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Destinations
Made in Galena Print E-mail
Summer 2006 - Destinations
Written by Amy Deis   

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Galena, Illinois 

Tiny shops selling handmade jewelry and coffee mugs dot the winding main street of a gracefully aging downtown. Children tug their parents’ hands as they stroll past the local café and coffee shop.

“You feel like you’re in a little different time, a different place,” said Scott Bishop, a resident of Chicago who visited the town for a weekend.

Known for its art and architecture, Galena, Ill., thrives on tourists who enjoy stepping back in time, watching a potter create a teapot or receiving tips on how to make beaded jewelry.

Galena residents know their town offers more than souvenir shops to visitors. It offers a chance to appreciate many kinds of art.

Building a Foundation

Almost every building along the main street of Galena features a 19th-century Italianate rooftop, flat with scalloped overhangs. Scott Wolfe, historical librarian for the Galena Public Library District and historian at the Desoto House Hotel, said Galena has such well-preserved buildings because the town did not have adequate funding to renovate in the mid-20th century. Town officials opted to keep the old buildings, which still stand today on the aged downtown streets.

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From Pickaxes to Flippers Print E-mail
Summer 2006 - Destinations
Written by Roger Meissen   
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Bonne Terre Mine, Bonne Terre, Missouri  

    Deep underground, the Bonne Terre mine awaits a certain kind of explorer. 
Scuba diver Bob Dulay fits the bill—which is lucky considering Dulay drove 400 miles for the experience. 

The billion-gallon underground lake that used to be a working lead mine draws visitors year-round, but its winter temperature of 58 degrees pulls in the real crowds.

“Where else are you gonna go in the center of the nation in the middle of winter without freezing water or ice diving?” Bonne Terre manager Donna Jones asked.

Dulay and more than 60 other divers set off on this underwater adventure in late February in Bonne Terre, Mo. They traveled from cities as far as Indianapolis and Chicago in hope of an unforgettable experience.

And they found it in the Bonne Terre mine.

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