Galena, Illinois was an 1800s boom town, heavily reliant on the iron industry. Iron ore mining drew thousands of people from all walks of life. That was our stop yesterday.
Today, another quaint, historical town from the 1800s, Amana, Iowa. There are a total of seven villages that are referred to as The Amana Colonies, a German settlement, with Main Amana, or just Amana, as the most visited. They are known for their food, handcrafted solid wood furniture and woolen mill/woven fabrics. They’re also quilters and crafters and bakers. Yes some good baking there!
It is always fun to visit Amana. Their Maifest and Christmas holidays are amazingly fun. We took our oldest grandson with us to visit this time. A first visit for him. Again, it isn’t prime tourist season so it wasn’t busy yet most of the shops were open. We checked out the furniture store and saw where they make the furniture. The woolen mill and where the weaving happens. Of course Nana had to do a little shopping. But the highlight was an outstanding sandwich for lunch at the Ox Yoke Inn.
Ever traveling through Iowa on I-80, it is worth a few mile detour to the north to experience this national historic landmark.
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