This summer, San (the boyfriend) and I went on a mini-vacation to Galena, Illinois. It’s a tiny historical town with a main street full of the cutest shops. I had been there before and thought it would be a perfect little getaway for us because we don’t see each other very often in the summer.
When we arrived, I was reminded why I love tiny historical towns like this. There is just so much character! You cannot recreate the feel of these towns without years of history backing them up. Seriously, just look at the architecture.
This was my favorite building on that street. It wasn’t maintained as well as I would have liked, but it was gorgeous contrasted with all the dark brick. Who builds like that anymore? I just have not seen very many buildings like that in my lifetime, but I hope to change that. I hope to visit lots more places like this, even just for the architecture.
This is the biggest mansion in Galena called the Belvedere. We toured it (it was my second time through it). It really is amazing, but there are people actually living in it on the third floor, so it is more of a place where the owners show off what their money can buy (like props from Gone With The Wind and other things that have nothing to do with the house).
This is just a random house for sale. I wish I could have seen the inside!
Galena has a lot of visitors because of its history, so the town has big city amenities like a Walmart and a Ramada Inn on the outskirts of town. Luckily, in town the new buildings fit in with the old. Take this post office for example:
It’s new but it is gorgeous, just like everything else there.
The cityscape:
They even had trolleys!
The details were what really made me love this town, though. They preserved one of the cobblestone roads.
Many of the doorways of the stores still had what I believe was the original tile. I ate that up. It’s just so cool! Am I weird?
My favorite detail? This billboard on the side of a winery. With ivy. Can it get more gorgeous than that? The green with blue and purples?! I couldn’t take my eyes off of it.
I love these little towns so much! Does anyone have any recommendations for little historical towns or cities like this? I would love to make a list of them to visit.
This post is a part of Hooked on Fridays over at Hooked On Houses.
I love historical towns too! I’m so happy that there are laws in place to protect some of our beautiful buildings. I live in Texas (probably too far from you). Here’s a virtual snapshot of a cute town close to my city: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fredericksburg,_Texas
Those are great pictures Sarah. WOW I LOVE all the same things you do, honestly, the old buildings, streets, etc. What a great place, I want to visit there.
We have a town in Wa, called Leavenworth, and Winthrop is close by also. They are both great places to visit. We live about twenty five minutes from a place called Centralia, it has the old streets, buildings, train station. You would love it. MANY MANY antique and secondhand stores in Centralia also. :-) Hope you get to visit them soon. :-)
http://www.leavenworth.org/modules/pages/index.php?pageid=1
http://www.gonorthwest.com/Washington/cascades/winthrop/winthrop.htm
http://www.centraliaguide.com/ You cannot see it at this site……but there is an old Hotel, the Lewis and Clark, our daughter was married there. The Hotel had just been all restored inside, BEAUTIFUL!!! The street in front of the hotel is all red brick. SO GORGEOUS!!
Thanks so much. I would have never head of much less imagined a place like Galena. I hope there is enough business there to keep it going and to keep those beautiful buildings in use and maintained. I like the classy but restrained commercial buildings so much. Thanks again.
I like that one too.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/18814459@N00/3875362678/
One of the urn blog posts has a row of identical urns each planted with one of those tall shaggy ornamental grasses.
There are so many more I don’t have pictures of.
That is such a cute town! I have a few little towns with cute main streets for ya. :)
Eufaula, Alabama is probably one of my favorite places because they have a bunch of old historic mansions to drool over.
A town I’ve always wanted to go see was Guthrie, Oklahoma.
Etowah, Tennessee has a slew of antique shops along the main street. About an hours to hour half drive from Etowah is Sevierville, and you might as well drive to Cades Cove while you’re at it. :)