My wife and I came to Galena during the same weekend the last 2 years to visit the annual County Fair and do some shopping. Last year we stayed at the DeSoto Hotel which was conveniently located on the main street, but lacked the amenities and quiet of a B&B. This year we opted to try the Victorian Mansion which is located high on the hill overlooking downtown and Grant Park. It was the ideal location for the Fair and shopping. When we stopped in last year to investigate, we were impressed with the owner who greeted us at the door. This year, we found that the daughter is now the innkeeper. We loved the porch with rocking chairs and the gardens on the property. We also had our wine on the 2nd floor balcony overlooking the grounds. Parking is limited in the front of the building, but they allowed us to park in the back lot. We enjoyed conversing with the other guests and sharing breakfast with them the next morning. Christine, the innkeeper, gave us a brief history of the house and she and Chaucey served breakfast. We dined on fruit, a bran muffin and quiche with freshly squeezed orange juice and coffee. The breakfast , however, was only fair. Except for the OJ, everything else seemed to be store bought rather than home made. All in all, it was a nice experience. However, for $200, we have stayed in even nicer B&Bs for less.







