Galena and the Cloran
July 22nd, 2021: Isn’t this exactly what you picture when you envision small town USA? Galena, Illinois, has got it all—charm, everything local, friendly faces—even an old-fashioned ice cream parlor.
As far as small towns go, Galena, Illinois, is one of the best we've got. And the best place to spend the night is at the Cloran Mansion Bed & Breakfast. Galena's one of those places where you step back in time and shift to a simpler, calmer frame of mind. So it's only right to carry those quaint, easy vibes into your overnight stay.
Of all the charming features I found at the Cloran Mansion, perhaps the smallest of all stuck with me the most. It wasn't the gorgeous garden or the lovely gazebo that sits in it. It wasn't the elegant dining room that was dressed nicer on a random Wednesday in July than a traditional holiday table—picture crystalware and golden napkin rings. It wasn't the fireplace in my room, "Alice's room," although that really was lovely.
Nope, the thing that instantly earned the Cloran Mansion a special place in my memory and heart was the doorknob to my room. As soon as I spotted it, I knew—this place was for me. It could have been porcelain, and it looked to be hand-painted with a colorful, earthy scene. The knob's ornate backplate reminded me of the filigree on an antique mirror. All this beauty pressed up against a hardwood door backdrop charmed me.
It also told me, perhaps subconsciously, that the level of care and attention the innkeepers pay at the Cloran Mansion is unparalleled. If they care enough to make even their doorknobs exquisite, you can just imagine how outstanding their breakfast must be. The other thing about this special knob is that doorways tend to feel like portals to me. Sometimes a door is just a door, and its demeanor doesn't convey anything that makes you feel like you're on the edge of greatness and wonder. But in the case of Alice's room at the Cloran Mansion, it was like I was coming home to a place I'd never been before.
And it's worth mentioning that you don't have to be well-to-do to stay here. It's not an extravagantly lavish "mansion." Instead, it's a modest mansion turned bed and breakfast by a family that's mastered the art of Midwestern hospitality.
During my one-night stay, I really had to convince myself to eventually go to sleep. I was having too much fun just being awake in my special room. My attention was torn between the dancing fireplace on the wall and watching Field of Dreams on my laptop. I watched that movie for the first time that night, knowing I'd be driving to the Field of Dreams movie site in Dyersville, Iowa, the next day. At breakfast, I learned that parts of that movie were shot in downtown Galena. I got the chills. I had fallen in love with the movie the night before. So, naturally, I had to drive back into town just one more time before heading for Iowa. I could've walked Main Street all day.
I loved every minute of my time in the Midwest. My whole trip felt like a dream I never wanted to wake up from. I'd actually like to repeat this exact route someday, but who am I kidding—I'd end up beefing it up with all kinds of new sites, turning a 3,885-mile adventure into the kind of journey that could require an oil change along the way. But, like I always say, there is so much to see right here in the heartland.
