Galena, Illinois

This trip took place in February of 2021

Traveling while black: 3/10- we went for Valentine’s Day one year, the town is cute, but dead. Lots of political merchandise (with some underlying racial messages disguised as humour) in shops, boring, bland food, racist shop keepers. For example: A white family walked in the ice cream shop and the shopkeeper was so happy to see them and offered samples. I walk in (light medium skin, curly hair, & light eyes), and her demeanor changed so quick. She had a scowl and didnt offer me anything. She hesitated when I asked for a sample and I told her to keep her crappy ice cream and left. The other stores weren’t much better. White or black, 97% of the people around you aren’t fond of you and it shows. I’d rather dive in a swamp full of alligators and wont be back.

Food: The only positive experience was Timmerman’s in neighboring Dubuque. We ordered pizza to the Days Inn we stayed at, it was almost stolen by some weird man.

Things to do: tour the Grant House (encountered a racist tourist in our group there too), Walmart run in neighboring Dubuque, grab gas in Dubuque, walk the downtown. Camp if youre into that.

Price: on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being the cheapest and 5 being the most expensive, Galena is a 1.