmansion.com/weddings .