I've been to the park area a few times for family gatherings and the shelters are always very nice…read more This year my mom decided that while the whole family was home for Christmas we would go snowshoeing on the trails out at Swiss Valley Nature Center. Since we had a heat wave and the temperature broke 40 degrees it was a beautiful day to be outside but not really the best snow to snowshoe in. But in the dead of winter, you have to take warm days when you get them. The Nature Center has snowshoes to rent for free. They have two different sizes for adults and I'm guessing they weren't super high quality snowshoes but they worked fine for us. We went on a Saturday and the selection was fairly picked over and we had to have ours back in 2 hours. You can call and reserve the shoes ahead of time and I would highly recommend doing that on the weekends. The trails were well marked and there were quite a few options for trails to take. There are also cross-country ski trails that are groomed if you are into that. The woman helping us at the nature center thought you could rent cross-country skies from Kunert Sports. We picked a hilly route and although I consider myself in-shape I was huffing and puffing going up the steepest climb. The sites were beautiful and very worth it though.

A great place to hike near Dubuque. As the name suggests, the nature preserve is located in a…read morevalley just west of town. There's a nature center at the trailhead, and a campground just down the road. The trails span a variety of habitats, and are long and hilly enough to get your heart rate pumping if you so desire. A nice alternative to the Mines of Spain.

For all your fishing needs. Weather you walleye,bass, come and get you some. Illinois walleye…read moretrail was here and we will be back

From the owner: Specialize in fishing and archery products and set up.read more

Great local spot for a long walk or bike ride. In the winter I have taken my snowmobile and it is a…read morenew flat trail that seems to go forever. Really looking forward to getting back on it for some riding!

We stopped at the Park that is part of this trail for a picnic lunch, walk our dogs and stretch…read moreour legs. The park has a covered picnic area and a pond where people were fishing and watching ducks. We only walked a small portion of the trail, but the part we did use was easy to handle using a wheelchair. We plan on coming back to try more after I get my off-road chair!

Hello! Let me tell you the story of how our mother-daughter haunted tour date almost got ruined…read more My grandma bought my mom, my aunt, and me tickets for Amelia's Galena Ghost Tours at 6 p.m. There was nothing anywhere saying we needed to arrive early. We got there right at 6, parking directly behind the DeSoto house where the website said we would be meeting -- but there was no bus in sight. We started running around trying to find it, even went to their store, only to find the door locked and no one around. About 20 minutes later, my mom called to explain that we had arrived on time but no one was there. The lady on the phone said they had waited 20 minutes for us, looked for us, and then left. But if she had really been waiting, we would have seen her -- and definitely would have seen the bus! When my mom asked if we could move to the 7 p.m. tour instead, the lady said no because she "can't just give up the empty seats," and she wasn't very kind about it either. Eventually, she texted us later saying we could join the 7:30 p.m. tour for free. We decided to wait at a nearby restaurant and have a drink before the tour. We left around 7:12 to find the bus, got on, and they departed at 7:20. (10 minutes early) Our tour guide, Emily, was great -- she was super sweet and friendly. The driver (maybe the boss?) didn't seem as welcoming; she never spoke to us once and only talked during the investigation at the haunted house they own.

My family recently experienced the Amelia Ghost Tour (on the van) through Galena Illinois…read more Unfortunately, I did not read any reviews before the tour. If I had been more proactive, I would have avoided spending time and money on this tour. My family of 6 was over $200... definitely not worth the money. After the tour, I sat down to write/read the reviews. Each negative review repeatedly said the same thing, so I decided not to repeat what has already been said. Apparently, these negative reviews have not made any difference because nothing has changed. I guess I just don't understand how a company can be satisfied knowing so many customers are dissatisfied.

Good location and sites are mowed regularly. RV parking spots are relatively level. Reasonable…read morerates. Each site had two picnic tables. Camp host was great and firewood for purchase on site. Nice fire pit/grill. On the down side, grass was not treated and gnats were so bad you couldn't hardly sit outside. One camper said they had to go buy a fogger so they could sit outside. Although they advertise WiFi there was not. RV dump station is not RV friendly. Water is not close enough to the sewer to rinse hose after emptying holding tanks. Nowhere to dispose of trash at the dump station. Only one trash dumpster in the entire park and not easily accessible by RV.