Home Away From Home (Galena, IL)

Looking for a relaxing getaway in a beautiful setting? This 2-story, 2-bedroom townhouse is located in the Galena Territory, a 6800-acre resort area with rolling hills, woodlands, golf course, and 24 miles of walking trails. You will enjoy the peace and beauty surrounding the townhouse. This is truly a wonderful getaway for families and friends if you just want to just relax or if you want to be more active and enjoy walking, golfing, biking, tennis, horseback riding, or shopping in historic Galena. • THE TOWNHOUSE The townhouse sleeps up to six (6) people. The living room has a queen-size sleeper sofa (with memory foam mattress). The master bedroom is a suite with a queen-size bed, dresser, closet and full bathroom. The downstairs bedroom has two (2) twin beds, closet, and a door connected directly to a full bathroom. This bathroom has a sink area that can be closed off from the tub/shower to allow more than one person at the same time. The upper level of the townhouse includes an entry foyer w/ coat closet, master bedroom and master bath. The lower level has a full kitchen with refrigerator, stove/oven, microwave, dishwasher, coffee maker, toaster, and eat-at counter. The living/dining room has a 2-story high cathedral ceiling, skylights, and plenty of windows with views to the wooded area outside. The living room has a gas fireplace (which can be turned on or off with the flip of a switch), internet TV and sofa. Just outside the sliding glass doors is a wood deck with table and chairs for watching the flora and fauna and a sky full of stars on a clear night. Most of what you will need is provided including all bedding, pillows, blankets, towels, soap/shampoo, hair dryers, and paper goods. The kitchen is equipped with pots & pans, utensils, dinnerware, silverware, coffee, creamer (powdered), herbal teas, sugar, cooking oils and some seasonings. There are also cleaning supplies such laundry soap and dryer sheets for the washer/dryer, dish soap, and dishwashing liquid. • INTERNET Free wireless internet (WiFi) is included and there are two (2) flat screen TVs with Roku internet TV with access to Netflix, Amazon Video, and other TV/movie offerings. • GROCERIES If you plan to eat in during your stay, we suggest stopping at one of the grocery stores on your way to Galena. Otherwise, there are options within a short drive and even a General Store right on the grounds (although their prices are higher than normal). • IDEAL FOR CHILDREN If you're bringing small children, there is a pack-n-play and a high chair for your use. There are things to do in the area for younger children including playgrounds, indoor & outdoor swimming pools, and a game room in the Owner's Club. The outdoor activity pool there has a double slide and in-pool seating area; the zero-entry wading pool has bubblers and a frog slide for kids to enjoy. You can also rent cross country skis, sleds or ice skates from the Nordic Center and enjoy the snow covered hills (if there is snow that is!) or skating pond (when available). • FREE USE OF OWNER'S CLUB Six (6) proximity cards are available in the townhouse for guests to use to gain access into the Owner's Club located a short 5 minute drive away. It includes a full fitness center with Nautilus-style equipment, indoor olympic-size swimming pool with accessible ramp, outdoor swimming pool, indoor basketball court (not regulation size), and a game room with pool tables, ping-pong tables, TV, and video games. You can also sign up to use one of several tennis courts or play on the beautiful 63-hole golf course. The Business Center offers three computer stations with internet access. There is also a computer bar located outside the Business Center, plus the entire complex offers free wireless internet connectivity. • GALENA TERRITORY The Galena Territory is a semi-private, residential, recreational and resort community located in the northeast corner of Illinois, near the historic city of Galena. The territory boasts 6,800 acres of spectacular vistas, valleys, prairies and woodlands. The Territory has set aside 1,500 acres of protected recreational land. The remainder is filled with low-density residential development and Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa. The Galena Territory was designated a Community Wildlife Habitat™ by the National Wildlife Federation in 2010. There are 1,900 acres of recreational amenities and Lake Galena for boating and fishing. If you love walking, there are about 24 miles of trails right on the Galena Territory property. Some of them go up in the hills and lead to wood deck lookouts with beautiful views. Some go right along the water of Lake Galena. Activities in the Galena Territory include zipping thru the canopies of The Galena Territory on Long Hollow Canopy Tour’s new zipline course, or a leisurely horseback ride at the Shenandoah Riding Center. Or enjoy 63-holes of championship golf and award-winning restaurants at Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa. • SPA Need the next level of relaxation, you can make an appointment at the Stonedrift Spa located in the Eagle Ridge Resort main building. The 6,000 -square foot facility has certified and experienced spa professionals and 10 treatment rooms where therapies include couple’s massages, facials, and reflexology, energy therapies, teen and men’s services. The men’s and women’s locker rooms also feature state-of-the-art steam rooms. The relaxation room is a great place to unwind while awaiting treatment and the Spa Boutique offers the deluxe organic products for purchase which can be used during your treatment. • LAKE GALENA & MARINA One of The Galena Territory’s most cherished amenities is Lake Galena, a scenic 225-acre man-made lake perfect for anglers and boaters who enjoy observing nature on leisurely cruises. It boasts some of the best fishing in the area, with an abundance of smallmouth and largemouth bass, walleye, bluegill, channel catfish, perch and tiger muskie. The shoreline is designated Greenspace – land owned collectively by members of The Galena Territory Association – that cannot be purchased or developed. To protect the shoreline from erosion and keep the lake quiet, peaceful and attractive to wildlife, the lake is restricted to 10-horsepower motors. There is no swimming or water skiing. Two other special locations on Lake Galena are North Cove and Thunder Bay Falls Park. North Cove includes a picnic area, a small pavilion and barbecue grills. Thunder Bay Falls Park is located opposite Lake Galena’s spillway and dam. Hiking trails are available and fishing is allowed in the stream below the spillway. Two paths traverse the top and the base of the 17-foot-tall by 400-foot-long limestone retaining wall that leads to a popular observation point for a view of Lake Galena’s spillway. The Galena Territory Association’s Marina is located on Marina Drive and offers boat rentals and sells fuel and fishing licenses. The Marina features a well-stocked Bait & Tackle Shop for fishermen in need of live bait, extra lures, bobbers or perhaps a new rod and reel, and also sells pop, bottled water, chips, snacks and ice cream. The shop is open April through October. On the shoreline of Lake Galena, next to the Marina, you’ll find a number of recreational opportunities for family members of all ages to enjoy including a playground, picnic area, fish-cleaning shed as well three pickleball courts, a tennis court and volleyball courts. Other seasonal recreation opportunities include a badminton net and two horseshoe pits. • HISTORIC DOWNTOWN GALENA The townhouse is about a 15-minute drive to downtown historic Galena. This New England-style town was recently rated #1 in 2017 by Architectural Digest for “Most Beautiful Main Street in America”. It was also listed as one of “America’s Prettiest Towns” by Forbes Magazine in 2013. You will love the quaint, mile-long downtown area with unique gift shops, ice cream parlors, artist galleries, craft stores, specialty food shops, and restaurants. There are also many vineyards to explore outside of Galena. See the "Visit Galena" website for more detailed information including a calendar of events. • DINING In Galena, there are many options ranging from pub-style burger places to high end dining. One of our favorites is a French/German restaurant called Fritz and Frittes. It has one of the best steaks we’ve had. The Log Cabin is known for great steaks as well (although at higher prices). Durty Gurt's is known for their burgers. If you don’t want to leave the resort, there are four restaurants on the grounds. The Woodlands restaurant in the Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa has a good breakfast buffet and a stunning view from the bluff overlooking Lake Galena. We especially like the eggs benedict from the menu. There is an adjacent pub-style restaurant with a bar and large screen TV if you want to catch up on a game. Paisano's serves pizza and Italian sandwiches. There is another restaurant near the entrance of the Galena Territory called Highlands with 2 1/2 story windows facing a beautiful view of the valley. • WINTER ACTIVITIES Wintertime activies include skiing at Chestnut Mountain which is a 20 minute drive. Right on the grounds, you can cross country ski, ice skate on the pond, or go sledding on the many hills. You can rent equipment for these at the Nordic Center, which is within walking distance of the townhome. You also might want to go to downtown Galena at night to see the Christmas lights. Around the 2nd week of December, Galena has an event called Night of the Luminaria and Living Windows. The town puts over 5,000 candlelit luminaries lining the streets all around town and many of the shops downtown decorate their windows with Christmas scenes and live people acting out different characters.