Marie

Are there any charming towns in Illinois or Wisconsin with lots of hills? I've seen Galena and just loved it. I'd like to tour more towns that are similar.

Dan

Plenty of charming town in Illinois and Wisconsin, but hills are the problem. If you like hills and charming towns I can recommend two in Minnesota. One is Red Wing and the other is Stillwater. Red Wing is on the Mississippi. I believe Stillwater is on the LaCroix, which appears to be the upper Mississippi. Both towns are old with high bluffs overlooking the river.
Cross into Minnesota from LaCrosse, WI
and drive north along the Mississippi
to Red Wing. This may be a litlle farther than you planned but trust me, if you do this on a blue sky day, scenery in the midwest just doesn't get better. Red Wing is a nice small town. Stillwater is more interesting and LOADED with history and old houses. I'm not a big fan of fake "trolley" tours, but this one was woth it. Phenominal architecture. If you go on the right day, actress Jessica Lange may even yell at your trolley to move away from her house.

Cali

Stillwater, MN is on the St. Croix and has lots of antique stores and other neat things and Red Wing is on the Mississippi (just down river from where the St. Croix and Mississippi come together. I also enjoy Wabasha and Lake City, Mn If you like B & B's there are a lot of them in these 3 cities and also some neat old hotels - Lowell Inn (Stillwater); St. James Hotel (Red Wing) and Anderson House (Wabasha). There are some river towns in WI but can't think of any that stand out to me.

Anna

Prairie Du Chien, WI is a historic river town, and Winona, MN has a wonderful drive up to a bluff called Garvin Heights with a pectacular view of the Mississippi Valley.

kam

Ohmygod, my husband went to prep school in Prairie du Chien, WI!!! Red Wing is certainly a good choice, Dubuque is a nice town to visit as well. We used to visit friends who had a summer place in Detroit Lakes, MN--great area though not on the river. Used to take Amtrak from Chicago--a 12 hour trip!! Kids loved the train! Don't know how it is now, that was 20+ years ago.

anna

I'm guessing your husband went to Campion Acadamy ("Send Campion a boy and we'll send you back a man"). It's a Federal prison now.

kam

Anna, Yes, they call it "prison prep"!

xxx

I think the place you're talking about at one time was a catholic boarding school, the catholics then sold it to the lutherans for the same purpose, the lutherans then sold it to the state. it is a state prison. how things come full circle

kam

Campion was a Catholic Jesuit prep school in the 60s and even then the boys called it prision prep! How appropriate that it is now an actual prison! And, yes, the Lutherans tried it for a while but apparently it didn't work for them either. Things do come around in full circle!