Smells like Gilmore Girls and Christmas
Does twice make a tradition? Last weekend, my mom and I did our second annual trip to Galena, Illinois, for their weekend of Luminaria and Living Windows. As we're already buzzing about next year, I like to think it's officially a new tradition. A very Lorelei-and-Rory-esque tradition. You know: "I smell snow," and coffee, and an inn, and a quaint town, and mother/daughter antics. Am I giving you a toothache? Involuntary twitches? Eye rolls? Sorry, not sorry — my mom is the cat's pajamas, and what can I say? We know how to have a deliciously-cheesy Hallmark movie kind of weekend.
For our combined mother/daughter sanity next year, allow me to log our perfect itinerary for a Galena Luminaria weekend. This may not be exactly how everything went down during year two, but Mom and I like to think we (hopefully) worked out all necessary scheduling kinks. Must make note for year three.
First off, we stayed at the Lamberson Guest House, a four-bedroom inn up on the hill, overlooking Main Street. It's the perfect location in terms of views and access to the harrowing staircase that takes you from the top of the hill to the heart of downtown Galena. While we were there, the house was celebrating its first anniversary of being an inn — meaning it feels very clean and new, while still being historic, as are most of the B&Bs in town.
The ambiance preserves that old world charm, but you can tell the paint is fresh, the linens aren't worn, and there's not a whiff of that musty smell. There are also two pups, Murray and Jack, to cap off the cuteness. The owner Michelle is not only warm and delightful — she's superwoman. Her dear husband passed away unexpectedly just six weeks after they opened the inn last year. Can you imagine? Her spirit and perseverance are truly an inspiration.
But back to the preferred itinerary: Ideally you'd want to arrive at Lamberson Guest House by 4pm on Friday evening to take full advantage of Michelle's wine and cheese happy hour. Call ahead (like, a few weeks ahead) to make a 6pm reservation for dinner at our favorite spot in town, Fritz & Frites. This German and French bistro is quickly becoming the only dinner spot in town for my mom and I. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The schnitzel is heaven.
After said heavenly dinner, I recommend heading back to the inn, warming up by the electric fire, and popping in a favorite Christmas movie (White Christmas for the win!). In the morning, hopefully it will have magically snowed over night (it did for us!). Breakfast is served promptly at 8:30 and lasts about an hour.
The food was delicious, but exceedingly rich. Pace yourself. After breakfast, take a little walk around the hilltop neighborhood before bopping back to the inn for some noon-time coffee, reading, relaxing, and (maybe) napping. You'll need your energy to stay out all afternoon and evening for the various Luminaria activities. From 2–4pm, $10 gets you a tour of a number of historical B&Bs — something my mom and I didn't make it to this year, but intend to do in year three.
Then from 4–6 on Main Street, it's the Living Windows. This is also when you can bop in and out of shops to do some Christmas shopping (though it's surprising how few truly great shops there are... many lean tacky or country). The Living Windows are the real draw, with everything from magicians to cute kiddos to a slew of kittens beckoning folks to peer inside. Carolers move along the street, serenading as they go, and a four-piece brass band plays traditional carols on a street corner. Charm. For. Days.
Starting at 6pm, it's time for the Luminaria. The streets and hillside steps are lined with paper lanterns, setting the whole town aglow. It really feels like you've stepped into one of those ceramic Christmas villages. In the future, I would probably ask Michelle at the inn, or someone in town, where you might find the best vantage point to take in the Luminaria scene. While my mom and I enjoyed just moseying around, having a more fixed destination might be nice.
Oh, and if at any time during the Living Windows or Luminaria you need some sustenance, bop into Devour for a coffee or hot chocolate — the ambiance is cool and the people are super friendly.
Saturday's end goal is to be at Fritz & Frites, enjoying dessert, when the carolers make their final stop. This year, my mom and I managed this by sharing an apple strudel for over an hour — a very silly thing, but totally worth it. In the future, we decided we're just going to have an entire meal there, dessert and all. Remember: If it ain't broke, don't fix it, and the food at Fritz & Frites is just so good! Plus the owners are super sweet; they gave us a complimentary flute of Turtle Bourbon to top off our coffee.
In a perfect world, make a dinner reservation for 8:00 or 8:30, as the carolers come in after 9pm (it was about 9:15 to be exact). Follow this itinerary, and you're living the Luminaria dream!
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