As you travel west from Lake Michigan, the land gradually becomes hilly. In the state’s northwest corner you’ll find the highest point in Illinois at an elevation of 1,235 feet. Tucked in the verdant hills here is the supremely picturesque town of Galena. Once a mining town and bustling Mississippi River port, it’s now an idyllic gem of a place with carefully restored historic homes, lovingly tended flower gardens, and moving tributes to its most famous resident, General Ulysses S. Grant, who later became our 18th president.
images courtesy of the Illinois Bureau of Tourism at www.enjoyillinois.com: image #1 courtesy of Starved Rock Lodge and Conference Center, image #2 courtesy of Stephenson County Convention and Visitors Bureau, image #3 courtesy of Tobias Miller