” The Galena Territory- Eagle Ridge Resort “25 Hours of Perfection”

The “Staycation” is something I have been talking ( and writing) about for a while. While many of us would truly love to get away for weeks at a time, often our work schedules or in fact, life schedules, do not allow for special trips on a regular basis. That is why the “Staycation” become a valuable tool in enjoying the days we are given. As you know, Jane and I have taken a few of these during the summer months and just returned from historical Galena Illinois and the amazing Eagle Ridge Resort. We were there for approx. 25 hours, and they were filled with special moments.

Galena, often refered to as the Galena Territory ( General U. S. Grant is from this area) has a population of 3,500 residents., including the resort and its owners. They have a downtown area that is filled with great dining expereinces and lots of specialty shops. When you drive into the “downtown” area on Main Street, you almost feel as if you have gone back in time..and the people are as friendly as one can possibly imagine.

The resort itself is about 6 miles away from the downtown. Jane and I took off from Northbrook on Thursday morning and in spite of having some wrong data on Google maps, arrived around lunch time ( I think door to door was 164 miles). We checked in and then went to the Woodlands for lunch. This is on premise and has two areas, one for breakfast, where had a divine buffet on Friday morning, and the other more or less a cocktail lounge/saloon with amazing food items and a great martini. Jane enjoyed her grilled chicken sandwich and I truly loved the salmon wrap I ate.

When we finished lunch, we drove over to our suite. Let me tell you about how Eagle Ridge is set up. The main lodge, where the dining rooms and indoor pool are as well as a ladies shop and a bridal planning office is, has rooms, but on the vast property, there are also cabins, townhomes and single family homes that can accomodate any and all parties that one might bring to this amazing location. We were in a condo that is privately owned and rented through Eagle Ridge. We entered from a cul-de-sac, and on the entry floor, a bedroom and bath. Down the stairs, a kitchen, living room, dining area and a full bath. The patio overlooks the property and allows for the feeling of having a home on the golf course with a lake view.

The lake is man made and huge. Jane and I were taken on a pontoon boat for a tour where we could see the different types of homes nestled along the greenery of the area. We could also see the areas that have been built to accomodate the many celebrations ( in particular weddings) on the property. We could even see the golfers from the lake. Many of the condo and homeowners rent out their units, but also come with their families for periods of time. While touring the grounds from the lake, we also spotted a family of deer running through the brush. It was a wonderful adventure to be had on a Thursday afternoon.

After the boat tour, we went to our condo to have a little R & R before heading out to dinner at another dining space on the grounds. It is called  Highlands and is very near to the entrance of the “Resort”, where they also have a country store and gas station. The Highlands is just featuring a new menu that is very BBQ orientated, and I must confess, we were ready to dig in!  The appetizer that we selected ( and were advised by our server, Kathy) was the “Burnt Ends and Corn Dip”: smoked beef brisket burnt ends, corn dip and house made corn tortilla chips- they were special and the serving probably was for four, rather than just the two of us, but it was so special, we ate more than normal. The entree’s we opted for were the smoked baby back ribs ( spice rubbed and slowly braised) and with the sauce, divine, and the second choice to share the grilled salmon ( Atlantic filet, honey and balsamic glazed). Each came with two sides, and since we were being adventurous, we did the apple spiked coleslaw, smoker dripped BBQ baked beans, garlic mashed potatoes and the sweet potato fries. A lot of food and great flavors.

One of the exotic things about Eagle Ridge is their lights out program- no outside lights after 1 a.m. and with there  being no street lamps throughout the “territory”, it is hard to get around, SO, they have drivers and vans, and are avaialble to get you to and fro. We were driven to the dining space, and when we were checking out, they called the front desk and our return ride was there to bring us home. Once home ( as we thought of it), we showered and prepared for the next morning. An early rise, breakfact buffet and each of us having a Swedish Massage. This would be the second one for me, and in contrast  to the last one, I was kind of looking forward to it.

The breakfast buffet was amazing and they made custom omelettes as well. To my surprise ( after all, we were in Galena), they had bagels, lox and cream cheese on the buffett. We enjoyed this meal, again at the Woodlands, and after doing our check-out, drove across the street to the  Stonedrift Spa, a huge building where they do nails, hair,wellness programs and of course massages. I was ready for number two. Jane went to the ladies locker room, and I to the men’s where I donned a robe and slippers, and went to the lounge to wait for my call. Christy ( the lead wellness coordinator) called my name and escorted me into her station. The massage was a bit different from my first at Salt Cave in Buffalo Grove, but once again, I found myself falling asleep and was deifinitely “putty in the hands” of Christy. I know now that my first massage being great was no fluke and I now know what I was missing for 70 plus years.

After our massgaes, we drove into the downtown area, did a bit of shopping and headed back home. Driving through the resort and looking at the amazing 4 golf courses I thought about what a dream staycation a golfer could have here. In fact, a golfer would probably be a great candidate to buy one of the many homes on premise so thay could play golf often without ever leaving home. They have amazing winter programs at Eagle Ridge as well.. Jane and I were only here for a little more than a day and yet, felt like we had been away for a weekend or more. The staff drove us around and showed us where the stables were, as well as the amazing Thunder Fall and the golf courses ( up front and close). For more information or to plan your own “staycation” visit www.eagleridge.com. For the spa www.eageridge.com/galena-spa